Zalo Mini App is increasingly proving its critical role as a powerful tool for businesses in the food and beverage (F&B) industry to achieve effective digital transformation. Seamlessly integrated into the Zalo ecosystem—Vietnam’s most popular messaging platform—Zalo Mini App not only optimizes costs but also enhances customer experiences, collects high-quality data, and drives sustainable growth. Through three standout case studies from Highlands Coffee, À Kàfe, and Nem Nướng D'ran, the transformative potential of this tool is evident, offering valuable lessons on leveraging technology to gain a competitive edge in a highly dynamic industry.
Case Study 1: Highlands Coffee – Transforming Customer Experience Through Gamification and Ecosystem Integration
Highlands Coffee, one of Vietnam’s largest coffee chains with over 750 outlets nationwide, has successfully utilized Zalo Mini App to create innovative marketing campaigns, fostering deeper connections with millions of customers. Established in 1999, the brand has always focused on promoting Vietnamese coffee culture and enhancing community experiences but faced significant challenges in the digital era.
Challenges Faced
With millions of customers, Highlands Coffee spent billions of VND annually on SMS campaigns to maintain relationships. However, this method was monotonous, difficult to measure, and lacked personalized engagement. A Salesforce survey revealed that 76% of global customers expect consistent, tailored interactions, which traditional SMS struggled to deliver. The brand needed a primary engagement channel to transition customers from offline to online, optimize costs, and collect high-quality data for future marketing strategies.
Solutions Implemented
Instead of using Zalo Mini App solely for ordering, Highlands Coffee transformed it into the centerpiece of its “Chill Summer – 100% Win Maldives” campaign, launched in July 2023. Customers who purchased drinks at stores received a participation code on their receipts, scanned a QR code to access the Mini App, entered the code, and played a game selecting their favorite fruit to win discount vouchers. Rewards, including a 100-million-VND Maldives trip, were announced via livestream, with all vouchers delivered directly through Zalo OA, replacing SMS entirely. The campaign fully integrated the Zalo ecosystem, including Zalo OA, ZNS messaging, and Mini App, combined with the PangoCDP platform for customer data management. The process involved customers scanning QR codes on POS materials, playing the game, receiving vouchers automatically, storing them in a Zalo gift wallet, and getting reminders to use them via Master Channel. This created a seamless experience and enabled gift-sharing, amplifying campaign reach.
Core Value Delivered
The integration of the Zalo ecosystem ensured a smooth, professional interaction experience across platforms. Gamification turned receiving offers into an engaging activity, encouraging voluntary participation rather than passive notifications. The campaign also facilitated high-quality identifiable data collection, transitioning offline customers to online for personalized marketing. The Master Channel, introduced in 2022, played a pivotal role in focusing on engagement, experience, warmth, and customer education, optimizing campaigns through creative voucher distribution and gamification.
Results Achieved
Within 40 days, the campaign attracted over 2 million app interactions, achieved a 56.9% identifiable data conversion rate, and gained over 347,000 new Zalo OA followers, surpassing the initial target by 2.9 times. This sparked a “bill-hunting frenzy” on the brand’s fanpage, enhancing customer loyalty and paving the way for deeper engagement strategies, marking a successful digital transformation for Highlands Coffee.
Case Study 2: À Kàfe – Winning and Retaining Customers Through Automated Personalization
À Kàfe embodies a refined, understated style in the F&B industry, prioritizing quality experiences over volume. The brand leveraged Zalo Mini App to build a fully automated customer journey, boosting return rates without heavy advertising investments.
Challenges Faced
Encouraging customers to return regularly without continuous, costly advertising was a significant challenge. Additionally, delivering personalized care for each customer without excessive manual effort was crucial, while maintaining a refined, non-intrusive approach aligned with the brand’s “just enough” philosophy.
Solutions Implemented
Partnering with CNV CDP, À Kàfe developed a fully automated customer journey on Zalo Mini App. The system sent vouchers immediately after a customer’s first visit, with follow-up reminders to return at 3, 7, and 30-day intervals via personalized Zalo messages. Birthday offers, time-based combos, and recurring programs were pre-programmed to operate 24/7 without manual intervention. Integration with a Customer Data Platform (CDP) ensured accurate storage, segmentation, and reactivation of customers based on behavior, all within Zalo without requiring a separate app. The process involved strategic planning, crafting personalized scenarios, and refining them to align with the brand’s identity.
Core Value Delivered
The automated journey enabled a one-time setup for continuous operation, significantly saving on staffing and operational costs. Subtle personalization ensured timely, relevant interactions, fostering a sense of care without being intrusive. Operating within Zalo eliminated the need for a standalone app, lowering participation barriers and increasing accessibility, while aligning with the brand’s focus on quality, natural experiences.
Results Achieved
Within 30 days of implementation, the system reached over 100 customers daily through automated touchpoints, increasing the return rate to 32% and generating 40% of revenue from repeat customers. This demonstrated superior effectiveness compared to traditional advertising, without requiring a large budget or extensive marketing team, while building a loyal customer base.
Case Study 3: Nem Nướng D'ran – Optimizing Costs and Elevating Customer Experience
Nem Nướng D'ran, with a 50-year traditional recipe from Đơn Dương, utilized Zalo Mini App to overcome cost-related limitations and boost customer retention, creating an effective direct sales channel.
Challenges Faced
The brand faced wasteful marketing expenses and high commission fees from third-party online sales platforms, which eroded profits. Additionally, there was no effective mechanism to retain repeat customers or a proactive system for order management and customer care, leading to lost revenue from repeat purchases.
Solutions Implemented
Adopting the “Comprehensive Marketing & Customer Care Solution with Zalo Mini App,” Nem Nướng D'ran established a direct sales and engagement channel, delivering promotions without commission fees. The free Loyalty feature enabled a points program and lucky spin, incentivizing repeat visits. Customers could easily place delivery or pick-up orders through a simple interface. Collaboration with ZaMiApp supported automated order processing, performance tracking via detailed dashboards, and charts.
Core Value Delivered
Cost optimization was achieved by reducing reliance on third-party platforms, saving on commissions and communication expenses. The enhanced experience through convenient ordering, point accumulation, and offers created a professional brand image. The Loyalty feature fostered an effective mechanism for nurturing loyal customers, increasing purchase frequency and trust.
Results Achieved
Post-implementation, the brand saved up to 30% on operational and communication costs, while increasing the customer return rate by 30-35%. It enabled easy tracking of monthly revenue, streamlined order processing, and strengthened customer trust, supporting sustainable business growth.
Zalo Mini App – The Key to Sustainable Growth in F&B
The success stories of Highlands Coffee, À Kàfe, and Nem Nướng D'ran vividly illustrate the power of Zalo Mini App in addressing core challenges in the F&B industry, from optimizing marketing costs and building primary engagement channels to personalizing experiences and automating customer care. These applications not only facilitate digital transformation but also foster loyalty, collect valuable data, and drive long-term growth. With Zalo being a familiar platform for millions of Vietnamese users, leveraging Mini App offers a significant competitive advantage, enabling deeper connections without complex investments. For businesses seeking similar solutions, exploring a strategic engagement channel on Zalo Mini App could be the key to elevating operations and achieving sustainable success.
Source: Zalo Miniapp
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