Papa Johns Loyalty Restructure

As Lead UX Designer for Papa Johns Loyalty, I’m spearheading a major redesign of the program aimed at driving engagement and loyalty. This ongoing project involves transforming the user experience by integrating gamification, personalizing rewards, and enhancing digital touchpoints across the app. From conducting workshops like Crazy 8s to developing competitive analysis and refining user flows, the project is designed to meet diverse user needs—from busy parents to dedicated gamers. We’re aligning the design to ensure long-term value and greater user satisfaction, with features like the “This or That” challenge and dynamic rewards to foster an interactive experience. The project is evolving with a focus on future outcomes that will create meaningful connections between users and the brand.

Workshop Recap: Enhancing Papa Johns Loyalty Program

We conducted a series of workshops to reimagine the Papa Johns Loyalty Program. Our goal was to develop a more personalized, gamified experience for users that not only increases engagement but also drives customer loyalty.

Workshop Highlights:

  1. How Might We (HMW) Sessions:
    1. We focused on identifying key problem areas and opportunities in the loyalty experience.
    2. Questions like “How might we personalize rewards for frequent customers?” and “How might we make the program more engaging for gamers?” drove ideation and innovation.
    3. This resulted in several potential solutions, including the “This or That” game to tailor topping recommendations and interactive badges to drive frequency.
  2. Crazy 8s Exercise:
    1. Participants were challenged to sketch 8 ideas in 8 minutes, fostering creativity and quick thinking.
    2. This exercise generated diverse concepts for gamification and user engagement, many of which were refined for further exploration in the design phase.
  3. User Flow Mapping:
    1. Created comprehensive user flows to visualize the customer journey across various loyalty program touchpoints.
    2. Mapped from initial sign-up to reward redemption, ensuring all engagement opportunities were captured and prioritized.
  4. Competitive Analysis:
    1. We evaluated the loyalty strategies of other QSR brands and industries to identify best practices.
    2. This informed our approach to badge mechanics, personalized rewards, and flexible redemption options.
  • Next Steps:
    • Prototype the concepts generated during the workshops, focusing on improving the user experience through personalization, gamification, and streamlined functionality.
    • Identify personas for each outcome to ensure tailored solutions. For example, Maria (a busy mom), Steve (a casual gamer), and John (a veggie lover) represent key customer types whose unique needs will shape the experience.
    • Conduct user testing to gather insights and iterate on the design solutions.

Evaluating the top 15 quick-service restaurant (QSR) loyalty programs reveals significant variations in customer engagement strategies and benefits. Papa John’s loyalty program, Papa Rewards, has undergone recent enhancements to improve customer satisfaction. Below is a comparative analysis of Papa Rewards alongside those of other leading QSRs:

Papa John’s – Papa Rewards

Earning Structure: Members earn 1 point for every $1 spent. Accumulating 15 points converts to $2 in Papa Dough, redeemable towards any menu item.

Recent Enhancements: The program was updated in November 2024 to allow members to earn rewards faster, aiming to re-engage lapsed customers.

Ranked List of QSR Loyalty Programs
  1. Chick-fil-A – Chick-fil-A One – Best tiered membership system, personalized rewards, and top-tier customer engagement.
  2. Starbucks – Starbucks Rewards – Robust loyalty program with personalization, easy-to-earn Stars, and a wide range of benefits.
  3. Panera Bread – MyPanera – Excellent personalized rewards system with a focus on surprise rewards and early access to new items.
  4. Domino’s – Piece of the Pie Rewards – Straightforward and rewarding system with good incentives for frequent users.
  5. Chipotle – Chipotle Rewards – Strong earning structure and bonus point opportunities, with a focus on customer preferences.
  6. Dunkin’ – DD Perks – Easy-to-understand earning structure and mobile ordering integration for quick rewards access.
  7. Taco Bell – Taco Bell Rewards – Generous points system, exclusive deals, and birthday rewards keep it competitive.
  8. Jersey Mike’s – Jersey Mike’s Rewards – Simple, easy-to-use rewards program with a strong base of loyal users.
  9. Pizza Hut – Hut Rewards – Solid program, but a bit behind in terms of reward flexibility compared to others like Domino’s.
  10. Wendy’s – Wendy’s Rewards – Personalized offers and birthday rewards are great, but the points system could be more generous.
  11. Papa John’s – Papa Rewards – Good but slightly weaker in comparison to some of the top competitors in terms of point-to-reward value and personalization features.
  12. Subway – MVP Rewards – Reward flexibility is good, but the overall experience and benefits are more basic compared to others.
  13. KFC – KFC Colonel’s Club – Simple and user-friendly, but lacks some of the innovative features that competitors offer.
  14. Popeyes – Popeyes Rewards – Strong brand loyalty, but the rewards system is not as refined or engaging as other programs on the list.
  15. McDonald’s – McDonald’s App – While offering daily deals and discounts, McDonald’s rewards system is less comprehensive than many others, focusing more on savings than loyalty-based rewards.

