TLDR

You know your regular customers are the lifeblood of your business. Their loyalty and repeat business keeps your doors open and revenue flowing. So when a customer's birthday rolls around, you have an opportunity to strengthen that bond and show them how much you appreciate their loyalty.

Starbucks knows how to keep customers coming back. They use strategic push notifications on people's birthdays to make a personal connection and make them want to visit again. As a restaurant owner, you can do the same to build strong relationships with your customers and boost sales on their special days. Just use some easy push notifications strategies, and you'll be on your way to having loyal customers, just like Starbucks.

The Starbucks Rewards Program: Driving Loyalty Through Personalization

The Starbucks Rewards program is all about using customer data and tailored offers to create loyalty. Using the mobile app, Starbucks keeps tabs on what customers buy and sends them special deals on birthdays and other occasions.

Members get a free drink or snack on their birthday, which brings them back for more. Starbucks goes the extra mile with artificial intelligence, analyzing individual purchase history to send surprise treats. These unexpected “just because” offers make members feel valued and strengthen brand affinity.

Starbucks’ data-driven personalization fosters a sense of community and makes Rewards members feel like VIPs. In turn, members visit more often and spend more per trip. By leveraging customer data through your mobile app, you can improve loyalty and sales just like them. Send personalized birthday offers and surprise perks. Use push notifications to highlight new menu items, promotions, and reminders. Make every customer feel like your most important one.

The outcome? More visits, bigger bills, and customers who wouldn't dream of going elsewhere. Focus on personalization to build loyalty, and you'll turn your customers into enthusiastic fans.

Starbucks' Clever Use of Birthday Push Notifications

Starbucks’ loyalty program is legendary for using personalized push notifications to make customers feel special on their birthdays. As an app builder for restaurants and coffee shops, Per Diem makes it easy to leverage the same tactic.

Targeted Birthday Rewards

Starbucks offers members a free handcrafted beverage or food item on their birthday through the Starbucks Rewards program. To qualify, customers must join at least seven days before their birthday. Recently, Starbucks changed its policy to allow four days for members to claim their birthday reward via push notification or in-app message.

Per Diem’s customers can easily set up a similar loyalty program right on their app to offer a free item, discount, or special treat on subscribers’ birthdays. Sending a personalized push notification wishing them a happy birthday and reminding them of their reward is a thoughtful touch that will keep them engaged with your brand.

Random Acts of Kindness

In addition to the birthday reward, Starbucks also sends random push notifications offering free or discounted items as a ‘thank you’ for their business. These unexpected surprises spark joy, cementing customers’ connection to the brand.

How Starbucks Uses Gift Cards and Offers in Push Notifications

Starbucks leverages push notifications and personalized offers to engage loyal customers on their birthdays. Here are three simple strategies to learn from their success: 

1. Sending a Free Drink Offer

On customers’ birthdays, Starbucks sends a push notification with an offer for a free drink of their choice. This surprise gift makes customers feel valued and incentivizes them to visit their local Starbucks. You can offer a free coffee, smoothie, or other featured menu item on users’ birthdays to increase loyalty and in-app spending.

2. Promoting a Birthday Gift Card

In addition to a free drink, Starbucks promotes the option to send a gift card to the birthday user which their friends and family can contribute to. This turns a user’s birthday into an event and gives their social circle a way to participate.

3. Provide Double Star Days

For users who are members of the Starbucks Rewards program, their birthday may coincide with a “Double Star Day” where they earn twice as many rewards points on all purchases. This exclusive benefit and the resulting free items keep customers engaged with the brand on their special day. Per Diem’s Square POS integration enables you to offer rewards on your regulars’ birthdays to incentivize them to make in-app purchases. 

Starbucks has cracked the code on turning birthdays into memorable moments, creating that extra-special feeling for customers while cleverly promoting their app and increasing sales.  Restaurants leveraging Per Diem are closer to replicating this success.

Other Push Notification Strategies for Restaurants

To drive customer loyalty and engagement like Starbucks, send personalized push notifications on customers’ birthdays. You can also leverage push notifications for birthday marketing. Offer a free dessert, appetizer, or discount on the customer’s birthday. For example:

• Send a push notification in the morning wishing the customer a happy birthday and offering a free slice of cake or pie with their meal.
• Offer 25% off the total bill on the customer’s birthday. Promote it as an exclusive birthday treat only for your loyal customers.

Surprise and Delight

Send random push notifications with surprise offers or rewards to make customers feel delighted and valued. For example:

• Offer a free side or topping with any menu item. Promote it as a surprise just for your most loyal fans.
• Give a certain percentage off the total bill, like 15% off. Let customers know it’s an unannounced flash sale only for your app users.

Leverage Push Notifications for Your Restaurant With Per Diem

Per Diem's push notification feature allows you to connect with your customers on a personal level and boost loyalty, just like Starbucks. By leveraging push notifications for birthdays, you can provide a memorable experience that keeps customers coming back.

Wish Customers a Happy Birthday

Just like how Starbucks sends a friendly push notification with a free drink on birthdays, consider treating your customers to a complimentary menu item, discount, or special offer on their special day. This personalized gesture not only shows your appreciation but also strengthens the bond they have with your brand.

Upsell with a Birthday Offer

In addition to a free item, include an upsell opportunity in your birthday push notification. For example, "Happy Birthday! Enjoy a free cupcake with us. Upgrade to a birthday cake slice for only $2 more." This encourages customers to spend a bit more on their special day while still feeling like they're getting a deal - it’s a win-win. 

With Per Diem, you can easily create and schedule push notifications for birthdays, holidays, promotions, and more. Seize those special moments to forge genuine connections, upsell with flair, and cultivate brand loyalty, taking a page from Starbucks' playbook. With a sprinkle of creativity in your push notifications, you'll not only keep customers coming back but also have them recommending your brand to others.

Final Thoughts

You now have the playbook for running a successful push notification birthday campaign to boost customer loyalty. Copy the masterful strategies of Starbucks and send personalized greetings and exclusive offers on your customers' big day. With the powerful push notification tool in your app, you have everything you need to make your customers feel special and keep them coming back. What are you waiting for? Start crafting thoughtful birthday messages. Before you know it, your customers will be as passionate about your brand as they are about their daily coffee. The best gift you can give is to show how much you care.

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