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Transcript

#540: Leaders in Customer Loyalty: Brand Stories | How TGI Fridays Has Rebuilt its Digital Experience for the Modern Age · Leaders in Customer Loyalty, Powered by Loyalty360

• 0:02
  SPEAKER_01: Founded in 1965, GI Fridays is entering a new chapter, with customer loyalty serving as the key pillar of the company's 1, 2, 3 strategic vision.
• 0:12
  SPEAKER_01: Through a refresh customer loyalty program, a new and easier to navigate mobile app, and a growing focus on strategic partnerships, the brand is working to create more rewarding guest experiences while bringing its American-style iconic restaurants back to the forefront.
• 0:29
  SPEAKER_01: Today we'll discuss how TGI Fridays transformed their customer volunteer approach, their innovation mindset, their partnership strategy, and what's next for one of the restaurant industry's most recognizable brands.
• 0:42
  SPEAKER_01: All this is being led by Christopher Houston.
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_01: He is a director of digital marketing at TGI Fridays.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_01: Christopher, welcome to the Leaders in Customer Loyalty Podcast.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_01: How are you doing today?
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_00: I'm very well.
• 0:53
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you so much for having me, Mark.
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you very much for taking the time.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, first off, for those who may not know of TGA Fridays, uh, can you give us a little bit of background on the company, what you guys do, how you do it, how you were formed?
• 1:07
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, absolutely.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, TGA Fridays was founded in 1965 as really kind of the world's first casual bar and grill.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_00: And, you know, for 60 years now, we we've been kind of a destination for where the world goes to celebrate.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_00: Um, today we operate over 350 restaurants in almost 40 countries, really kind of focusing on bringing that taste of Americana culture uh to millions of people worldwide uh through, you know, the iconic American classic menu that that many know and love to our very well-known, you know, legendary drinks, and that kind of unmistakable Fridays feeling that a lot of people grew up with.
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, I think what's driven our success so far has really been that spirit of celebration and connection.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, of course, the food, our experiences, and honestly, an amazing team that we have that really brings it all to life.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, when we created the category, I think, you know, it's that same spirit, I think, that continues to drive us today.
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, we're now in a very exciting new chapter over here at Fridays uh with our 123 strategic vision, which is the roadmap that you know our leadership has laid out to becoming that global leader in the casual dining.
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_00: So we're targeting right now a thousand restaurants in uh and two billion dollars in revenue by 2030.
• 2:31
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_01: So uh you talked about uh kind of new strategic vision, the one, two, three, uh become kind of a predominant leader.
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_01: You know, what kind of changes has Friday seen?
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_01: Because obviously uh a huge brand, uh kind of uh one of the leading brands, uh, you know, a number of years back.
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_01: And now you're kind of refocused, recommitted to bringing that that brand back, the slice of Americana, as as you mentioned.
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_01: And so what kind of changes has Friday's been through and where do you see the the future or vision for the program?
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_00: Um for just Fridays in general?
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, Fridays in general, yep.
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_00: So I mean, our leadership team is, you know, we we've implemented a lot of I think really great things, especially since the time that I've joined.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_00: We've focused on uh revisiting our menus, you know, bringing some, bringing back some of the things that people know and love.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_00: Uh we've done a lot of work on the digital side, we've done a lot of work on the um app and loyalty side uh and the way that we communicate with guests, uh, I think to to innovate the way that we're um you know reaching out to people.
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_00: Um we mean you think it extends all the way to the markets that we're looking at for expansion, the partners that we work with.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_00: Uh it's all been uh a really kind of concerted effort across the board.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_01: Um tell us a little more about your role of company.
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_01: You mentioned that you've been there since last January.
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, you know, what do you do on a daily basis?
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, what's a little bit about your background?
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_01: What do you what did you do before this?
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_01: Uh how do you get into the customer loyalty arena?
• 4:03
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, absolutely.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_00: Uh so at Fridays, as you mentioned, I'm the um global digital marketing um man uh director, and I oversee basically the digital experience that connects all of our guests with the Fridays brands.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm overseeing the website, our app, email, social, uh, SEO, and of course the loyalty program uh across our entire portfolio.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_00: Um I have been in the industry for a little bit for a little while now.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_00: I actually got my start working uh in the shopping center hospitality side, uh, working for mall-owning companies for you know, probably about the first eight, eight or so years of my career.
• 4:42
  SPEAKER_01: Like a Simon Plus.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_00: Uh yes, I did, like many, I think, I did start with Simon Property Group, uh, moved to Chicago, uh, worked for Talbman, the Talbman Company for some time.
