The Brand Promise Think Blink Gap: A Comprehensive Analysis of Restaurant Chain Performance in the Fast Casual and QSR Landscape
This joint study by SLD and The Customer Obsession Advantage analyzes 2,000 customer reviews across 18 major restaurant chains. It reveals that customer loyalty hinges on four key drivers and shows how the ThinkBlink framework adds another layer by highlighting the importance of emotional connections, storytelling, and belonging. Brands that excel in both performance and emotional connection achieve up to three times higher customer retention than their competitors.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:
The 4 customer-obsession factors that drive loyalty in restaurants.
Why only 6% of brands excel at delivering across all of them.
How the 7 ThinkBlink tenets (like emotional connection, storytelling, and design) separate leaders from laggards.
Actionable strategies to close the “brand promise gap” and future-proof your business.
About the authors
Jean-Pierre Lacroix
President of Shikatani Lacroix Design
Innovator, designer, strategist, futurist, transformer of brands for growth, Jean-Pierre Lacroix is President of Shikatani Lacroix Design (SLD). Jean-Pierre Lacroix is strongly committed to design innovation. In addition to pioneering the successful firm, Jean-Pierre is also Past President of The Association of Registered Graphic Designers of Ontario, Past President of DIAC (Design Industry Advisory Committee), board member of SEGD (Society of Environmental Graphic Designers), and former Director of the Packaging Association of Canada.
Specializing in CX data, analytics, and insights, John Hughes is a trusted advisor to C-suite executives, he has guided leading companies like JP Morgan Chase, Microsoft, Verizon, PNC, Citibank, A&E, BET, Expedia, and Kodak in solving complex CX challenges. His expertise includes linking CX to financial returns, optimizing customer acquisition and retention strategies, developing meaningful KPIs based on voice-of-customer insights, and leveraging metrics for employee compensation and decision-making.
Author of Blueprint for Customer Obsession and the Founder and CEO of The Customer Obsession Advantage, a firm dedicated to helping companies drive exceptional business results through customer-centric strategies. Marbue Brown is a seasoned customer experience (CX) executive, he has delivered thought leadership and transformative outcomes at top companies like JP Morgan Chase, Amazon, Microsoft, and Cisco. His expertise has been featured in leading media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, USA Today, Fox Business, CNN Business, CBS News, Yahoo! Finance, Forbes, and Wharton Business Daily.
