Background: In 2023, Denny's embarked on a transformative journey to revitalize its brand, with a clear objective of captivating a younger audience while preserving the essence of its historical roots. To achieve this, Denny's recognized the need for a seamless integration of their reimagined brand into existing digital and mobile platforms, accompanied by an enhanced user experience (UX) that catered to both loyal patrons and new users.
Problem: The challenge at hand was to effectively engage a younger demographic without compromising the loyalty of the existing customer base or diluting the core identity of the Denny's brand. CEO Kelli Valade highlighted that millennials and Gen Z already constituted approximately 45% of their customer base, while over half of their guests represented diverse ethnic backgrounds. Additionally, the breakfast and late-night dayparts continually attracted younger and more diverse audiences.
Solution: With the help of Bounteous's team, Denny's marketing and dining platforms received a refreshing makeover, characterized by a variety of updates including a new sleek color palette, improved typography to enhance accessibility, and UX improvements in areas such as navigation and rewards functionality. The new platforms also allows for more imagery to be integrated, and there is an opportunity to visually display a younger, more diverse demographic. Users now enjoy a seamless and effortless experience, allowing them to easily locate the nearest Denny's restaurant, browse the menu from any location, redeem rewards, and conveniently place online orders like never before.
Results: Through this refresh, Denny's has successfully captured the attention and patronage of a younger audience, in line with their goal of appealing to millennials and Gen Z. Furthermore, by embracing diversity and inclusivity, Denny's attracted a more ethnically diverse customer base, solidifying their reputation as an inclusive and welcoming dining destination. The breakfast and late-night day parts experienced sustained growth, reflecting the successful alignment of their offerings with the evolving preferences of their target audience. The seamless integration of the reimagined brand into digital and mobile platforms, alongside the enhanced user experience, has positioned Denny's as a leader in the industry, catering to a diverse customer base and embracing the demands of the digital era.
