You know a lot about McDonald's, but McDonald's doesn't know much about you.
But by year's end, the world's largest burger chain will roll out nationwide a mobile ordering system that will collect a wealth of data about the habits of customers — from what kind of burgers they prefer to how often they swing through the drive-through.
McDonald's plans to use the information to customize the way it interacts with diners.
Despite a management shake-up at McDonald's recently that saw the departures of the heads of marketing, menu strategy and digital, analysts expect the chain's innovation plans to continue moving forward.
The ability to collect data on customers is important to McDonald's, which is trying to reverse a yearslong decline in customer traffic. The move also places the fast-food giant, which lagged behind in the race to introduce new technology like mobile ordering and payment, as a leader among chain restaurant companies in translating customer data into customized service.
Through loyalty programs and apps, companies have for years been gathering information on customers to increase visits and sales. But the chance to collect data and use it in a way to make a customer's experience better and faster is still a relatively new frontier, said David Pierpont, an executive vice president at marketing firm Ansira. He said, "I think you're going to see more and more. Everyone's trying to figure out how can they leverage it."
McDonald's has had a smartphone app for several years, but it's primarily been focused on delivering coupons and store location maps. The ability to order food and pay through the app, which is expected at all U.S. restaurants by the last three months of the year, is already in place — and spurring sales — in some of the chain's international markets.
"The same technology advancements that are so dramatically changing the way that we live are also transforming the way we market today," Global Chief Marketing Officer Silvia Lagnado.
