#497: Grill'd Australia Shares Insights from the Relish Rewards Programme

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Hello and welcome to today’s episode of Let’s Talk Loyalty, featuring another much-loved Australian brand. This time, in the fast casual dining sector. Grill’d opened its doors for the first time in 2004 with the goal of challenging the belief that burgers were bad, and instead creating recipes for burgers that are both guilt free and delicious.

Now, 20 years later, they’re continuing to serve these healthy burgers in over 170 restaurants across the country. In 2019, they realized the power of creating a program to show their loyalty to their customers with the launch of the Relish Rewards Program. Joining us today to share the proposition is Jaimi Farrie, Senior Loyalty and Personalization Manager for Relish, which is also now a finalist in the Best Social CSR Initiative in the upcoming Asia-Pacific Loyalty Awards. I hope you enjoy our conversation.

Paula: So Jaimi Farrey, welcome to Let’s Talk Loyalty.

Jaimi: Hi Paula. Thank you so much for having me on today. Been a long term ambition of mine to be on the show. So very excited to be here today, so thank you. 

Paula: Oh, no problem at all. And actually, I think the timing is probably perfect, Jaimi, because I know you guys have just been shortlisted for one of the upcoming Asia Pacific Loyalty Awards. So anyone on that list? It is more than welcome. 

So we’re very excited to hear about the work you’re doing with Grill’d. Sounds very exciting, the whole proposition and also very simple and I think there’s a lot of beauty in that simplicity because obviously that’s what drives effectiveness. So before we get into talking about Grill’d and of course Relish your program, we always start this show trying to understand our guest’s favorite loyalty program. So let’s kick straight off with that one Jaimi, tell our audience your favorite loyalty program. 

Jaimi: Yeah, sure. So this is, yeah, a bit of, maybe a bit of a cheat. I don’t, haven’t actually used this program, but I really wanted to highlight it and bring it to the show today because I recently came across it and just thought it was absolutely amazing. So it’s called Kiki World. And they are a beauty brand, beauty products. And I think where it gets super exciting is they actually launched with one product. 

And from there it’s been a collaboration with their member base. What colors are they gonna release, what products are coming next? They’ve done some collabs with the members to create products. And you know every time you vote, you get points and, to me, that’s just next level when we think of next-gen loyalty and experiential loyalty, community building. This is, I think gonna be a really interesting example of what’s to come.

Paula: Totally. Wow. It’s a fabulous example, Jaimi. And the reason I’m particularly excited about it, I said to you off-air, of course, first and foremost, we love new examples because that’s one of the incredible things that we get, of course, from recording with somebody. Like yourself, who’s based in a totally different market that I’m certainly not familiar with.

But also it won’t surprise you I suppose to hear that. We talk about community a lot on this podcast, but it’s also something that I want to think about for Let’s talk Loyalty. So any examples I can get about doing community well, even though that’s a consumer example, and of course weird B2B, but that whole idea about co-creation and bringing people together for a shared passion, a topic that’s of interest. Like I couldn’t agree with you more Jaimi, that it is the way of the future. It cuts through so much of the sameness that’s out there. 

And I think when I started in loyalty, I dunno about you, but for me there was always this, idea that there’s a lot of jadedness actually with some programs and some sectors, there’s a lot of things just have been doing points for years and they’ve not really evolved. But that kind of thing sounds amazing. So big shout out to Kiki World. I, it sounds like it is an Australian brand itself Jaimi, am I right? 

Jaimi: I don’t actually think it’s, I was actually trying to hunt down where they’re based. I think it might actually be more of an Asia start-up. SO I’ll definitely try and do some more digging on it.

But like I said, I think when you just think of especially audiences like Gen Z and how they’re utilizing these new Web3 platforms and things. I think it’s and plus think of the brand ambassadorship that’s creating amongst this fan base and really feeling like, I think sometimes it’s communities you might feel it’s very one-way, like no one’s talking back to you. But this is very much that kind of two-way conversation. So yeah. I guess I’m gonna do more digging around it.

Paula: Indeed, I think we all will. So thank you for that. And if anyone from Kiki World happens to hear the show, open invitation, we’d love you to come on and talk to us. So we’ll put that on the to-do list. 