Competitive Positioning of Papa John’s Papa Rewards: Papa John’s has made significant strides in enhancing its loyalty program to better compete with industry leaders. The recent update in November 2024, which allows members to earn rewards faster, is a strategic move to increase customer engagement and address previous challenges. However, compared to some competitors, Papa Rewards offers a lower points-to-reward ratio, requiring 15 points for a $2 reward, whereas others like Chick-fil-A One offer 10 points per $1 spent with rewards starting at 200 points. Additionally, while Papa John’s offers a straightforward earning system, some competitors provide more personalized rewards and

Key Personas: Unlock Value, Personalization, & Gamification

Jane: The Busy Mom
Maria is a 40-year-old professional and mother of two who orders from Papa Johns regularly, especially for family dinners on weekends. She values convenience but often feels disconnected from the loyalty program due to the slow accumulation of points, which takes months to redeem. The challenge is ensuring Maria feels appreciated and rewarded more frequently for her continued loyalty. The opportunity lies in introducing faster point accumulation, personalized offers, and easier redemption options to make Maria feel valued and increase her engagement with the program.

Mike: The Veggie Lover
John is a 35-year-old health-conscious professional who prefers vegetarian toppings but often feels that Papa Johns’ recommendations and offers don’t reflect his preferences. The challenge is to cater to John’s dietary needs in a way that feels personalized. The opportunity is to create a more tailored experience using tools like the “This or That” game, allowing John to share his preferences while earning loyalty points, ensuring that he feels understood and valued as a customer.

Steve: The Casual Gamer
Steve is a 30-year-old tech-savvy gamer who enjoys quick, convenient meals before online gaming sessions. He frequently switches between restaurants based on mood, with no particular brand loyalty. The challenge is capturing Steve’s attention in a crowded marketplace of similar offerings. The opportunity is to engage him through gamified loyalty features like badges and challenges that appeal to his competitive nature, making his meal-ordering experience more interactive and enjoyable, leading to repeat business.

Loyalty Workshop Recap

In this workshop, we set out to reimagine the Papa John’s Loyalty experience by exploring how gamification, personalization, and targeted messaging can strengthen engagement with both new and existing members. Our goal was to learn from subject matter experts, analyze competitive landscapes, and uncover user needs through collaborative ideation. By framing challenges as opportunities, we aimed to define what success looks like for our loyalty program and identify actionable strategies that drive long-term customer value.

Day 1 SME Interviews

On Day 1, we conducted interviews with subject matter experts across Strategy, CRM, and Customer Service to gain a well-rounded understanding of our current loyalty landscape. These sessions provided valuable insights into high-level business goals, campaign execution, customer behavior, and support challenges. By engaging directly with stakeholders from these key areas, we were able to surface opportunities, uncover pain points, and gather context that will guide our ideation and design decisions moving forward.

Day 2 How Might We

On Day 2, we built on the insights gathered from Day 1 by diving into a focused How Might We (HMW) exercise. Using the themes and challenges identified in the SME interviews, we transformed pain points into opportunity statements that framed our ideation process. Participants generated a wide range of HMW questions, which we then grouped, voted on, and prioritized to identify the most impactful areas to explore. This exercise helped align the team around shared goals and set the foundation for user flow development and solution planning.

Day 3 User Flows

On Day 3, we transitioned from ideation to structure by mapping out user flows that bring our top-prioritized ideas to life. These flows outlined key touchpoints across the loyalty journey—highlighting opportunities for gamification, personalization, and timely messaging for both members and non-members. By visualizing the end-to-end experience, we identified where friction exists, where value can be added, and how users will interact with new features in real-world scenarios. These flows will serve as a blueprint for future design and development efforts.

Next Steps

Moving forward, our focus will be on refining the loyalty program to create deeper, more personalized connections with our diverse customer base. The next steps include:

  • Persona Development: We will identify and fully develop key personas for each customer segment—such as Maria, Steve, and John—to ensure that the program caters to their unique preferences and behaviors.
  • Enhanced Personalization: Leveraging customer data, we will implement advanced personalization strategies across all touchpoints, ensuring each persona receives targeted offers, recommendations, and experiences that resonate with their needs.
  • Gamification Expansion: We will continue to build upon gamified elements like challenges and badges, offering customers new ways to engage with the brand beyond purchases. The goal is to create loyalty mechanics that tap into our customers’ interests and behaviors, driving higher engagement and repeat business.
  • Seamless Communication: We will develop and implement a multi-channel communication strategy, ensuring users are informed and excited about new program updates, such as point multipliers, unlockable rewards, and special offers.
  • Measure & Optimize: As we roll out these enhancements, we will consistently measure customer feedback and engagement data to optimize program features, ensuring a continually evolving loyalty experience that adapts to customer needs and business goals.

By focusing on these strategic next steps, we aim to create a dynamic and future-proof loyalty program that deepens brand loyalty, increases customer satisfaction, and drives sustained business growth.

Mark A. Dorsey

Thank you for exploring my portfolio. With over 20+ years of design experience, picking projects that reflect the scope of work is always a challenge…I hope you enjoy! 

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