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Local Businesses INDUSTRY CASE STUDY

THE FAN ENGAGEMENT REVOLUTION

The Loyalty Loop. Your regulars buy coffee every day. Why are you letting Starbucks own their data?

3x
Visit Frequency
70%
Retention
100%
Owned Data
Zero
Ad Spend

The Habit Gap

15%
Paper Card
95%
Gamified App
The Problem

“Punch cards don’t push notifications.”

Local coffee shops and dessert spots rely on habit, but habits are fragile. Big chains use gamified apps to trigger cravings at 8 AM. A paper card in a wallet can’t buzz a phone to say “Come back.”

Why It Happens

You’re Passive. They’re Active.

Zero Data

You recognize their face, but you don't have their email. You can't invite them back if they stop coming.

Friction

Paper cards get lost. App downloads are annoying. QR-based web games are instant and sticky.

Boring Rewards

'Buy 10 get 1 free' is boring. 'Spin to win your morning brew' is dopamine.

Invisible

When they leave the shop, you disappear. Gamified loyalty lives in their pocket.

The Payoff

Why This Wins

+30%

Frequency

“Streak” mechanics make missing a day feel like a loss. They come back to keep the streak alive.

Data

Ownership

Trade a spin or a discount for an email/SMS. Build a list you can text on rainy days.

Viral

Word of Mouth

“I just won a free latte!” gets shared on Instagram. A paper punch card never goes viral.

Market Check

The Giants Are
Winning.

They gamified the morning routine.

01

Starbucks

Star Dash Challenges

02

Joe & The Juice

Tiered Loyalty App

03

Dunkin’

Boosted Status

The Audit

Local Shop

Chopstick Strategy

Paper Card
Digital Web App
Visual (Walking by)
Push / Email / SMS
Wait 10 visits
Instant / Random Win
Static
Playful / Addictive
The Proposal

Digitize The Habit.

01

QR Spin

Place a QR code at the register. “Scan to Spin for a free cookie.” Instant engagement while they wait.

02

Morning Streaks

“Visit 3 days in a row to unlock Double Points.” Build the daily habit loop.

03

Local Leaderboard

“Top Customer of the Month” gets a named drink. Community status drives massive loyalty.

Gamify Your Shop →

We can help you
turn customers into super-fans.

© 2025 CHOPSTICK STUDIOS. MADE WITH LOVE & CODE.