BreadTalk unveils loyalty programme 'BreadTalk Rewards'

BreadTalk's bakery division has launched its loyalty programme, BreadTalk Rewards, to further engage consumers, understand their preferences better and cleverly anticipate their wants. The BreadTalk Rewards programme is currently available on mobile and desktop, and can be used at both BreadTalk and Toast Box.While a dedicated CRM team is in place to spearhead the initiative, BreadTalk's spokesperson said in a statement to Marketing that the loyalty programme was developed as a cross-functional project. Team members from various departments such as marketing, brand development, operations, customer experience, IT and finance were involved in the development of the platform.The company's senior management across various functions within BreadTalk's bakery division oversaw the project. BreadTalk's marketing team is currently headed by regional general manager Alex Liu.The spokesperson said BreadTalk will focus on introducing the fundamental functions, perks and value deals available via the loyalty programme. It is also open to partnerships with other companies for the BreadTalk Rewards programme "if the right opportunities arise", as it strongly believes in consistently engaging consumers with fresh experiences, BreadTalk's spokesperson added.Last month, BreadTalk Group stated in its third quarter financials that it is delivering higher profits in spite of a challenging retail environment, with a 139.5% year-on-year (yoy) increase in net profit. This was attained by the Group’s focus on assessing and re-organising existing business portfolios while identifying new growth opportunities in profitable segments of the Group.In the ninth month of FY2017, revenue declined 2.7% yoy to SG$223.1 million in the bakery division. The decline was primarily attributed to weaker direct operated stores performance in Singapore, Shanghai and Beijing. The Group said it is reviewing its brand positioning and menu offerings to ensure attractive products for customers.BreadTalk's spokesperson said its PR and social media strategies include exploring new and up-to-date content formats on digital platforms such as Facebook. This is to showcase the company's brand personality and interact directly with customers. With every new product launch, BreadTalk gathers feedback from its research and development teams to better understand the needs of its consumers and build on the familiarity of its products.It constantly challenges itself to offer consumers with refreshing experiences that encourage and build brand affinity. One example is its Cereal Flosss BB, which was launched in August in celebration of Singapore's birthday. The product was inspired by the popular local tze char flavour, and also marked the first time its signature Flosss bun was available in mini size. To further differentiate itself, BreadTalk also spearheaded campaigns that resonate well with consumers, such as its collaboration in China with Sanrio character Gudetama in July.As part of the campaign, BreadTalk's outlets in China offered products and merchandise designed with Gudetama. According to the spokesperson, the campaign resulted in an increase of 25% to 50% in searches for the brand on well-known platforms in China such as Baidu, WeChat and Weibo. Following the success of the Gudetama campaign, its team in China also introduced a 10-month Transformers-themed campaign in November, with specially-designed cakes and snacks featuring characters from the movie.