Schlotzsky’s is introducing value-focused menu options in its Lotz Better campaign and rewarding its mobile application users that give the items a try. 

Lotz Better was launched for the New Year and is aimed toward providing healthy dining options for those looking to eat more balanced meals. By staying present in the conversation surrounding New Year’s Resolutions, Schlotzsky’s can help drive customers in its stores to try its new menu items.

“With now more than 150,000 members in its first six months, the Lotz4Me mobile app-based guest rewards program is another example of how Schlotzsky’s offers significant value to its guests this New Year,” said Mark Mears, CMO of Schlotzsky’s. “To further grow its membership base, guests who become members in January through February will receive a special sign-up offer.

“Lotz4Me members earn digital sandwich ‘bites’ for every visit to Schlotzsky’s, or by referring a Facebook friend to join the program – after earning 7 sandwich ‘bites’, members receive $7 off their next purchase,” he said. “With the app’s patent-pending referral technology, guests can also help friends uphold their healthy-eating and money-saving New Year’s Resolutions by suggesting they download the app and visit Schlotzsky’s.”

Direct rewards
The heart of the campaign rests on its new Pick Two value option. Through this new menu offering, customers can mix and match any two of the following menu items for one price, including one half medium oven-baked sandwich, one half of a gourmet pizza, one half of an artisan flatbread, one half of a tossed salad or a bowl of soup. The Pick Two option lets value-seeking guests customize their meal with more than 1,600 possible combinations.

Schlotzsky’s offers six Pick Two combinations that are featured on HealthyDiningFinder.com and are less than 670 calories, including half of a cranberry, apple, pecan and chicken salad and a bowl of garden vegetable soup.

The sandwich chain believes its guests that have chosen to eat healthier this New Year can still enjoy “lotz” of flavor and variety, because it offers more than 45 menu items that are less than 670 calories.

Lotz4Me users will earn $7 off after their seventh visit as well as many other member benefits. If users login through their Facebook page, they will receive one free punch towards a visit. Further bonus punches will be awarded to users that share and recommend the app on Facebook. 

Ongoing mobile efforts
Schlotzsky’s recently boosted customer engagement and brand awareness by introducing two mobile games on a mobile application that saw 100,000 downloads after its initial unveiling this summer.

Users of the app could play Scratch, Match & Win for food and drink prizes, including a free sandwich every week for a year, and Stackin’ The Original, which challenged players to move up levels as they stacked sandwich ingredients, letting them share results on Facebook. The games continued the chain’s efforts to integrate its digital rewards program with social sharing and in-app referrals to let customers take the business viral (see story).

This summer, Schlotzsky’s initiated its digital rewards program Lotz4Me.

Customer referral programs are powerful in motivating existing customers to recruit new business through trust. The launch of the Lotz4Me Guest Rewards mobile app enables users to refer friends and earn rewards when individuals in their network download the app and make a purchase (see story).

“Schlotzsky’s wants everyone to know that we have a wide variety of fresh and flavorful menu options that can help guests achieve many of the most common New Year’s Resolutions, including eating healthier and saving money,” Mr. Mears said.

Final Take
Caitlyn Bohannon is an editorial assistant on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York