By Embracing Micro-Moments, Brands Can Better Understand Customer Behavior and Boost Sales

If you've ever used your smartphone in line at a store, on the couch watching TV, or under the table at a meeting, you’ve felt the need to always be connected. These I-want-to-know moments, I-want-to-go moments, I-want-to-do moments, and I-want-to-buy moments happen all the time. In today’s world, these small-yet-frequent interactions have officially been dubbed “micro-moments.” And they’re influencing the customer and brand relationship in a big way.

Ultimately, the consumer decision journey is a combination of micro-moments across all channels and devices and with all different types of intent. Sometimes these moments will focus on researching or comparing products, while other moments are more purchase-driven and should be matched by brands with competitive offers and seamless purchase experiences. As consumers spend an average of 4.7 hours each day on their smartphones, for brands, having the right tactic in place to capture the attention of thousands of users is key.

For restaurants like Wing Zone, this starts with marketing the idea of a “value-based exchange.” Why should a consumer spend time engaging with your brand and content? What value do they get out of that interaction? If each interaction does not offer something of value, whether its insights, offers, discounts or exclusive experiences, then consumers are unlikely to engage as frequently. That’s why, in July 2013, Wing Zone decided to revamp and relaunch their mobile app. Since then, their online engagement and online ordering has nearly doubled.

According to Wing Zone’s Director of Marketing Dan Corrigan, the brand of self-acclaimed “Flavorholics” decided to launch their mobile app in July of 2013 and since, their online ordering has doubled. The majority of that increase, says Corrigan, came from app and mobile orders.

“We’ve definitely noticed an increase in sales since we launched,” Corrigan said. “We plan to continue to make our ordering process as quick and easy as possible. We also plan to include a feature so at any time, Wing Zone Reward members know their total number of orders and how close they are to their next prize,” said Wing Zone’s Director of Marketing Dan Corrigan.

Rewarding loyalty is instrumental to Wing Zone’s mobile experience, too. They instituted a loyalty program based on the frequency users order. Once a guest has signed up for Wing Zone Rewards, every online order over $10 will earn 1 point. At 5 points in earnings, users can cash in for $5 off of their next order. In addition to those savings users are rewarded with Wing Zone prizes for the more orders they make. The incentives are a key to keeping their mobile presence fresh, which, in turn, keeps customers coming back for more, Corrigan said.

Twenty orders gets you a set of Wing Zone-branded sunglasses, 35 orders has you rocking out on the beach with a Wing Zone-themed cooler with built-in speakers, 50 orders and you’ll have a pair of tailgating chairs, and after 100 orders users are gifted a Wing Zone cornhole set.

“People are creatures of habit as they say, so at Wing Zone we allow a customer to save an order as his or her favorite,” said Corrigan. “Then next time he or she logs in – either online or on the app – they’ll be prompted to order their favorite. Wing Zone is looking to make the whole online ordering experience easier for the customer.”

It makes sense. As Wing Zone heavily targets locations on or near college campuses, they’re rewarding a large portion of that loyal demographic with practical items they can use: sunglasses, coolers, tailgate chairs, cornhole boards.

Ultimately, by understanding how to better take advantage of those “micro-moments,” Wing Zone has created mobile experience that has users coming back for more than just good food.