How Food & Beverage Brands Can Build Customer Loyalty By Leveraging Data

2023 Research on Customer Loyalty in the Food & Beverage Industry From WBR Insights

In the food and beverage industry, brands have historically enjoyed high levels of customer loyalty. More recently, however, loyalty has become hard to sustain, particularly since digital shopping makes it easy for customers to switch from one brand to the next. In order to retain customer loyalty, food and beverage brands must harness customer data to create an omnichannel sales and marketing strategy.

To learn more about how they are doing that, WBR Insights recently surveyed 100 leaders from brand manufacturers and consumer goods companies across the U.S. and Canada to identify the technologies and strategies brands are using to deliver personalization and lasting value to customers.

The Importance of Leveraging Customer Data

The report notes that consolidated customer data is critical to crafting an omnichannel marketing and sales approach. Such data provides brands with insights into customer behavior and preferences that can be used to inform and support existing loyalty programs, or create new ones. By tailoring rewards and benefits on individual customer profiles, brands can optimize loyalty program participation and engagement.

The study reveals that the adoption of context-based personalization is key for effective customer loyalty. Context-based personalization goes beyond demographic targeting and focuses on customers’ changing needs. Through data analysis, brands can identify the most suitable rewards and offers for specific customer segments, making it more likely they’ll capture customers’ interest and loyalty.

Although brands recognize the importance of context-based personalization, the report highlights a gap in effectiveness due to data limitations. However, obtaining customer data is only the first step.

The Role of Customer Data Platforms (CDPs)

This is where customer data platforms (CDPs) come into play. Brands are realizing they need a data platform for structuring, analyzing and applying insights to deliver personalized experiences at scale. Most important of all, however, is a data platform that is continuously learning about customers all along the path to purchase and leveraging those learnings to drive the business forward. And while 99% of our survey participants indicated they have some kind of platform in place, only 31% of respondents believe the solution they have in place is “very effective.”

The right CDP solution should provide enough insight so that the brand can test different offers and campaigns, refining its approach to customer loyalty based on real-time results. With the right CDP, a brand can track customer journeys across multiple channels and develop meaningful marketing strategies that target customers with relevant offers when they are most likely to be open to them.

The Path Forward With Data Solutions

In short, not all “customer data platforms” are created equally. Food and beverage brands need to identify data solutions that can import and consolidate data from multiple sources, provide actionable insights, enable personalized experiences, and effectively orchestrate customer journeys. As elsewhere, artificial intelligence is gaining prominence for engaging customers and driving loyalty. The best brands will ensure their CDP deploys AI and machine learning, to achieve a continuously improving view of their customers across channels that will sustain loyalty and drive growth.

Report Conclusion and Key Suggestions

The report concludes by highlighting the challenges brands will face in the coming year, including the threat of new competitors. Brands seek better data analytics capabilities to enhance customer loyalty, overcome data fragmentation issues, and achieve the level of personalization expected by their customers. It’s crucial for food and beverage brands to assess their existing data capabilities and consider adopting new solutions to nurture customer loyalty in a turbulent market.

The final page of the report (Page 18) provides key suggestions for food and beverage brands. The suggestions relate to context-based personalization, how to get the most from your CDP and how to leverage your customer data.

Download the Report

Stay ahead of the competition and deliver unparalleled experiences to drive customer loyalty in the food and beverage industry. Download your copy of “The Annual Digital Food & Beverage Customer Loyalty Report” for the latest research findings, insights, and key suggestions.