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, and then when I moved to Dallas, I joined Del Frisco's restaurant group as the as the digital, and then eventually became their senior digital manager uh for their grill brand.
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_00: Uh so that was my first foray into the um you know restaurant hospitality space.
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_00: So here I am.
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_00: Um I've I've taken over those areas of the business.
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_00: And my focus really since joining has been trying to make sure that all of our digital touch points are a reflection of, I think, the the energy that our guests feel when they walk through Fridays and the energy that people know and associate with the brand.
• 5:32
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, technology for us and digital for us is should really be a conduit to the brand and not a barrier.
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_00: So we're really, really focused on innovating to ensure our digital guest journey is streamlined uh, you know, for our current guest and you know, the next digital first generation that applies to our app, our loyalty program, uh, all of our communications, we focus on them being as seamless, intuitive, and rewarding as possible, while also, of course, staying true to who we are.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_00: So, this is something that's very important to us as we kind of refresh our digital identity uh while also staying true to the Friday's legacy.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_01: That's awesome.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_01: So when you look at your role, uh everything digital, uh, understanding younger generations, right?
• 6:14
  SPEAKER_01: Redoing uh kind of the the menu to make it uh more Americana focused, uh which we always have been, kind of improving that.
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_01: There are lots going on.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_01: You know, what do you think are the biggest challenges you face in your role from a day-to-day perspective?
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_01: Or maybe phrase it differently, what do you think the biggest opportunity is?
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I I think that right now, you know, the the industry is awash.
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_00: There's all kinds of new things popping up, there's all types of different challenges.
• 6:42
  SPEAKER_00: I think that guests today are expecting new ways to interact with brands.
• 6:47
  SPEAKER_00: I think that's definitely changed over time.
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_00: It certainly has since I started in this industry.
• 6:52
  SPEAKER_00: People are wanting more convenience, more personalization.
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, they're defining value differently and they're expecting it on their terms, whether it's, you know, whether it's you're dining in or you're getting delivery or pickup or curbside.
• 7:05
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, we're we're focused on building our tech stack and our app to meet those needs uh and streamline the way that they they engage with the brand.
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_00: Um so that's that's kind of where our you know primary focus has been.
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_01: You mentioned partners, uh, kind of in discussion a little while ago.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_01: Are we talking about brand partners or technology partners?
• 7:29
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, either way, you know, partners are very important for brands and customer loyalty, customer experience today.
• 7:34
  SPEAKER_01: Can you expand a little bit what partners mean to the brand and how you leverage them?
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_00: Uh yeah, um, we've worked uh on both sides of that spectrum.
• 7:43
  SPEAKER_00: You know, partnership is something that's really valuable to us.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_00: We uh work very closely, of course, with our tech stack partners.
• 7:49
  SPEAKER_00: We use uh PowerPunch uh as our loyalty provider, um, who have been able to feel our app.
• 7:56
  SPEAKER_00: We work very closely with them, of course.
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_00: Um we also seek out you know key relationships with brands like uh TBS.
• 8:05
  SPEAKER_00: We partnered with them during our holiday takeover last year.
• 8:08
  SPEAKER_00: Uh we have another partnership coming up that uh I'm not allowed to name yet, but we've got something big coming for the summer that that we're really excited about that should launch here in about a month.
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_00: So uh it's something to look forward to.
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_00: Uh in the in the UK, we've partnered with Pantalones Tequila uh and integrated them into some of our menu items and some of our actual cocktails and things like that.
• 8:31
  SPEAKER_00: So we're always looking for great, you know, brand adjacent partners that just feel like a natural fit.
• 8:39
  SPEAKER_00: And, you know, not only I think, you know, engaging with them from you know the practical way of how it you know applies to our menu and such, but how we can also fold into their digital presence as well and how they can fold into ours.
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_01: That makes sense.
• 8:53
  SPEAKER_01: So when you look at partnerships, uh, you know, we have a brand community we meet quite often.
• 8:57
  SPEAKER_01: We actually have a uh session coming up, Pen Entertainment is going to talk about their partnership approach.
• 9:02
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, but it can be challenging, right, to make sure the partnerships work for both, whether it's tequila or you know other types of partnerships.
• 9:10
  SPEAKER_01: How do you how do you approach partnerships, uh, especially in regard to kind of making them mutually beneficial to both brands?
• 9:18
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, um so I when we're approaching partnerships, obviously we want to make sure that it feels brand adjacent.