So listen, Jaimi, I know you’re incredibly passionate about our industry, so share with our audience your journey into the industry because I think we all come in sideways and there’s very few people I think come outta school going, I’m gonna work in loyalty marketing. Take us through your journey to the role you’re in today. 

Jaimi: Yep. Excited to share, but I think you’re right. Like it definitely wasn’t a, I’m gonna work in loyalty kinda stories. So I think I had traditionally been working in hospitality when I was at university studying media and journalism and really didn’t know where that feature was gonna take me. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. But I think, even thinking back right from there, that is really where that customer experience was always there from whatever I was doing. And then, you know started to move a bit more into events management and that was, this is back in Scotland where, where I’m originally from.

Paula: Okay. 

Jaimi: And then what I came across to Australia eight years ago was continued in that kind of event space and I think, it was really passionate about that, creating experiences for people. Based on their needs and, the excitement and sharing that passion on the day of the event and seeing how happy it made them. That was where it kicked off. And then, it’s quite funny, my husband as a recruiter, he works in recruitment and one day he got a call about a job and he showed me the description and he was like, read this. And I was like, oh this is what I’ve been wanting to do. I just didn’t know the name for it. And it was an assistant loyalty manager role. 

And to finally have that light bulb moment of, oh, this is an actual industry and this is an actual job. How lucky are these people that get to officially work in loyalty? So I applied for the role. And like I said, I think all those years of that customer facing, working with customers face to face and creating experiences really just fed into how I, sold myself into that role without really that experience of working in loyalty. So that was with Nando’s over in Australia.

And yeah. From there, never really looked back. Was quickly promoted to head of loyalty there, loyalty manager. And I worked on their Perry Park program, which was just an amazing program. Very passionate about their members and yeah, just really fell in love with the industry. 

And I think from then, you know what started off as that customer experience loving about loyalty, the more I actually worked in the field and started learning more about customer behavior and loyalty psychology and learning about data and insights and really just filled in that rabbit hole of creating, driving behavioral experiences. And I think that’s now where, my passion over time has evolved. I just love being data driven. So yeah, bit of a different path, I guess there. And always gonna thank my husband for getting that job called in that day because it changed everything and yeah, I wouldn’t look back.

Paula: Amazing. It sounds like it was absolutely made for you. So fair play to hubby for spotting the opportunity. Connecting you with that light bulb moment. Sometimes life is very kind like that. It just kind of lands in the exact right place. Perfect for them. Perfect for you. And what a brand to get started, Jaimi. I mean Nando’s is incredible. 

Jaimi: Exactly. And I think what excited, which I couldn’t also believe at the time was just when I was in the UK, Nando’s is so big, and I was such a passionate fan of Nando’s in the UK. And I remember calling my friends back home. Oh my God, I’ve got been offered this job at Nando’s in Australia. So for me it like, I just couldn’t have gone any better and like for them to be so passionate and for me to work there. Yeah, it was a very amazing experience. I was very grateful.

Paula: Indeed. Yeah. And I’ve actually a friend very like you in that way, Jaimi in that she loves Nando’s as a restaurant chain. She’s also from the UK. And I know it’s actually originally a South African brand, but it feels like it seems to have developed both as a product and a proposition with UK consumers even beyond the South African market. So maybe that’s just my outsider perspective and I don’t know about US, Australia, But.

Jaimi: For sure, like in the UK, like it’s more, it’s a, it was a very cultural thing in the UK. Like it was just embedded in that youth culture and not sure how it got there, but it did. And it was in Australia is, it is different too, in the UK, but it’s still, that passion is definitely still there. So it was very exciting to work. And while I was there, we launched into New Zealand as well, which was exciting to see, a new market open up as well.

Paula: Great. So take us up to date then. Talk to us about Grill’d and the role that you’re doing there. 

Jaimi: Yeah, so I did obviously leave Nando’s eventually after I think about three years. I did wanna, venture off a bit into the world of e-com and, watch across a few ecom brands, but then got the call about this Grill’d role. And at first, was a little bit nervous. I guess, a little bit of, competitors there. But no, I think once I really looked into the program a bit more and the roadmap and really what they were trying to achieve. You know I was really excited about the opportunity and to get back in, you know into the QSR vast casual dining space.

