It’s been trending this way for a while but Mood Media just took a Sharpie and underlined the obvious: in the QSR world, consumers prefer using drive-thrus over dining rooms, with 54 percent of respondents saying so in its recent survey. And that percentage may grow.
Kevin Jones, VP at Mood Media
“The whole labor challenge across the country continues to push brands in this direction,” said Kevin Jones, vice president of global account management for the experiential media company, in an interview. “At the moment drive-thrus are the focus for the major brands, not dining rooms.”
The company polled 1,000 U.S. consumers and unearthed a distinct give-me-the-bells-but-not-the-whistles preference.
“Nearly three in four rank speed as the most important thing,” he said. “They want to move through drive-thrus fast and brands are paying attention to that.”
Brands that upgrade its tech to optimize online ordering and off-premises operations are increasingly finding themselves in the winner’s circle.
“If I can pull up into a drive-thru or walk into a store for pick-up and receive communications about my order, that speeds up the process,” he said.
The results indicate the growing comfort consumers have with brands knowing their digital footprints. Privacy remains a concern but consumers seem happy to provide data if a brand makes them feel seen, with 82 percent of respondents neutral or positive about QSRs collecting data.
“It’s evolving,” he said. “Look at mobile apps. Some of the bigger brands have built robust applications that have purpose. You get discounts, information, personalization. Consumers want this.”
And if you can get consumers comfortable with your digital platform, you have an opportunity to achieve the grail: the ability to upsell consumers without alienating them.
“The ability to take data and personalize offers, that’s what everybody’s chasing,” he said. “If a brand can get that customer that’s coming once a month to come in two or three times a month, that’s gold. Brands that make it super easy to order and reorder are seeing repeat customers and higher sales. It’s not about discounts. It’s about getting repeat business.”
There’s a lot of tech out there and not every QSR has the resources of Pizza Hut or Bojangles. Deciding on tech can be tricky. But return on investment appears achievable, with 23 percent of consumers saying technology is the most important drive-thru feature to them.
“There is so much innovation that’s out there,” he said. “Things like AI in the drive-thru is still in a testing environment for a lot of brands. But the more we see tech solutions implemented, the more they will be accepted and adopted. Because we’re seeing that consumers will engage with tech.”