• 9:23
  SPEAKER_00: It feels right for our guests, right for our customer.
• 9:26
  SPEAKER_00: We want to make sure it feels relevant for them.
• 9:28
  SPEAKER_00: Um we, of course, bring you know the force of our legacy and heritage and all of our marketing channels and things like that to bear, you know, when we when we engage with our partners.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_00: And uh for them, uh and what we see I think with our partnerships a lot is our ability our ability to plug into uh like cultural moments.
• 9:52
  SPEAKER_00: That's something that's really big for us.
• 9:53
  SPEAKER_00: So uh I think that a lot of the partners that we've we've gotten with have been a um a great natural fit, and uh it's allowed us to kind of show the breadth of what Fridays can be and what Fridays is.
• 10:07
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, excellent.
• 10:08
  SPEAKER_01: So uh you talked about this a little bit earlier.
• 10:11
  SPEAKER_01: Uh you know, there's a big focus right now on customers changing, right?
• 10:14
  SPEAKER_01: There's a big push for value right now.
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_01: Uh kind of this K-shaped recovery have some uh customers have a lot of discretionary and disposal income, some may not be uh kind of in the same scenario.
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_01: So when you look at uh that and customers changing, uh expectations changing, you know, what are you seeing in that regard?
• 10:33
  SPEAKER_01: And and how is Friday's kind of responding to kind of the changes that that that you're going through?
• 10:39
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, absolutely.
• 10:40
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, like I mentioned earlier, you know, we we guests in general are expecting that personalization, they're expecting that value, they're expecting things on their terms.
• 10:48
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, we've we have guests that are coming in who find more value in experiences and status, and then we have other guests who are coming in that are more value-driven.
• 11:00
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so when we rebuilt our app, um we wanted to try to streamline it from end to end and make sure that it could it could address both of those things.
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_00: So our our app is designed to provide uh easy access to everything from finding a location to placing an online order and to also engaging with a rewards platform, which is where you know our guests will find whether, no, despite whatever side of the spectrum they're on, that's where our guests will be able to find unique ways and unique offers uh that they can can you know engage with Fridays.
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, excellent.
• 11:34
  SPEAKER_01: Uh we last did an interview with your team in I think October of 2020.
• 11:40
  SPEAKER_01: Um GJ Fridays was uh set to launch the new a new loyalty program at that time.
• 11:45
  SPEAKER_01: And uh you got the program underway with the new refresh.
• 11:49
  SPEAKER_01: So if you're looking back to October 2020, I know you've only been there for about 18 months.
• 11:54
  SPEAKER_01: Uh you know, how did that that that refresh go in 2020?
• 11:58
  SPEAKER_01: It sounds like you may refresh it again.
• 12:00
  SPEAKER_01: You know, what are you seeing with regard to the new program?
• 12:04
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, um, you know, Friday's, you know, we Fridays is at a loyalty program for, you know, nearly 30 years.
• 12:10
  SPEAKER_00: Uh the, you know, the we like you mentioned, there was a reimagining in in 2020, there was another reimagining in 2023, and of course, here we are in 2026.
• 12:19
  SPEAKER_00: So I think as a brand, we're constantly trying to innovate and and find the best ways to engage with our guests.
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, right now we're we're working off of a point-based system uh where you know our guests are earning points towards exclusive perks and app-only deals and things like that.
• 12:36
  SPEAKER_00: Um so it's similar to I think what it's been in the past, but uh we've also added in some uh everyday perks and things like that to kind of add to the experience.
• 12:45
  SPEAKER_00: Um it also connects to a broader ecosystem now.
• 12:50
  SPEAKER_00: So our rewards platform and this new structure is plugged in better with, you know, between our app, our email platform, our push notifications, SMS.
• 12:59
  SPEAKER_00: So it's a little bit more holistic of an experience now.
• 13:02
  SPEAKER_00: We're able to uh provide a lot more personalization and kind of in-the-moment information.
• 13:08
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so it's it's it's woven into the entire uh digital guest journey.
• 13:13
  SPEAKER_00: And, you know, we're we're never one to settle.
• 13:16
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, you know, we're we're constantly looking at at ways to innovate this program.
• 13:19
  SPEAKER_00: So I would actually call what we're in right now to be kind of phase one of this new program.
• 13:24
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, we are actively pursuing uh additional phases of uh of uh features and experiences that we do plan to roll out in the near future.
• 13:33
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, excellent.
• 13:34
  SPEAKER_01: Uh when you look at customer loyalty, uh we have a new uh kind of uh commitment survey.
