For a lot of people, BYO stands for “Bring Your Own…”

But for an increasing number of people, BYO has come to stand for “Build Your Own.” More specifically, BYO has come to mean “Build Your Own” in the context of food.

The build your own food trend has become a major force in recent years. In fact, 22.5% of fast casuals offer the build-your-own option. That’s because customers demand an individualized and unique experience, perfectly suited for their tastes.

Chipotle is a prime example of the importance of customization and where consumer preferences currently lie. The chain took the F&B world by storm, growing enormously quickly. Same store sales jumped over 20% in the last year to over $1B in revenue. Chipotle’s entire business and concept are created on the building blocks of customization.

In February, Chipotle asked their fans on Twitter to write Haikus in exchange for free burritos. Last year, Chipotle’s video, “The Scarecrow,” went viral, hitting 7.4 million views in 2 months, because it spoke to the sensibilities of Chipotle’s core target audience. A National Restaurant News study found that Chipotle responds to 83% of Facebook posts, more than any other QSR restaurant. Talk about speaking to the individual!

Now, Chipotle’s build your own model has spread throughout the food industry, moving beyond burritos, and into pizza (Blaze), salads (Sweet Green), and even sushi (Sushiirito). Chipotle not only takes advantage of the demand consumers have for a customizable, build your own food service, but also heavily tailors their marketing to speak to the individual.

At the end of the day, customization and connecting on a personal level is everything. You have to know your customer in order for them to respond positively to your food, your service, and your marketing. That’s why triggered email messages see 119% higher click-through rates than “business as usual” messages. Because ”business as usual” is the noise.

To rise above it, your marketing needs to speak directly to a customer and give them a reason to listen. Whether you understand a customer’s need, preference, or behavior, you need to make it clear that you’re speaking directly to the customer, and not to a blast email list.

So even though your customers can’t customize the emails they receive with just the right amount of lettuce or cheese, you can provide them an experience that shows them that you not only understand, but care.

Want to learn more about how Zenreach can help you reach customers at the optimal time?


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Restaurants