• by Karlene Lukovitz  @KLmarketdaily, November 13, 2017

Dunkin’ Donuts is pulling out the digital and mobile media stops to support its third DD Perks Week, which launches today and runs through Friday (Nov. 17).

The five days of special offers are designed to kick off the important holiday season by thanking existing members of Dunkin’s DD Perks rewards program, driving new sign-ups, and boosting use of convenience features that encourage order frequency.

Those features — available only to DD Perks members — include  Dunkin’s mobile On-the-Go Ordering app (order and pay in advance with a swipe, and pick up without waiting in store lines), which can, if desired, be connected to through the Order Ahead feature of Google’s Waze GPS navigation app. As of this past May, Dunkin’ also integrated the Masterpass by Mastercard mobile wallet, which can be used to buy and load Dunkin’ cards through its mobile app or DunkinDonuts.com.

Dunkin’ will be promoting the week of offers through mobile banners and video and text-format ads in media including Facebook, Instagram, Google and the Cheddar and Business Insider properties, as well as owned channels such as Snapchat and Instagram Stories, Sherrill Kaplan, vice president of digital marketing and innovation for Dunkin’ Donuts U.S., tells Marketing Daily.

In addition, Dunkin’ will use “zero-speed takeovers” on Waze —banner ads served when Waze users are at a complete stop.

The offers on tap during DD Perks Week — offered in partnership with Masterpass — include a free beverage (200 points) with enrollment in an auto reload program (Monday); 100 bonus points with purchase, after 12 pm, of a medium hot or iced coffee via the On-the-Go mobile ordering app (Tuesday); double points for all purchases through the mobile app (Wednesday); a free beverage (200 points) for ordering through the mobile app (Thursday); and 100 bonus points with purchase of a large or extra-large hot coffee (Friday). 

Also, DD Perks members who make a purchase through mobile app on Nov. 16 will be entered in a “$5,000 Ultimate Shopping Spree Sweepstakes.”

As an added incentive to enroll in DD Perks during Perks Week, new members who join using Masterpass will receive $5, loaded directly onto their enrolled DD Cards.

Perks Weeks Accelerating Rapid Growth

DD Perks Weeks have been one important component in driving rapid growth of membership in the rewards program — a crucial key in competing with Starbucks, which has more than 13 million Starbucks Rewards members, and was generating 29% of its transactions through mobile payments as of Q2 2017, reported Business Insider.

DD Perks membership rose from about 800,000 in Q1 2014 to 6 million in Q1 2017, which saw 70% growth in mobile payments, translating to more than 10% of Dunkin’s U.S. sales in the period.   

Now, Kaplan reports that DD Perks’ membership has surpassed 7.5 million — up 39% from last year, making it one of the fastest-growing loyalty programs in the QSR industry.

“Loyalty is the main focus for all that we do at Dunkin’ Donuts,” and the DD Perks program “has been a key strategic pillar for the brand and a key differentiator in the competitive coffee space,” says Kaplan. “Our goals for DD Perks are to provide great experiences, value and rewards to our loyal and passionate fans in ways that exceed their expectations.”

Perks Week — developed as a “robust” way to “show appreciation to the millions of guests who make Dunkin’ Donuts an important part of their daily lives” — has succeeded in driving engagement within the rewards program, as well as awareness and trial for On-the-Go Mobile Ordering, she confirms. Trial is crucial: 70% of Perks members who try mobile ordering continue to use it. 

The first Perks Week, in November 2016, yielded double the average number of weekly enrollments in the rewards program and exceeded average weekly use of the mobile ordering app by nearly two times, Kaplan reports. 

The second Perks Week, in May 2017, generated the highest volume of mobile orders of any week in 2017 to date, she adds.

Going forward, Dunkin’ will “continue to focus on coffee innovation, fast-to-market product innovation, targeted use of value offerings, increased use of digital technologies and an improved restaurant experience,” Kaplan says. “We’ll keep looking for ways to enhance our mobile app and provide our guests with even more convenient options.”