• 13:41
  SPEAKER_01: We're doing kind of like JD Power.
• 13:43
  SPEAKER_01: Um many brands often speak to being very focused within the organization.
• 13:47
  SPEAKER_01: Sometimes it is, sometimes it's not.
• 13:49
  SPEAKER_01: You know, how important is customer loyalty to kind of your customer experience, your broader customer engagement strategy?
• 13:58
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, the the app is is and just the digital presence in general is very central.
• 14:02
  SPEAKER_00: You know, it's kind of the the ties that that bring everything together.
• 14:07
  SPEAKER_00: You know, the the app and and mobile in general, you know, is what I would consider to be the front door uh to any brand uh for a you know majority of guests and a growing number of guests.
• 14:19
  SPEAKER_00: So for us, it's extremely important.
• 14:21
  SPEAKER_00: There's a lot of opportunities, especially in the online order space.
• 14:24
  SPEAKER_00: Uh this is you know where loyalty gets rewarded.
• 14:27
  SPEAKER_00: And you know, we one of the big aspects of this redesign was streamlining that process as well.
• 14:34
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 14:34
  SPEAKER_00: So making it a lot easier uh for people to order their you know cravings and their favorites as quickly as possible.
• 14:41
  SPEAKER_00: Uh so the more people that we can you know bring to the app and uh the more people that can engage with us and and move through that process faster means you know more sales to the bottom line.
• 14:51
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
• 14:52
  SPEAKER_01: You mentioned that you redid the app as well, uh, the mobile app.
• 14:56
  SPEAKER_01: Uh what prompted the redesign and uh in the app and was customer feedback?
• 15:03
  SPEAKER_01: Was it the performance issues?
• 15:04
  SPEAKER_01: Was it uh maybe feeling a little bit dated?
• 15:07
  SPEAKER_01: You know, what what what caused you or prompted you to refresh the map?
• 15:11
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, uh I do think a little bit of an element of it uh was a little bit of a a feeling of of being dated and we needed to kind of innovate.
• 15:19
  SPEAKER_00: You know, the big priority for me was simplicity.
• 15:21
  SPEAKER_00: So when I joined and started leading that project, I wanted to make sure that was a simple, intuitive, seamless experience.
• 15:27
  SPEAKER_00: That was my that was my big things for how I wanted to redo it.
• 15:30
  SPEAKER_00: I didn't think that there was a need for a necessary fluff or anything like that.
• 15:35
  SPEAKER_00: I wanted to be mindful of what guests are coming to the app to do and how to make that as easy as possible.
• 15:42
  SPEAKER_00: So I wanted to make sure that that was the one place that guests could go to do everything that they needed quickly.
• 15:48
  SPEAKER_00: So from ordering, you know, online orders to engaging with their loyalty program to finding a location.
• 15:54
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, all those things were just as simple as possible for them.
• 15:58
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 15:59
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and and and you talked about some of the objectives for the program, you know, high level, you want to make it simple, easier to use, create more engagement.
• 16:07
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, are there your other things that you hope to accomplish with uh the app and the new loyalty program for both guests and the brand?
• 16:16
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, absolutely.
• 16:17
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, for guests, you know, as as I mentioned earlier, as we continue to kind of roll out these changes, you know, ultimately uh I would love to drive guests to a place of feeling truly valued, truly seen, and truly appreciated, much more than just uh, you know, waiting for another discount.
• 16:36
  SPEAKER_00: You know, obviously value is a key factor.
• 16:39
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but you know, true loyalty to me is also more than that.
• 16:43
  SPEAKER_00: There's there's a camaraderie that is created, uh, I think between brand and guest uh when true loyalty is in place.
• 16:50
  SPEAKER_00: And that's the type of uh dedication I think you can get from guests that's really difficult to buy and it takes a while to build.
• 16:57
  SPEAKER_00: So we're actively working towards that.
• 16:59
  SPEAKER_00: Um obviously for the business, uh, we're seeing uh very, very healthy uh you know app adoption in the first month.
• 17:09
  SPEAKER_00: Uh we saw the um app share of online orders uh move up very quickly to you know 15 plus percent of our online orders through the app itself.
• 17:20
  SPEAKER_00: We also know through the data that the you know the app guest is spending more, so their cost per is is higher.
• 17:28
  SPEAKER_00: Uh so when I'm thinking about business goals, you know, those those are things that are constantly in my mind.
