What Chicken Wings Teach Us About Communication

In the world of customer engagement, sometimes the most mundane interactions can offer lessons. Take, for instance, a recent update from Buffalo Wild Wings concerning their Blazin’ Rewards program.

The company emailed to update customers about requiring multi-factor authentication (MFA) for their loyalty program. Getting a text to confirm you have logged in somewhere is not surprising to customers, but Buffalo Wild Wings assumed that it might be weird to get a text about your chicken wings.

In their message, they highlighted their commitment to quality and customer appreciation. Very standard corporate-speak. But what if they had taken a different route?

Imagine if instead they wrote, "Hey, we noticed some attempts to hijack some of our biggest fans' hard-earned points for Chicken Wings. To keep your rewards safe, we're adding a new step to verify it's really you logging in. Don't be alarmed by a text from us - it's just us making sure your wings stay yours."

This approach humanizes the communication. It doesn’t just inform; it connects. It acknowledges a problem (point theft), offers a solution (MFA), and does so with a touch of humor and relatability, without going overboard.

Marketing is about connection. It doesn't end when the customer has paid you money. It's not only the job of the Marketing team. Buffalo Wild Wings had the chance to not just inform but to connect, to turn a standard security update into a moment of shared understanding and a bit of humor.

Even the most technical or routine messages can be an opportunity to deepen the relationship with your customers. It's about seeing beyond the transactional nature of communication and embracing the human element.

In an age where digital interactions are the norm, the brands that succeed are the ones that remember the human on the other side of the screen.