Quiznos continues its march towards innovation with more investment in the digital and mobile space. As the demand for omnichannel marketing continues to grow, mobile and online engagements offering seamless & inventive customer experiences are necessary in today’s digital-focused world.
Which Quiznos takes seriously.
A key focus for them is their loyalty and order ahead app called Quiznos Toasty Points. which you can find on both the iTunes App Store and on Android Apps on Google Play.
For our inaugural interview series opener, we sat down with Tim Kraus, Director of Interactive and Innovation at Quiznos, to learn more about Toasty Points and get his take on the state of the industry today.
Tell us a bit about your role and some key projects that you have going at the moment.
As Director of Interactive and Innovation at Quiznos, I work with the marketing team to develop and execute all types of digital strategies. Our key focus right now is on our loyalty and order ahead app called Quiznos Toasty Points. Within this channel there are many types of integrations and innovations we are looking at including: mobile payment, improved delivery options, and more engaging experiences within our app.
How is your brand answering a unique need in the marketplace, or improving on what’s out there?
Quiznos is the pioneer of flavorful, Toasty Subs and we continue to focus on making the best tasting subs. The Quiznos Toasty Points app helps make that experience even more valuable for a consumer by giving them a chance to earn points for free food, and to order their food ahead of time for pick up or delivery. Toasting takes time, but we understand the need for convince, so the order ahead feature of our Quiznos Toasty Points app allows us to facilitate that experience.
How are you looking to create a new experience for customers?
We are working to make the Quiznos Toasty Points app experience the best in the industry. It’s not an easy challenge, but we are up for it.
How is the brand driving engagement with consumers and clients, and how successful have you been?
Quiznos is driving strong engagement with consumers in many ways. On social platforms, we are seeing great engagement scores and beating many competitive benchmarks. Additionally, we use the Quiznos Toasty Points app as an engagement tool by providing customers with points each time they purchase something. This helps bring customers back to Quiznos more often.
Are you trying to create or disrupt a category?
We have always been somewhat disruptive in the sandwich category and will continue to be a bold and innovative brand.
How are you using or creating technologies in new ways?
We are always looking for new ways to leverage technology and hope to share more details in the future.
What are the unshakable industry beliefs about what customers want? What if the opposite was true?
I don’t believe there are any unshakable beliefs about customers. I think with the amount of information available about consumers today, brands are learning that many of their pre conceived notions may not be as accurate as they once thought.
How has your career evolved at Quiznos since you joined the company?
When I started at Quiznos we were primarily focused on our desktop website and our email program, then came the rise of social, followed by the need for a custom branded Quiznos app. Through my time at Quiznos I have watched us embrace and leverage new technologies as they become available. It is exciting to continue to play an integral role in those strategies as the Director of Interactive and Innovations.
What are the biggest challenges facing innovation managers in enterprises?
Integration is always one of the biggest challenges. Another challenge is that there is always a risk with innovation. Sometimes your innovations can become obsolete as other technologies become available, so there is always a time and cost investment concern with any innovation. For example, will this be around in 5 years? Will consumers use this? Will there be a better solution soon? Will there be a cheaper solution?
What would I find in your refrigerator right now?
A lot of baby bottles, fruit, veggies, craft beer from various local breweries here in Colorado, greek yogurt, crock pot full of green chili, and a left over Quiznos sub.
What is the last book you read?
I read Noisy Trucks to my son this morning.
What is your favorite film of the last 20 years?
The Southland Tales directed by Richard Kelly.
Follow us for more conversations with Industry Leaders coming soon…
SCREENCHOW 