• 17:33
  SPEAKER_00: Um and you know, it's um continues to be just something that we're we're continuing to push, and then hopefully people will get really excited about it as we continue to roll out these new features.
• 17:46
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 17:47
  SPEAKER_01: Uh you talked a good deal about the the mobile app, the technology, gamification, creating simplicity, uh driving engagement.
• 17:55
  SPEAKER_01: Um it can have a significant impact on how guests interact with the brand, with the program.
• 18:00
  SPEAKER_01: Um it seems like that's a a big focus for today Fridays.
• 18:06
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, yeah, absolutely.
• 18:08
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, you know, gamification and such, very big.
• 18:10
  SPEAKER_00: We actually, for our uh Fridays United campaign, uh, which is our campaign that's going on right now around the uh the big soccer tournament uh that's happening.
• 18:20
  SPEAKER_00: Uh we actually we uh partnered um with an with a company called Purveyor Sports uh to create a TGI Fridays branded mobile game that uh rewards guests for playing.
• 18:31
  SPEAKER_00: It's kind of it's a fun kind of interactive element that guests can play uh you know while they're at their table or waiting for their orders and things like that.
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_00: And then they can also get rewarded if they join the loyalty program, they can get an exclusive reward through that.
• 18:43
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so it is it's definitely something that we're continuing to explore and how we can expand it.
• 18:49
  SPEAKER_00: And uh, you know, as we continue to move forward, I think in our our our our rollout plans, you know, we'll see a lot more.
• 18:56
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, perfect.
• 18:57
  unknown: Yeah.
• 18:58
  SPEAKER_01: When you look at customer loyalty, we've talked about a little bit.
• 19:00
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, you know, we love to talk to brands about customer loyalty, understand kind of how they look at it, uh, but also getting a qualitative uh definition of what it means to the brand, I think is very important as well.
• 19:11
  SPEAKER_01: You know, when you look at customer loyalty, what does it mean to you and to TGI Fridays?
• 19:15
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I think so.
• 19:17
  SPEAKER_00: For me, I loyalty is about earning that right to be someone's first choice through, you know, great high-value experiences that make people want to come back.
• 19:29
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, we're we're we're refocused on creating those deep emotional connections with our guests uh and you know, giving them as many reasons as as they can to celebrate every day.
• 19:40
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, part of that one, two, three strategic vision that I discussed was to activate the brand even more through celebration-driven experiences.
• 19:48
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, we've started doing that in a variety of ways.
• 19:52
  SPEAKER_00: We launched our TGI ELF Days holiday takeover last year, where we completely transformed our restaurants into basically holiday pop-up shops.
• 20:02
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, and then of course the Fridays United um program that we've got going now.
• 20:07
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but I really think that the rewards program helps to formalize that relationship.
• 20:12
  SPEAKER_00: And but you know, real loyalty lives it lives in the food, it lives in the energy, it lives in our flair.
• 20:18
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, and I think that's what's kept people coming back for you know 60 years now.
• 20:23
  SPEAKER_01: Excellent.
• 20:24
  SPEAKER_01: Big discussion uh focus in our community around AI, uh, the potential, the opportunity, the challenges from a uh, you know, maybe legal regulatory perspective, from a corporate governance perspective.
• 20:34
  SPEAKER_01: We had an attorney group last week speak to our members around that.
• 20:39
  SPEAKER_01: You know, how are you looking at AI?
• 20:41
  SPEAKER_01: And how do you think uh AI can enhance your customer experience efforts?
• 20:46
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, um it that that's a good one.
• 20:48
  SPEAKER_00: I know AI is everywhere now, right?
• 20:50
  SPEAKER_00: It's popping up all over the place.
• 20:51
  SPEAKER_00: I think that for us, I really see AI as a tool.
• 20:56
  SPEAKER_00: So it can help us understand our guests better.
• 20:58
  SPEAKER_00: You know, it can help us digest our first-party data better.
• 21:02
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, it can help us deliver more relevant and personalized experiences.
• 21:06
  SPEAKER_00: It can help us serve the right offers to the right guest in the right moment.
• 21:11
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, and we're also looking at how it can improve our operational efficiency, you know, to be frank, behind the scenes, um, you know, like demand forecasting, optimizing the ordering experience, things like that.
• 21:24
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so I think there's a place for it.
• 21:26
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, with that said, though, um, we're very thoughtful about it and we're very thoughtful about the industry.
• 21:31
  SPEAKER_00: I I believe, and we believe uh AI should always serve to enhance hospitality, uh, but not replace it.
