Tuesday, October 17, 2017
Today's Specials:
SOCIAL MEDIA: What Generates the Most Attention on Instagram?
More than half of all 18 to 29 year olds in the United States are on Instagram -- 55% to be exact. With so many people buried in their phones looking for the best experiences, there are a few patterns we can learn from about the most popular trends.
DID YOU KNOWS…
Named Wendy Only
Last week we talked about Burger King’s shady new Twitter tactics against Wendy’s. This week, BK is continuing that game to promote their new spicy nuggets, just like the ones Wendy’s discontinued. On Friday the 13th, anyone named “Wendy” could get free spicy nuggets with proof of an ID. Everyone else was required to pay the $1.49 for the 10-piece nuggets.
NFL Accused of Collusion
Colin Kaepernick, the former San Francisco 49ers QB, has filed a grievance accusing the NFL of colluding against him amid the #TaketheKnee protests during the national anthem. Kaepernick controversially knelt during the anthem to protest racial inequality in the US and opted out of his 49ers contract. The QB still hasn’t been signed by another team. The NFL has their annual meeting in NYC today to discuss… a lot.
Grubhub Foodler Merge
Starting today, Foodler, the online food ordering service, will be joining Grubhub to further expand delivery options to partnered restaurants. The Foodler website and mobile app will no longer be taking orders and will redirect users to Grubhub where their Foodler login will work to access the delivery site and app. This deal is expected to drastically boost restaurant delivery options for users from both companies.
CHEAPER INSURANCE?
Why it matters to you: The insurance markets are in for upheaval as POTUS cuts subsidies.
The Trump presidency has been characterized best by one word: uncertainty. With a stroke of his pen this past week, the President injected more instability into the insurance markets by ending insurance company subsidies for low-income folks on the exchanges. So, this begs the question, “What will this mean to restaurants?”
For the big operators, probably nothing because they already negotiate rates as a large group. It might actually make their group costs drop because they can offer skinnier plans to their (predominantly younger) employees. Unfortunately, their good fortune may not extend to all restaurant operators.
Those independent and small chain operators that offer plans will likely see an increase in their staff returning to inquire about insurance, given that the exchange prices are going to rise significantly without the government subsidies. You can be fearful of the liability of appreciating that it will reduce turnover and make better employees, as they perceive their health benefits as a part of their compensation. We wish we had more definitive insight into what the deconstruction of Obamacare means exactly, but we’ll be keeping an eye on it for you.
DELIVER SOCIALLY
Why it matters to you: Facebook’s restaurant delivery database just made it much easier for users to find and order from restaurants.
Social media continues to make its mark on the restaurant industry as the newest technology becomes incorporated. Facebook has launched a massive restaurant delivery database available nationwide that allows Facebook users to order food for pick-up or delivery directly from Facebook. The Order Food menu is a master database of restaurants that have Facebook pages and already offer delivery via an app-based program. Facebook worked with EatStreet, Delivery.com, Grubhub/Seamless, DoorDash, ChowNow, and Olo — as well as directly with restaurants that have their own apps to incorporate into their database.
Once users pick a restaurant, a pop-up identifies related delivery providers where they can then select the provider they have an account (or sign up for a new account). Then users can view the restaurant’s Facebook page, order, and deliver right from the site.
Restaurant operators have voiced their concerns about adding delivery where some owners have abandoned the process as they’ve received little profit. Others have experienced drastic increases in sales, customers, and exposure upon adding mobile order and delivery into their operations. With Facebook’s newest feature, it will become much easier to get maximum exposure for free, especially when many restaurant owners with delivery won’t need to do anything more. According to Eater, online food orders account for 43% of all food delivery orders, which is expected to grow throughout 2021. Restaurants can opt out of Facebook’s Delivery feature on their Facebook page.
