Panera Partners with Apple Card for Success

Partnership can drive new electricity into brand messaging while creating consumer buzz according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.  So, when Panera announced customers can now get unlimited 3% Daily Cash Back on Apple Card when they use the Apple Card with Apple Pay in the Panera app, on Panera.com or for at-register purchases in bakery-cafes nationwide, Johnson knew this partnership would drive incremental sales.

We must note that Panera is the only restaurant to offer 3% Daily Cash on Apple Card as it accelerates its focus on digital innovation in an effort to drive incremental customer relevance according to Johnson.

George Hanson, Panera’s Chief Digital Officer stated, “Panera aims for each guest experience to be simple, easy and fast,” … “More guests than ever are digitizing their wallets and opting for contactless payments as part of our new normal, and Panera wants to be part of that solution. As a brand committed to value, we are excited to be the first restaurant bringing our guests 3% Daily Cash on Apple Card when they purchase their favorite Panera soups, salads and sandwiches.”

Good deal fast!  Panera customers get a percentage of every Apple Card purchase back in Daily Cash. Daily Cash is added to customers’ Apple Cash card each day and can be used right away for purchases using Apple Pay, to put toward their Apple Card balance or send to friends and family in Messages.

Along with offering 3% Daily Cash on Apple Card when guests use Apple Card with Apple Pay, Panera offers a variety of off-premise ordering options for guests including Contactless Delivery, Curbside Pick -Up or Drive Thru. To best meet the needs of today’s customers, bakery-cafes nationwide are operating under a strict set of safety measures and protocols for the safety of guests and associates.

With over 45.2% of smartphone users in the U.S. using an Apple iPhone, Apple Pay creates a safe, more secure and private way to pay that helps customers avoid handing their payment card to someone else, touching physical buttons or exchanging cash, all while using the power of iPhone to protect every transaction. How are you edifying your brand and creating a platform of new electricity?

Driving new electricity into a legacy brand with a partnership is a good move and will accelerate the marketing messaging for all companies involved according to Johnson. How is your company positioning to grow your brand, the top, and bottom line?

Johnson stated “that in my minds-eye the new electricity must be very efficient for the supply chain and includes such things as fresh foods, online ordering, delivery, plant based foods, sampling, toy’s, cereal, developing brands,  grocerant positioning, fresh food messaging, autonomous delivery, cashier-less retail, plates, glasses, cash-less payments, digital hand-held marketing.

All food and beverage retailers to survive the next generation of retail must embrace the artificial intelligence revolution while simultaneously embracing fresh food and beverages that are portable, fresh, with differentiation that is familiar not different.  Does your retail path forward look more like yesterday than tomorrow? Why?

Do your food marketing ideations look more like yesterday than tomorrow? Interested in learning how our Grocerant Guru® can edify your retail food brand while creating a platform for consumer convenient meal participation, differentiation and individualization?  Email us at: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or visit: us on our social media sites by clicking one of the following links: Facebook,  LinkedIn, or Twitter