Are you a Turkey Guy? Subway's Personalized Approach

The situation

63% of consumers have no idea what they’re going to eat for lunch within an hour of eating lunch, and 44% of them actually check their smartphones to inform that decision.

The problem

Subway was not engaging with the customer at this very moment.

The solution

They spent a whole year building fundamental technology. The moment they changed their emailing program from one-size-fits-all to 220 different versions, they saw a difference.

The results

When they started to customize the image used in their emailing to reflect the customer’s prior purchase, they got an 8% lift in orders. Yeah, it’s that easy sometimes: Show the turkey guy the turkey sandwich and trigger his appetite. In total Subway doubled their ordering volume within a year and that without any paid advertising or acquisition activities.

The implication

Innovative and digital forward companies like the Amazons and Ubers of this world are shaping customer expectations: We expect tracking, we expect same-day delivery, and so on. Customers transform these expectations wildly into their life. It’s no longer an option for a non-tech company to not be technology-focused. Even if you’re selling sandwiches, you need to be on mobile devices or personalize experiences to win in the game!