It is very competitive in Australia, as you can imagine, because we’re, Australia is big, populations are much smaller than when you’re talking about, say, America or whatever. So there aren’t as many of those chains. So it is very, very competitive.  And I loved that it was that high-frequency purchase occasion as well as. I love driving that behavior and seeing how, really pushing frequency there. 

So yeah, the program I’ll just quickly touch base a little bit on, on what the actual program is. So Grill’d itself for listeners around the world is, like Paula said at the start, a healthy burger chain. So it really created as a differentiator in the market outside of that kinda greasy burger where you. Come away feeling a bit crap about yourself and your body. But nothing wrong with a good tasty burger, but it was really to break out of that mold. And it just took off.

In Australia, it was launched in Melbourne 20 years ago and I think it’s been really special because they are endorsed, we are endorsed by nutritionists and sports people, sports personalities. We just finished a campaign with Ash Barty, Former Tennis World Number One, and so it’s really great to see that top athletes are there enjoying the brand enjoying the food because they know it’s that nutritional value. So that’s where it all started, and it was really founded on being able to connect with local communities across Australia. 

And then in 2019 they launched Relish about five, five years ago. So coming up to 20 years with the brands being around, it’s definitely evolved over, over those years. I’d say a, you picture a bit of a, for a reference like that kind of Nando style where you would go with your friends, go on a date, go with your family at the weekend. Quite that urban cool vibe that we would go for. And now obviously a lot of our customers have grown up with us over the 20 years and now they’re bringing their families in and things, which is really nice.

So yeah, Relish came out in 2019 and it was very much to drive frequency and to give our customers a platform to connect with their local communities. So basically how Relish works is you go through a cycle called 8 and Donate. And when you get to your eight transaction, you get offered a free burger or you can donate that burger and one of our charity partners will give that the cost of that burger to someone doing it tough in your local community and in your local state. So really special. 

And I think what I loved about it was that personalization of you can interact with this program how you want, take the burger that you’ve earned it, enjoy our product for free. Or if you do wanna pay it forward you can engage that way too. And I think to date we’re on about 159,000 burgers donated through the program. So it’s actually really special to see so many members engaging and choosing to donate. So yeah, it’s definitely a fun program. A fun program to work for.

Paula: Yeah, I love it. And I think I alluded to the fact that it’s the simplicity that really resonated with me, Jaimi when I was looking at Relish, because, 8 and Donate, honestly, it literally says everything that the member needs to know. It’s clear, it’s compelling, it’s trustworthy because obviously they know that you can’t change that proposition overnight. It’s literally baked in. 

And even, there’s other elements within your proposition that I thought were very impressive, again, with this idea of frequency combined with the integrity of giving back. So you know the birthday piece chips, on the second visit and a drink on the fifth visit. So just in terms of the overall proposition on your website for Relish, there’s a lot there that’s just, very simple, very compelling and a lot for, I think particularly new members to look forward to, I supposed really get them engaged from the get go.

Jaimi: Yeah, exactly. And I think, with the free chips and the free drink, that is really introducing those categories to a member as well that’s really gonna, might increase their basket size, get them to try, get them to try new products. And yeah, like you said around that frequency, our life cycle then bodes really well to say you’re one away from your you know, your free chips, you’re one away from your free drink or you now you’ve unlocked that, now go in. And so you’re always coming with them on this journey. And we see people go through this again and, over and over ’cause they just love it.

And I think you mentioned the birthday. I think what was really interesting with our birthday offer and I think a lot of listeners might resonate with this. We had an offer in market. And when I joined I questioned, is this really, what are we trying to do with the birthday offer, past, give value back to the, back to our members? And is it really doing what we wanted to do? And I pitched to the business, let me come in and some testing and market with some different offers and see if we can really get a bit more out of this and provide more to the customer. 

And what we ended up seeing was, tested a few different things and the winning I guess offer that we ended up revamping the program too. We saw, I think it was 56% in redemptions, increase in redemptions, and that was from a free drink on your birthday, you’d get an offer for free drink valid for that month. And it was alcohol, non-alcohol. The value is there. 

Paula: Okay, yeah.

