Subway aims to double its presence in EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) over the next five years, and to achieve this, it has launched a new expansion and growth strategy that, among other things, involves the renewal of its restaurant network, the development of new products and services and the launch of a new communication platform.

The chain specializing in sandwiches has begun to deploy “Blueprint”, the central axis of its multi-year strategy for the region, focused on the personalization of the customer experience. The company, which became popular due to the possibility of customizing sandwiches and snacks, is strengthening its differential features to extend its commitment to customization beyond the food itself and, thus, modernize the way in which customers place orders and consume food.

In this sense, “Blueprint” covers three areas: restaurants, which will offer an updated image and atmosphere; new consumer occasions, with an expanded breakfast and coffee offering, takeaway options and an evening experience with a different menu and atmosphere; and the brand, with the launch of the *Get Your Own Way* positioning.

The strategy, as the company explained in a statement, responds to its expansion plan and a positive year in terms of sales and growth of the restaurant network. According to him, the first stores under the “Blueprint” model opened this summer in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, and will continue to roll out in the rest of the markets in the coming months. New products and services will be incorporated based on the characteristics of each location and local demand: while the communication campaign is being activated in the region.

The new restaurants

The renovated Subway stores focus on the personalization and digitalization of the experience. As the company points out, the design proposes warmer, more modern and connected spaces, as well as a better organized distribution and clearer information to make the experience more intuitive for both customers and employees.

Product also takes center stage in the new design, as salad ingredients, sauces and freshly baked bread will be displayed in the heart of the restaurant, giving consumers the freedom to create their meal exactly to their taste. In addition, the stores will incorporate self-ordering kiosks that will allow you to explore the entire menu and personalize the food through digital screens.

On the other hand, the company has also renewed its application and home delivery service to make it even easier to order your favorite products from home or work. This track includes a status screen that shows each order as it is completed; while restaurants will have a clearly marked collection point to speed up and facilitate delivery.

New products and services

The new strategy seeks to boost Subway’s presence at different moments of consumption and aims to meet the changing needs of customers throughout the day. In this sense, the chain has adapted its menu, atmosphere and experience.

It is rolling out a new breakfast range and a morning coffee offering; or a *Grab & Go* option, available in high-traffic locations such as transportation hubs. It also offers a specific menu of dishes freshly prepared in the restaurant and ready to take away instantly.

On the other hand, he is testing *Subway After Dark* in the Netherlands. It is a dining concept for the evening: at the stroke of six, the lighting becomes warmer, a nightly playlist plays, and the employees, whom it calls *Sandwich Artists*, wear specific uniforms and the offering includes more indulgent and customizable dishes. Options include dishes such as Mac ‘n’ Cheese, footlong pizzas, and waffle fries with various toppings, as well as drinks and desserts.

“Customers want to eat their way and on their own schedules; Blueprint is our response to that demand“Explained Tracy Gehlan, President of Subway EMEA, in a statement. “We celebrate our customers’ individual choices, from how they order and when they visit to what ingredients they choose for their meal, always offering great food, great service and an unbeatable atmosphere.He assures that the strategy will translate into greater profitability for the restaurants and a stronger brand in the long term.

The *Get Your Own Way* campaign

The new strategy communicates with the *Get Your Own Way* positioning and campaign, worked together with the creative agency Saatchi & Saatchi London and designed to pay tribute to the individual tastes and choices that customers have always contributed and found at Subway.

Thus, the creative concept that articulates the communication is based on the idea that life is too short to eat food designed by and for another person. *Get Your Own Way* is made up of two different spots, produced by MindsEye, that humorously reflect the way people do things their own way and create their own rules.

The campaign also includes online video activations, press radio and editorial executions in media such as The Sun either The Metro. It also has an outdoor advertising campaign that focuses on personalization with graphics that show customer order receipts, with their specific tastes.

On the other hand, it should be noted that the visual identity of the new positioning and the campaign is based directly on the classic Subway containers to collect the ingredients for the sandwiches.

As the agency explains, the intention of the campaign is to reflect a moment in which the consumer’s decision-making capacity in the fast food sector is increasingly restricted. “At Subway you don’t just choose the ingredients; you exercise control in a category that, increasingly, does not offer that possibility to people”, commented Louise Wardle, Marketing Director of Subway for EMEA, according to Little Black Book. “The trend in fast food is toward closed combo menus, app-based presets, and algorithmically suggested upsells. We, in a way, go against the grain by affirming that you are in control”.