• 21:38
  SPEAKER_00: So I do believe that great hospitality technology should amplify that and not dilute.
• 21:44
  SPEAKER_01: Christopher, when you look at your program, look at everything you've done since you've been there, you know, 18 months back.
• 21:49
  SPEAKER_01: You know, what are you most proud of?
• 21:51
  SPEAKER_01: Uh and uh when you step back and look at the program.
• 21:54
  SPEAKER_00: I'm proud of the resilience of TGI Fridays and of this brand.
• 21:57
  SPEAKER_00: It's what really excited me to join the team just in general.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_00: You know, when when my SVP, uh Lauren Perez, gave me a call, um, I I was I was very, very excited because all I see is opportunity here.
• 22:10
  SPEAKER_00: And you know, Fridays has been around for 60 years.
• 22:13
  SPEAKER_00: And the fact that we're here today and we still have a clear vision, we have real momentum going on right now.
• 22:19
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, and and our global footprint does continue to grow.
• 22:22
  SPEAKER_00: I do think that says something about the strength of the brand, and it's something that I'm I'm very proud of here.
• 22:26
  SPEAKER_00: Um, in terms of you know, our digital strategy, you know, we've we've worked to implement a lot of refreshes like we've discussed, you know, to meet that that next generation of our guests.
• 22:37
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, it's there's a you know, it's a tall task, I think, to modernize, you know, a legacy brand, as some would call us, right?
• 22:46
  SPEAKER_00: As I think we should be proud to call ourselves as well, as a legacy brand that has a lot of deep community roots.
• 22:52
  SPEAKER_00: So um I think that we're very well positioned.
• 22:55
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm I'm also just really proud of the team here.
• 22:57
  SPEAKER_00: You know, our team uh has just been absolutely amazing.
• 23:01
  SPEAKER_00: The support that we get from our leadership, especially when it comes to digital things and stepping outside the box, has been just wonderful.
• 23:08
  SPEAKER_00: And, you know, without their vision and support, you know, uh I I'd you know, I don't think anything would be possible.
• 23:15
  SPEAKER_00: So there's there's a lot, I think, to be proud about you know at Fridays right now.
• 23:19
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 23:20
  SPEAKER_01: Uh and last question, well, what can Loyalty 360 do to help you and your team in your customer loyalty journey?
• 23:26
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 23:27
  SPEAKER_00: I know loyalty 360 is you know just so great in the in the space.
• 23:30
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that uh, you know, continuing to create these spaces for brands to share and giving us the opportunity to talk about what's working and what's not working, uh, you know, is just fantastic.
• 23:43
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, that that that learning, that peer-to-peer learning, I think is just incredibly valuable, uh, especially for brands like us right now that are kind of in a growth and transformation phase.
• 23:52
  SPEAKER_00: You know, there's, you know, I don't uh pretend to know everything.
• 23:55
  SPEAKER_00: I know that uh there's a lot for us all to share and discuss in this industry.
• 23:59
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, and I just and I think that uh having a platform for that through you is is just an amazing thing.
• 24:05
  SPEAKER_00: Um and just you know, continuing to shine the light on new ways forward, new opportunities, new technologies, new strategies.
• 24:12
  SPEAKER_00: This is an area that's always evolving.
• 24:15
  SPEAKER_00: And I know I really just appreciate Loyalty 360 for helping to, you know, cut through the noise and and you know, really showcase uh, you know, the big stuff that's going on in this in this world.
• 24:28
  SPEAKER_01: Perfect.
• 24:28
  SPEAKER_01: Well, Christopher, thank you very much for taking the uh time to speak with us today.
• 24:33
  SPEAKER_01: It was great getting caught up on TGI Fridays, the new loyalty program, new app, uh kind of the focus uh within the organization around customer loyalty.
• 24:41
  SPEAKER_01: It was definitely a pleasure speaking with you.
• 24:42
  SPEAKER_01: So thank you very much for taking the time to talk with us today.
• 24:45
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks so much, Mark.
• 24:46
  SPEAKER_01: Perfect.
• 24:47
  SPEAKER_01: Uh I also want to thank everyone else for taking the time to listen.
• 24:49
  SPEAKER_01: Make sure you join us back every Thursday for a new episode of our Leaders in Customer Loyalty podcast, the Brand Stories Edition.
• 24:56
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, don't forget to subscribe in the comment section below and uh check us out on YouTube and our social media channels as well.
• 25:02
  SPEAKER_01: Until next Thursday.
• 25:04
  SPEAKER_01: Have a wonderful day.