Marketing In An Era of Zero-Party Data

It's no secret that consumers are becoming more aware of the value of their data, and more concerned about who is collecting it and what they're doing with it. According to a report by Cheetah Digital, 35% of consumers have received creepy personalisation based on information that they did not directly share with the brand while 49% are frustrated by receiving irrelevant content or offers.

The results are clear: People are getting sick of being tracked across the Internet and served up advertisements, many of which are disingenuous or creepily specific.

This new consumer trend is something that QSRs should take note of—because it could impact the business in ways QSRs never expected. This means QSRs need to keep up with the times and deliver what the customers want: personalisation without creepy targeting, relevant offers without irrelevant messaging, and better data protection than ever before.

If QSRs want to win over their customers, they need to interact in a more personalised way and improve engagement based on the information they have received directly from them - the customer.

QSRs and The Zero-Party Data Path

QSRs are heading into a new era. Consumers today not only want to know what's in their food, where it came from, and how it was made. They also want to know that their data is safe—that nobody is going to use it for anything other than delivering exactly what customers want when they want it.

That's why it's time for QSRs to take advantage of zero-party data and leverage their marketing efforts in every way possible. In contrast to making assumptions and inferences about the preferences of customers, QSR brands can simply ask those same people what they want.

If consumers trust the brand and value their interactions with it, they will happily share this information—and be glad the brand asked! In fact, 74% of consumers have a favourite brand that uses their data that they’re comfortable with.

Zero-party data allows QSR brands to connect directly with consumers and gather the data, insights, and permissions they need to power personalised marketing across all stages of the customer lifecycle: from attracting new customers to delighting existing ones with relevant messaging at critical moments in their journey through an impactful brand experience.

When QSRs use this data to support loyalty programs and deliver personalised offers, they can build relationships with their customers that are both meaningful and mutually beneficial.

Getting Customer Data Thru Value Exchange Economy

Relationship marketing through zero-party data becomes much easier once QSRs understand that people want to be treated as individuals, rather than a bunch of data points.

Cheetah Digital found that nearly 50% of Australian consumers are frustrated with brands they feel do not recognise their unique desires and needs in personalisation strategies.

But, consumers won’t give away their personal data and preferences for free. QSRs need to provide a tangible value exchange—offering something of worth to the customer in order to get access to that information. This is called the value exchange economy.

To get started, QSRs need to sit down and understand which part of the customer experience they would like to be more personalised, then understand what data points will contribute to executing a personalised experience. From there, QSRs need to find fun and engaging way to ask and collect the data, this is where a good value exchange is critical. 

Questionnaires, polls, quizzes and contests can give consumers a genuine reason to engage with the brand by offering rewards for doing so. Exclusive content, personalised recommendations, loyalty points, VIP offers and discounts can also be used to entice people into giving up their personal data.

One way that QSRs have used to collect data is by creating communities. Cheetah Digital reported that more than half of Australian consumers (55%) say they will trade personal data as long as doing so makes them feel like part of the brand's community—which is good news for QSRs that prioritise this kind of interaction with their customers. 

The great thing about creating a community is that it helps build brand loyalty—and that means more customers! This is especially important for QSR companies because they rely on repeat business from their customers. By creating a community where customers can talk about their favourite things about the company, they'll feel like they're part of something special and will want to keep coming back again and again!

Boosting Sales and Capturing Zero-Party Data in QSR

Domino's Pizza provides a great example of how to capture customer data and increase sales by leveraging new technology.

Domino’s in North America ran a campaign that gave customers a free pizza when they spent $5 or more at any of its stores. To participate, people had to visit Domino's website and enter their personal details to generate an online coupon code which could be redeemed in store.

With 8,000 shares and 20,000 entries, the fast-food chain's campaign was able to collect valuable zero-party data that could then be used for future marketing efforts by creating  personalised campaigns directly with their engaged customers.

Key Takeaway: Build Lasting Customer Relationships

QSR businesses must go beyond simple transactions to build thriving relationships with customers - and Cheetah Digital’s Customer Engagement Suite gives everything QSRs need for the job.

With Cheetah Experiences, QSR brands are able to offer customers engaging digital experiences that collect first- and zero-party data while securing valuable permission needed for successful marketing campaigns.

To learn more about how Cheetah Digital can help your QSR business leverage zero-party data, contact Sara at sara.coghlan@meetmarigold.com