It’s a little bit of sticker shock, but traditional physical stickers have made a comeback in restaurant marketing.
Beverage brands seem to adhere well to stickers, but other food brands are making their mark. From Dutch Bros Inc., which has more than 60,000 followers on its sticker-drop Facebook page, to Scooter’s Coffee and Island Fin Poke, restaurant brands are riding the sticker wave.
Tana Davila, chief marketing officer for Grants Pass, Ore.-based Dutch Bros, said, “Stickers have been part of the Dutch Bros culture since 1999. They started as a simple way to share the ‘Dutch Luv’ and connect with our customers. They've turned into a phenomenon of sorts, with several sticker fan pages, swap groups, and even sales pages.”
The sticker designs have caught on with customers.
“Several of our designs are considered collectors’ items by our fans, and we frequently get pictures and stories from customers who have been building their collections for years,” Davila said via email.
Stickers, which show up far from drive-thru cup holders to laptop decorations and scrapbooks, have become a vital part of the strategy at Dutch Bros, which had 950 locations in 18 states as of Sept. 30.
“Stickers are an essential part of our marketing strategy,” Davila said. “They help tell the Dutch Bros story and continue to create moments of connection between our customers and ‘broistas.’”
“We are constantly coming up with new themes for our stickers based on the time of the year, new menu items, trends in pop culture and more,” Davila explained. The current sticker is a silvered holiday ornament that boldly states: “Groovy and Bright.”
Customers can get Dutch Bros stickers with purchases at their local Dutch Bros shop on the first Wednesday of every month. One Facebook page alerts customers to the sticker drop.
“They can also earn digital stickers through our app and Dutch Rewards program, creating excitement that brings people back while strengthening their connection to our brand,” Davila said.
Scooter’s Coffee, the 840-unit drive-thru chain based in Omaha, Neb., is also offering stickers. On Ugly Sweater Day, which fell on Friday, Dec. 20, customers were invited to deck themselves out most festive jumper to get a free small hot chocolate and get a limited-edition sticker.
Island Fin Poke Co., the 21-unit Orlando, Fla.-based concept, expanded its exclusive sticker collection with the release of a limited “Aloha” edition sticker. The stickers were offered on Dec. 20 with the purchase of a poké bowl. It was part of a 10-piece collection, and customers were invited to collect all the stickers to be eligible for a surfboard prize.
While stickers appeal to older Boomer customers, they are also cool with Millennials and younger.
“Stickers are a core part of the Dutch Bros brand, and we do not see that changing,” Davila said. “We will continue to get creative with our sticker designs, incorporating fun and relevant themes to keep our core customers engaged. We love giving our customers something fun to look forward to each month and will continue to find ways to surprise and delight them whenever we have the opportunity.”
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