Paytronix Systems, Inc., a leading provider of reward program solutions to restaurants and retailers, announced the third winner of its 2016 Paytronix Loyaltees Awards: California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) for the “Mobile Engagement” demonstrated by the fact that 80 percdent of its Pizza Dough Rewards members interact with the brand via mobile apps. The Paytronix Loyaltees Awards is an annual program designed to identify and spotlight Paytronix customers who are leveraging the Paytronix Rewards platform to deliver truly innovative and market-defining guest experiences.

In April 2013, the new CPK Pizza Dough Rewards program was delivered to the hands of millions of guests via its branded Android and iOS apps. With the points-based rewards, members earn $5 of Pizza Dough for every $100 spent on each POS or online ordering transaction. Members identify themselves at the restaurant, check reward balances, and receive highly relevant, visit-inspiring messages on their devices.

“Our mobile Pizza Dough Rewards platform through Paytronix is a core component of our marketing strategy and is allowing us to reach and engage our guests, where they are, in a targeted and highly relevant way,” says Natalia Franco, chief brand officer at California Pizza Kitchen.

The CPK marketing team has leveraged the mobile Pizza Dough platform to send relevant guest communications and to increase the impact of the marketing investment by:

Lifting Promotional Results: With the addition of real-time geofencing messaging to its channel mix, CPK is able to reach customers while they were likely making the “where-to-dine” decision and to compel them to visit CPK. The visit rate of the targeted group exceeded the control group by about 18 percent. This also equated to a spending lift of 10 percent.

Testing and Optimizing the Program: CPK leverages the Paytronix platform to test its core program in target markets and to uncover ways to continuously improve the results of the overall rewards program. It then uses the rich data to inform go, no-go decisions.

Generating Results: CPK has adjusted its strategy to deliver relevant, targeted messages coupled with new messaging channels such as geofencing. For CPK, both open rates and responses are up, which translates into revenue.

“The Pizza Dough mobile app is the centerpiece of the CPK marketing program. The fact that 80 percent of our market is on the phone says a lot about where our audience is and where we need to be,” adds Ashley Ceraolo, vice president of marketing, California Pizza Kitchen. “I recently made a presentation that highlighted the ways we ID in store without cards which includes member name and telephone number entered in to the POS or a guest can check in with the mobile app. So it’s all card free.”

“The California Pizza Kitchen Pizza Dough Rewards program is setting new standards for a mobile rewards program,” says Andrew Robbins, president, Paytronix Systems, Inc. “With the addition of geofencing capabilities into its Pizza Dough mobile app, CPK can initiate real-time communications that are highly effective at influencing guest behavior.”

Open to all current Paytronix clients, the Paytronix Loyaltees competition recognizes loyalty programs that motivate guests to visit restaurant or retail establishments more frequently. The winning Loyaltees programs showcase the success of Paytronix users prompting targeted guest behavior—breaking new ground with relevant offers that leverage data collected by loyalty programs, and through all of today’s guest touch points from Point of Sale to mobile engagement.