A ‘latte’ loyalty: How to brew strong customer relationships in the food and drink industry

In the crowded and competitive world of food and drink, great taste alone doesn’t win loyalty – great customer experience does. Today’s consumers expect more than just good food; they want personalisation, seamless digital journeys, and meaningful brand engagement with great marketing that hits the mark, every time. If you’re not serving that, someone else will.

At Ideas & Outcomes, we’ve partnered with some of the most recognised brands in the food and drink space - from Papa John’s to Just Eat - to help them stir up more than just their product offering. We’ve helped them forge deeper, longer-lasting relationships with their customers. Here’s what we’ve learned and how you can improve the lifetime value of your customers too:

Don’t lose sight of your brand values

Customer loyalty doesn’t begin at the checkout - it starts with belief. People align with brands that share their values, whether that’s convenience, quality, health, or community. Our work with Clean Cut Meals is a great example. Their mission to make healthy eating simple was clear, but their brand and UX weren’t living up to that promise. By repositioning the brand and transforming the digital experience, we helped them deliver on their purpose in a way that customers could feel at every touchpoint.

According to a report by Edelman, 53% of consumers believe brands have a responsibility to get involved in at least one social issue. Representing and connecting with your audience by backing causes they are interested in should be a key part of your marketing strategy, but it must also be fully reflective in your brand values or loyalty will suffer.

Harness UGC and social proof

Food is inherently social - people love sharing what they’re eating. Encouraging user-generated content (UGC) turns customers into marketers and builds authenticity. Trust is essential for any business and consumer relationships, and there’s no better advocates than those who already shop with you.

Run hashtag campaigns, feature customers in your social posts or email newsletters, or reward UGC with discounts. For example, “Tag us in your meal photo and get 10% off your next order.”

Reward loyalty and feedback

We all know rewards go a long way to keeping customers loyal, whether that’s a stamp with every purchase leading to a freebie, or discount codes for spending over a certain amount – everybody likes a gift. You could even gamify the experience, like a weekly “meal spin,” birthday rewards, or loyalty tiers that unlock exclusive content or deals.

But there’s more to it than just rewarding repeat purchases. The customers that leave a review or send a referral link to a friend deserve recognition too. Digital platforms should make feedback loops easy and actionable because engaging with your customers builds familiarity, trust and ultimately keeps them coming back to your brand. 

Lean into local

Even national or global brands can create powerful connections by tapping into local culture and preferences. We did this with Papa John’s who wanted to connect with a younger audience across multiple franchises. By tapping into hyperlocal content on Facebook, we used a mix of paid and organic content to target their audience with specific, relatable content. The result was a surge in followers across all their local store food pages and it also fortified the brand’s regional social footprint.

Want to get started? Use geo-targeted campaigns and localised social content. Think regional partnerships, local influencers, or seasonal campaigns that reflect local tastes and values.

Serve up value beyond the plate

Loyalty deepens when customers get more than just food. Educational or lifestyle content, recipes, nutrition tips, sustainability stories - they all build emotional connection and position your brand as part of their lives, not just their lunch.

Create a content hub or use social/email to share regular “snackable” value-adds: 3-minute cooking hacks, meet-the-chef stories, or “behind the scenes” videos. Nurturing your customers with valuable content will keep you front of their mind when they’ve got a craving to fulfil.

Brewing loyalty that lasts

Building strong customer relationships isn’t about gimmicks or one-off offers. It’s about crafting experiences that feel personal, purposeful, and friction-free - from first click to final bite. If your brand is ready to serve up something big, we’d love to help. Let’s talk.