Jaimi: But what we’d done is we changed it to free chips every day of your birthday month with the purchase of it, of your favorite burger, and that was across our field chip range. We have zucchini chips, normal chips, sweet potato chips. It served a few purposes. Back to that frequency piece again, we saw that people were coming in and redeeming it more than once. We saw them trying you know across the product range and really changing their behavior in that category. And, just overall engagement, was much higher. 

So yeah, I think that’s another really nice piece of the program and having the flexibility to really I think it shows the importance as well of AB testing or, just doing some testing and yeah. Looking at your control and really understanding what value your customers are trying to get of your program.

Paula: Yeah. And the timing couldn’t be, again, more perfect Jaimi. Cause I think you saw on LinkedIn, it was my birthday yesterday, and so I had a great day. Of course, personally on every front, but honestly, professionally, in terms of the loyalty benefits that I saw, like I wrote them down. And honestly it’s pretty, it’s pretty weak. 

You know and perhaps that’s my behavior not engaging with the right programs in this market. But I’m gonna do a separate post on LinkedIn actually today about it. And I know this episode is being released, so anybody who’s listening live to this, you know look at Paula’s LinkedIn in February, and there’ll be a bit of a post there about what’s working in birthday treats and rewards for loyalty programs. Because as I said, for me it certainly was underwhelming yesterday, but I love the idea that you are bringing in both the business agenda and the personal agenda. So let me try the zucchini chips. Let me go and experiment with your menu that I might not otherwise have bothered kind of buying in case they’re just not that you know, not to my taste. Yeah, I think that’s what the expertise around a loyalty professional is combining, again, desired behavior change with business benefits, testing things, and obviously you’ve got the data and stuff to back it up and getting people to fall in love with other parts of the Grill’d menu.

Jaimi: Exactly. Win, win-win. 

Paula: Fabulous. Fabulous. So a clear proposition as we’ve talked about a lot in it feels very well thought through. The other piece I wanted to ask you about Jaimi is I know you’ve got this you know wonderful focus on particularly, Gen Z. and I think we’re all kind of thinking about how do our loyalty propositions evolve.

You’ve mentioned already that Grill’d is 20 years old, so what are you noticing about different demographics Jaimi in terms of, what may or may not resonate in 2024 versus back in, or 2004 when you guys started? 

Jaimi: Yeah, I think was interesting was because we have been around for 20 years, the, a lot of the customers we have now are that bit older, but when they potentially started engaging with the brand 20 years ago, they would’ve been the age Gen Z are. Now but obviously now they’ve grown up with Grill’d and like I said, they have their own families and things now. So I think our core audience there with that millennial audience say it’s so strong. They’ve grew up, seeing us as that challenger brand and hopefully came on that journey with us and then have been able to join Relish and things.

But definitely what we see now is how do we stay relevant on top of mind to this new this new generation that are coming through, especially in, like I said, such a competitive market within QSR. I think it does bode well. You know eating out, it’s a very high frequency things, but you’re not always gonna want a burger, right? So it’s like your competitors aren’t just other burger chains, it’s every other shop on the high street where they’re selling food and how are you getting in front of the audience. 

So it’s definitely something, as a brand that’s gonna be a. Is a massive focus and will be a massive focus for us. Looking at that Relish proposition and, I think there’s definitely ticks there, like I said, around that emotional piece and the giving back and really having that higher purpose in within the program. Obviously Gen Z are very cause driven, but they are still looking for value. They’re looking for community, they’re looking for content. They wanna be part of causes and they wanna connect with like minded people. So I think for us being just really clear with them what our brand proposition is and you know looking at how are we reaching this new audience? 

And I think a lot of people are gonna have to start really doing a bit more work on this. And I think traditionally, we’ve had email as king with audiences on loyalty or in, in a marketing. But that channel is just gonna cut through to, you know a Gen Z audience. They are on their phone a lot, so it’s really like what other channels are you using within your loyalty program to try and connect with this audience? Because if you’re not where they are, they’re not gonna A, be able to find your program or B, interact with your program if you’re just gonna sending them five emails a month trying to promote your latest campaign.

So I think as loyalty, as loyalty people, we really have to start thinking outside the box and really understanding this audience and these new channels that are emerging across Web3 and new messaging platforms. And otherwise, that there will be brands there that are reaching them and where they are and they’re gonna ultimately win that audience over.

