Boston Public Radio Podcast Corby Kummer on Changes to Dunkin' Rewards: "It's my birthday, make me feel special"
Dunkin’ Donuts has devalued reward points and removed free birthday drinks as part of their new rewards program — and brand loyalists are not happy. Award-winning food writer Corby Kummer joined Boston Public Radio to share his thoughts on the backlash on Tuesday.
“The whole idea is, this worked for them, and it created loyalty,” Kummer told hosts Jim Braude and Margery Eagan. “It’s dumb to take something away that keeps customers coming and spending money.”
“[At Dunkin Donuts, customers were saying] ‘here’s when I was born, and it’s my birthday — make me feel special.’ What a dumb thing to take that away.”
In the wide-ranging interview, Kummer also discussed the rise of NFT reservations and paywalled restaurants, the arrival of vegan meats at Hannaford deli counters, and the $24.6 billion Kroger-Albertsons Merger.
Kummer is the executive director of the Food and Society policy program at the Aspen Institute, a senior editor at The Atlantic and a senior lecturer at the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy.