SUCCESS STORY

Dine Brands Global

Award-winning solution delivers "The Ultimate Customer Experience".


Overview

Dine Brands Global is one of the world's largest full-service dining companies, managing iconic American restaurant brands such as IHOP® and Applebee’s Grill + Bar®. With over 3,700 locations in 18+ countries, Dine Brands sought to improve their digital commerce experience to better serve their customers and franchise network.

Challenge: Revitalizing the Brands

Dine Brands aimed to consolidate and enhance the commerce experience across its websites and eCommerce vendors, ensuring a seamless and unified digital presence for its global audience. The challenge involved:

  • Upgrading the user experience across both IHOP and Applebee’s platforms.
  • Creating a more efficient and integrated eCommerce solution.
  • Streamlining ordering processes for customers across all devices and geographies.

Solution: Leveraging Sitecore XP and xDB

Dine Brands partnered with XCentium to drive technical innovation and enable a unified digital experience for both brands. The solution included:

  1. Sitecore XP and xDB Implementation:
  • XCentium utilized Sitecore Helix design principles to architect a scalable, flexible solution.
  • The integration of Sitecore XP and xDB enabled Dine Brands to connect their websites seamlessly with their eCommerce vendor.
  1. Advanced Onsite Ordering Capabilities:
  • A responsive solution that ensures users can place orders from any device with ease.
  • Geolocation-based interactions for personalized experiences and region-specific offers.
  1. Multilingual Menus and Social Network Integration:
  • The solution incorporated multilingual menus to cater to a global audience.
  • Seamless social network integration to enhance customer engagement.
  1. Customer Profile Synchronization:
  • Customer Profiles are synchronized into xDB, enabling personalized interactions, targeted marketing, and better customer service.


Increase in Sessions 
31%  
Decrease in Bounce Rate 
22%  
Page Views 
67%  
Average Session Duration 
41%  

Outcome: Record Online Sales & Building Loyalty

The restaurant business—characterized by thin margins and intense competition—faces even more pressure in today’s mature market. Dine Brands had to evolve to gain market share, focusing on enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty through a superior omnichannel experience.

Before the transformation:

  • Applebee’s online ordering was fragmented across three different websites depending on the device, causing confusion.
  • High traffic days caused slowdowns, frustrating customers and leading to lost revenue.
  • IHOP had no online ordering at all.

The new solution allowed Dine Brands to:

  • Provide a seamless online ordering experience for both Applebee’s and IHOP customers.
  • Eliminate confusing redirects and performance slowdowns, offering consistent look and feel across devices.
  • Scalability to handle high traffic volumes from TV ads and special events, ensuring continuous performance and higher conversion rates.

As a result, Dine Brands saw:

  • Record online sales due to a better, more efficient customer experience.
  • Increased customer loyalty and engagement, as the solution offered convenience and improved service across platforms.

The innovative platform implementation received prestigious recognition, winning:

  • Sitecore Ultimate Experience Award ‘18
  • Best Business ROI Award

This solution set a new standard for Dine Brands, enhancing their competitive edge and driving revenue growth across their restaurant brands.


We share XCentium’s pride in receiving this recognition of our joint initiative. Our goal was to create a personalized omni-channel customer experience that would reengage former Applebee’s and IHOP online guests and attract new guests in a changing restaurant market and we are pleased to be recognized as industry leaders in this important category.

Dine

Charlie Jones, Executive Director