And I think the other thing with Gen Z is they might not be as brand loyal. I think the brands that they do, our loyalty. They love, they’re very, they’re either, love you and they’re very passionate and they have that connection, or they’re then gonna, switch and not have much brand loyalty. So I think it’s one or the other. And that really into that love aspect and get, if get them to fall in love with your brand, you can’t wanna ask yourself why are they gonna fall? What is there to fall in love with us about? And, make sure you’re getting that across to them.

Paula: Totally. Yeah, I think you’re right. I think there is this kind of, almost like the spectrum and particularly younger demographics are veering towards either extreme, as you said, they’re not just sitting in the middle, they’re starting to go, that brand is not something that I want to identify with. Here’s one that is, and I’m absolutely going all in on that. So I’m definitely hearing that and feeling that as well. 

And I saw, I just remember a fabulous article as well. Just on, obviously as we come to the end of the alphabet with Gen Z, the next one is, of course, you know Generation Alpha is the name. But actually Seth Godin who’s my favorite marketer, I’m sure a lot of the audience know him, but he was like he was saying we should go straight to the letter C instead of A, because we’ve just come outta Covid. There’s all of the eco stuff. So Carbon is a really topical piece. And then he talked about community and I thought, you know what? Actually I feel like we should be Gen Z as the next one. But anyway, that’s just being pedantic about the letters.

Jaimi: No, but I’ve heard them coin Gen Z, Gen Z, sorry, as well on that Covid piece. But you’re right like we say it, it’s community, it’s causes, it’s content. 

Paula: Yes. Yeah.

Jaimi: It’s all there. I think we, yeah, we definitely missed a mark. 

Paula: I love that content and causes you’ve just added in. So I think I’ll start campaigning for Gen Z to be the industry terminology. So yeah, I love that future, future focus Jaimi. As you said, email may work for airline loyalty programs or other sectors, but I definitely agree in fast casual dining with a laser focus on upcoming generations. We all need to be thinking particularly about, for me, for example, messaging, the best marketing I see is when I opt in on a WhatsApp campaign, for example. And there’s a lot of spam there of course, as well as we know, like any channel. So definitely has to be done really well. 

But I think we’ve seen in more mature markets, the likes of even China, where WeChat is the platform for everything. And I certainly don’t hear anybody talking about email in that kind of context. So important to be future proof, and thinking and evolving along with what consumers, where they’re gonna be.

Jaimi: Exactly. And ’cause I think if you don’t start to prepare and at least think about these other channels and how you would, if you don’t have them, how you could get into them, it will creep up on you. And I think, like you said, these younger generations, this digital native kind of group, they are kind of started to hold brands more accountable as well and really pushing that whole, what’s in it for me? They’re comfortable giving their data, but they also wanna, own that and have control over that. And, they’re, they’re, to put it, they’re gonna be a lot more tech savvy and, us that are running programs and a lot of traditional marketers. 

So I think, yeah, you’ve really gotta knuckle down and start doing some research and really understand a lot of these new technologies that are coming out. I think I remember being at a conference must have been, maybe 18 months ago now. And it was, about Web3 and it was show of hands if you think this is just something to go away. And, most of the people in the room had put their hands up. It was a room of marketers and loyal people. And I think it’s clear that’s not gonna happen. And I think, people really need to start. And even if the company you’re in isn’t playing in that space, Grill’d aren’t in that space right now. 

But I think just to, you just need to understand and get a basic understanding of what these things mean and how they work. And, we’re seeing it more and more that more wide adoption of these platforms across brands. Like you mentioned Starbucks it’s gonna just that’ll trickle down. I think so, yeah. I’d say as a loyalty or a marketer we definitely have to put the effort into just start understanding these things. 

Paula: Exactly. Exactly. Yeah. Starting to play, starting to experiment and at least prepare ourselves so when the the explosion happens, it always feels like it happens overnight when it does come. As you said, we’ve gotta be, we’ve gotta be ready to move with the times and make sure that we’re staying aligned. So good advice. 

And where would you say you look to for that kind of inspiration Jaimi? As you said, web, Web3 is in a mature market. Like the US I think is the only place I’ve seen Starbucks doing those kind of propositions. So where do you get your inspiration from to to evolve the Relish program?

Jaimi: Yeah, no, good question. I, to be honest, I get a lot of content from LinkedIn. I think it’s such a great resource. You know you can identify key thought leaders in this space. There are people out there just posting unbelievable content and really consumable bite-sized ways, linking out to other thought leaders, sharing, latest news, staying up to date with things.

So I have found that to be a game changer for me and especially in my network in that area. A lot of these speakers will also have newsletters to describe few things, and so I think, yeah. And you have to take the time to do it’s not just something that you can passively just have so I’ll always try and dedicate time during the week, whether I’m commuting or whatever it is to be, on LinkedIn or reading these, the newsletters I get to my inbox.

And I dunno what it’s like in other parts, Australia. We are very rich with seminars, like online kind of things that you can dial into. And we have some really interesting speakers with some really interesting content. So my advice to people wanting to get in and wanted to start learning is yeah, get on like 10, I, more than happy to share some people that I follow. But yeah, that for me, that’s been the biggest source of knowledge. And from there, that’s really just expanded my understanding of it all. 

Paula: Yeah. Amazing. Amazing. So how would you I suppose summarize how you’re doing? Can you share any performance statistics? I know sometimes it can be sensitive, but if there’s numbers that are publicly available either on membership or even the kind of KPIs that you measure, Jaimi would love to get some sense of how Relish is doing for Grill’d.

Jaimi: Yeah, for sure. So yeah, I can’t really, say too much from an actual stats point of view, but I think I mentioned one earlier in terms of our donations are going really well as part of that 8 and Donate program, like nearly 160,000. And we see that increasing all the time. I think what we’re really focused, I’ve mentioned frequency a few times, like I said, because it is that type of market. We are always looking at driving frequency. We’ll have our very top members, some of them are coming every week. It’s, they love coming in. 

And so I think it’s interesting ’cause we really have to focus on that multi channel approach. So we obviously have physical restaurants, we have online ordering. We have digital at table. We have a web, we have an app. Our new app actually just launched yesterday, so I can talk about that which is really exciting. It still rolled out as we speak. I think we definitely have that focus on that digital and multi-channel. And when you look at the stats and we see like a single channel customer versus a multi-channel customer, the difference in the CLV is quite crazy.

So it’s really like, how do we still champion our dine-in experience but introduce new incremental occasions across, whether it’s, Grill’d delivery on a Friday night with your family versus your Tuesday lunch in the CBD, in the office, or your Friday night date night. So I think we’re also lucky there where we really can kinda drive all these occasions.

We also wanna make sure like our database and our members are engaged. So I think it’s a really important metric to look at your redemption rates. I think that always gives a really good indication of if, if members aren’t redeeming your offers, whether it’s an ad hoc campaign offer or you’re always on life cycle offers, I think it’s a very strong indication that something’s not resonating and they’re either, you’re not reaching that to them enough or, reaching the offer to them in the right way, or they’re just not seeing value in the offer you’re giving them. So I think, yeah, keeping an eye on those redemption rates like I said, I think people are going through our 8 and Donate cycle, a lot, some people. So it’s making sure that there’s something there to keep them coming back and to keep it fresh and exciting for them. Like I said, it’s quite a simple proposition, so we do have to kinda keep them engaged. 

So yeah, overall I’d say it’s the grow year on year growth. And this is, we’ve had record breaking. This year across 2023, across all of our metrics, from acquisition engagement. So yeah, it’s been great to obviously be a part of that growth. And yeah, I think really starting now to sit down with a business and understand, okay, what’s next? What, where do we take Relish? And it’s second in phase, bring in more of that gamification and experiment experiential and emotional loyalty. All the buzzwords that we hear are getting thrown around. But I think it is actually, it’s really important to say what does that look like for us versus another brand to stay competitive in our market and like I said, reach new audiences and yeah, just really take it to the next level will be exciting to see what we come up with. 

Paula: For sure. And you mentioned the new app Jaimi. It would be remiss if I didn’t ask you what did you change? What did you launch yesterday? It sounds like it’s always a huge amount of work. Of course. I don’t think consumers quite realize what a big deal it is for the brand to relaunch the app. So tell us, is it a new version or is it totally new? What did you launch?

