Monday, October 2, 2017
Today's Specials:
SPORTS: Download November's Sports Calendar
November is one of our favorite months of the year. It’s a confluence of events that make this month both, the busiest and the most entertaining. Click here to download your free November 2017 sports calendar.
MARKETING: Restaurant Marketing Ideas for October 2017
Fall is here! Your bar is full of fall-inspired food and drinks, we're sure. But what about your marketing efforts? Here are some great marketing tips for October.
DID YOU KNOWS…
NFL Sunday Ticket Refunds
DirecTV is allegedly offering NFL Sunday Ticket refunds for restaurants refusing to play games due to the #TakeTheKnee protest during the national anthem. NFL Sunday Tickets run for $280 and have always been nonrefundable. However, the network received a “high volume of calls to cancel.” The refund policy remains unclear and varies based on subscriptions.
Japan’s Got Milk
Japanese advertisements are known to be a bit weird. A new milk commercial will likely be the strangest thing you’ll ever see. In the clip, there is a UFO, a cow udder, and a sea of small children. If you’re looking for absolutely bizarre, you won’t be disappointed.
Vimeo Live
Vimeo announced yesterday that it’s acquiring the live streaming platform Livestream, and launching its own streaming product Vimeo Live. The move is intended to allow their video creators to capture, edit, stream and archive their live events in addition to hosting and distributing their videos. Vimeo will join other streaming giants Facebook Live and YouTube Live.
INTO THE BREACH
Why it matters to you: Credit card processing security is your responsibility!
Another day, another data breach at a major retailer. Unfortunately, this time it’s a restaurant company that was targeted -- SONIC. While the breach is still fresh, SONIC has acknowledged that it did take place and that they are working with law enforcement to address it. Great, except that it does nothing for the guest that used their card at SONIC and is now subject to the aggravation of notifying their bank if they see fraudulent charges. The only silver lining is we can all learn some lessons about how to avoid this issue in the first place.
Most of you rely on your POS or some other third party to process your credit card transactions. Consequently, working directly with your processor to make sure you have the best security systems in place is your first move. The US has lagged behind the rest of the world is moving to chip card processing and away from magnetic strips. If you haven’t converted, then you should demand that your processor give you the equipment. Yes, DEMAND. They make a fair margin on the transactions you process with them and it’s their responsibility for security. So, two moves: Get the newest and most secure equipment, and work directly with your processor/POS company to ensure you are secure when taking someone’s credit card.
BRAND TURMOIL
Why it matters to you: Chasing current trends can lead to changes that your loyal customers aren’t on board with.
Brands are pushing their boundaries to remain relevant. Sometimes, top restaurant chains can go too far from their brand’s identity and are getting lost in the fight to keep up with their competitors. Adage featured an opinion article that described some of the saddest American brands right now. It’s based on how some business’ evolution has changed so drastically that they’ve become jaded. One of the brands on the list included McDonald’s after their constant push to morph its image into a Panera-meets-Starbucks establishment.
One of the disconnects in McDonald’s brand crisis is attributed to their minimum wage controversy. If McDonald’s is looking to offer more upscale options, they need to pay their employees the matching salary. In addition, many of their latest pushes to incorporate trends like kale and sriracha have fallen flat based on the drastic change their existing customers were not familiar with. Overall, if restaurant operators are looking to chase current trends, they need to ensure that their existing customers are also on board and they don’t go too far in changing their image.
