Pizza Inn is counting on the power of a new mobile rewards program to drive up sales and lure in a whole new generation of customers.

The pizza chain is introducing a new mobile rewards program that allows customers to earn points when they make purchases at the store. The new application is an attempt on Pizza Inn’s part to tap into the rising zeitgeist of mobile connections to help lure in a more digital-savvy generation of consumers.

“The Pizza Inn Rewards program is another way for us to reward our most loyal guests,” said Bob Bafundo, president of Pizza Inn, Inc. “We have so many enthusiastic fans who dine with us multiple times a week and our new rewards program will allow us to show our appreciation.

“Just like the new tagline and logo update, the rewards program will play a significant role in attracting the next generation of Pizza Inn fans,” he said.

Rewards app
When every consumer has a smartphone in their pockets at all times and those smartphones keep them connected to the digital world almost constantly, it becomes more than imperative that brands and retailers make mobile a priority.

In fact, having a mobile-optimized Web site or a social media account is considered basic necessities for running a business today. If brands truly want to succeed with mobile users, they need to go even further.

Many brands are doing so by introducing their own mobile apps that track customer loyalty and allow them with a constant, direct connection with the brand.

Pizza Inn is the latest brand to get in on this trend with a new mobile app designed with help from Punchh.

The app offers all the basic necessities of a mobile rewards program, tracking customers’ transactions and giving them points for each which can be redeemed for special deals and promotions.

Pizza Inn is also offering an incentive for consumers to join in the form of a free dessert pizza when they sign up.

Mobile survival
While the Pizza Inn mobile app is certainly a step in the right direction, modern retailers and brands need to go even further to make the most of the modern consumer’s intensely intertwined relationship with their smartphones.

An app is great, but many comparable food chains have had apps for years. Pizza Inn is smaller than most, but if the brand wants to remain competitive it will have to push further into the mobile world.

Brands need more than just an app, they need a full suite of mobile capabilities and to offer something that their competitors do not.

For example, while apps are considered mandatory now, a more adventurous field is the world of chatbots, where many brands such as Yahoo (see story) and American Express (see story) have introduced them to provide many of the same services as an app without having to install a whole new application on the user’s phone.

While Pizza Inn is heading in the right direction with this initiative, a deeper commitment to mobile will likely see a strong payoff in the future.

“Consumers expect to engage with their favorite restaurant brand across any channel any time for loyalty, ordering, and other interactions”, said Shyam Rao, CEO of Punchh. “Using the Punchh-powered Pizza Inn Rewards program, we look forward to helping Pizza Inn engage loyal customers, transform them into brand advocates, and attract the next generation of new customers that will drive sales.”