Jaimi: Yeah, completely new. Start again. Old ones in the bin. Been a big project and again, it was really like looking at our, old app and hearing the customers and hearing the feedback and understanding that we really, if we want, an app to be front and center of our ordering experience and for our members we really needed to improve the experience and have a foundation where we could really build on and grow.

So it’s been a really exciting kinda year. Getting that together as yesterday was obviously a big day. Submitting it to the App store and that going live. And yeah, it’s really, like I said, everything’s completely different from the look, the feel. It’s all about kind of speeding convenience, getting, allowing our customers to order faster, order easier, reorder their favorites. And Relish will be a big part of that as we continue to do feature rollouts. It’s really how do we get everyone on the app coming through Relish. And really, we weren’t promoting the app as much previously ’cause we knew it was probably a bit of a subpar experience, but now we can really go hard and grow that channel and, push notifications and in-app, that’ll all be really exciting channels for us to grow this year as well. 

Paula: Amazing. Amazing. It sounds like the future’s very bright Jaimi. I’ll be very excited to see where all of the thinking takes you, whether it’s the Web3.0 or messaging or all of this focus on these emerging demographics. I can see that you’re excited for the next phase, and it’s really wonderful to hear that you do have a, I suppose such support from the leadership team there. Of course back five years ago when they you know really decided to make that investment in a program. And of course, continuing to invest, bringing you in with all of your expertise to take it to take it forward even to, to new heights. 

So that’s all of the questions I have from my side, Jaimi. Is there anything else you wanted to mention for our audience before we wrap up?

Jaimi: No. I mean obviously we’re loving loyalty. I think I love things like this, it connects everyone, the things that you learn. And I think a lot of the time people tend to maybe just look within their category or their vertical for inspiration and what are our competitors doing, whereas really, you should be looking wider than that.

And just because no one’s doing it in your industry doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. You shouldn’t be doing it. So I think by sharing ideas and sharing you know our pain points and whenever I have a conversation with a another loyalty person, the pain points are very similar. I think we’re all in it together and there’s something definitely to be said around expanding your network and, you never know when your path will cross with someone. You, you’re never really gonna be at the one company forever realistically. So I think yeah, making it, being able to connect with people all over the world via these types of podcasts and communities, like you mentioned community earlier. I think everyone would be very interested and excited in that. So yeah. Love it. Hit me up if you wanna chat. 

Paula: Wonderful. Of course, we’ll make sure to link to your profile,  Jaimi on LinkedIn. We’ll put that in our show notes, of course, for this episode. Or if anybody wants to reach out to us to connect them to you. You’re very generously said that you would happy, happily connect with anyone in our community, so that’s a really exciting opportunity, as you said to share global learnings regardless of the sector. We don’t need to be, I think, overly concerned because strategy’s one thing, but it’s all about the operational excellence. So indeed the more we can support each other, the better. 

So listen, it’s been an absolute joy, Jaimi. Congrats on the new app launch. Congrats on all of the growth, and of course, good luck in the upcoming Asia-Pacific Loyalty Awards. It’s a very exciting time, I think, overall for loyalty in Australia. So I just wanna say a huge thank you, Jaimi Farrey, Senior Loyalty and Personalisation Manager with Grill’d. Thank you so much from Let’s Talk Loyalty. 

Jaimi: Ah, amazing. Thanks so much, Paula. It’s been a pleasure.

Paula: The Australian Loyalty Association is proud to bring you the Asia-Pacific Loyalty Awards to celebrate excellence, innovation, and best practice in the thriving loyalty industry across the region. Tickets are now available for the Awards Gala Event. Taking place on the 14th of March, 2024 at the Glass House Melbourne Australia.

Book your ticket or table at AustralianLoyaltyAssociation.com. 

Paula: Thank you so much for listening to this episode of Let’s Talk Loyalty. If you’d like us to send you the latest shows each week, simply sign up for the Let’s Talk Loyalty newsletter on letstalkloyalty.com, and we’ll send our best episodes straight to your inbox. And don’t forget that you can follow Let’s Talk Loyalty on any of your favorite podcast platforms, and of course, we’d love for you to share your feedback and reviews. Thanks again for supporting this show.