Consumers overwhelmingly have positive experiences with loyalty programs. More than half of adults say they participate in them, and 96 percent of those participants believe loyalty programs offer good value, according to the National Restaurant Association’s 2024 Tech Landscape Report. However, consumers and brands are not a monolith. What works wonders for one group may fall flat for another, making the process of building, reforming, or launching loyalty programs more complex, but no less essential.
Questions like “Should I invest in physical punch cards with my app?” or “Is the strategy that worked for my competitor going to work for me?” are worth asking. They lead to better customer experiences. But the answers aren’t always straightforward, which is where the right technology partner can make the difference between a loyalty program that drives real engagement and one that misaligns with your brand’s goals.
Marigold ensures true partnership comes first when helping brands build loyalty programs. “We get in and help restaurants—you know, it’s your story, and nobody’s baby is ugly, right?” says Paul Hebert, director of enterprise strategy for Marigold. “So we do a complete audit: what’s your technology? Is it the best or the worst? Do you have a strategy, a five-year plan? How did you get your tiers? A lot of times, clients just created features and never went back to look.”
Meeting customer expectations in a loyalty program can be difficult to balance with what operators can realistically manage, whether they run one location or 100. Marigold helps close that gap by offering simple data collection tools that enable operators to better understand and respond to customer interests and experiences.
“We help operators map out what they want to accomplish, what the customer journey looks like, and then design loyalty communications that are personalized, relevant, and human, not robotic,” Hebert says.
Marigold supports this in a variety of ways, starting with conversations with the brand and an in-depth look at its audience to determine what will best serve its customers. The platform also offers drag-and-drop features, pre-built templates, and seamless integrations that work well with the client’s existing software and technology. These capabilities enable quick, customizable launches that minimize downtime and eliminate long development cycles while still addressing the unique, niche elements of each brand.
Marigold also understands that technology isn’t always the perfect solution, and loyalty strategies aren’t one-size-fits-all. “We’ve recommended punch cards, for example, and they drove a 23–32 percent increase in visits in the target group,” Hebert says. “Now we’re doing A/B testing on how many punches work best and which menu items drive the highest engagement.”
On the flip side, to truly assess whether loyalty programs are delivering on operator goals, brands need access to both quality and abundant data. “Most of our clients have lots of data, but not the data they need. We help bridge that by designing the right collection experiences and connecting it back to the loyalty engine.” Marigold delivers real-time reporting and AI-powered testing to uncover insights, optimize campaigns, and boost revenue.
In an industry where customer expectations evolve rapidly, loyalty programs must be flexible, intentional, and tailored to each brand’s identity. Success doesn’t come from copying what works for others. It comes from understanding your own customers and aligning your tools and strategy accordingly. With Marigold, brands don’t just implement loyalty programs, they build smarter, more personalized experiences that drive real results. Whether that means embracing advanced tech or going back to basics with a punch card, the right partner can turn complexity into clarity and intent into impact.
For more information on how to build your brand’s best loyalty program, visit meetmarigold.com/industry/restaurants.
