MARKETING: 9 Things Your Sports Bar Gets Wrong in Marketing Football
Football is here and while it typically markets itself, that’s becoming less the case nowadays, especially as younger generations start turning their backs on the sport. That just means operators and marketers need to work a little harder to get their attention and through the door. Make sure your restaurant is ready for kick off by avoiding these nine marketing mistakes.
DID YOU KNOWS…
Kicked Off the Team Bus
Mid-game trades are always interesting but here’s a mid-trip traded story. Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater was on the New York Jets’ team bus when it pulled off to the side of the road and Bridgewater was told he was traded to the New Orleans Saints. He then gathered his things, left the team bus, and waved-goodbye. The team left Bridgewater on the side of the road and he headed straight for New Orleans. Sports be crazy.
Stories, Stories, Stories
Ever since Snapchat introduced Snapchat Stories in October 2013, the stories format has quickly gained popularity in social media. Seeing the success that Snapchat had with the new format that let users build chains of content (both video & photo) that would disappear after 24 hours, Facebook implemented similar features across all its social media and messaging platforms with Instagram Stories in particular quickly gaining traction among the platform’s users. However, according to a recent study conducted by VidMob, young Americans, especially those between the ages of 16 and 24, still prefer Snapchat over Instagram Stories, with Facebook Stories a distant third.
The BrewDog Network
Do your guests like beer? Like really like beer – specifically craft beer? Then you might want to consider adding the BrewDog Network to your TV programming lineup. The BrewDog Network is an on-demand TV streaming service with 100+ hours of original craft-beer-themed content. It’ll include reruns of the original BrewDogTV show and new original content like Are You Smarter than a Drunk Person. Watch a video of what the station has to offer here.
JUST RESET IT
Why it matters to you: A new website aims to empower women in our industry; what can we do to help?
Women in our industry have historically had more than their fair share of issues and struggles whether it be with harassment in the workplace, lack of upward mobility with promotions, being taken seriously, and then some.The list goes on. Recently, however, a website called Reset the Table was created to assist women in the industry. Reset the Table features profiles, industry events, business tips, a slew of job listings and more -- all designed to give women a competitive edge within the foodservice business. Reset the Table really got us thinking: Are we, as employers, doing all that we can to help women in the industry, and, if not, what could we all do better?
Obviously, jobs and promotions are based on ability so on occasion your options might be limited for a specific role, but if you have a couple of options it may be time to take a step back and examine your existing staff before your decision. Do you have only men in the kitchen or behind the bar? What about your manager and other senior leadership positions? Time to make things more equal and hire/promote the woman up for the role. Some of the best minds and talent in our field are women,so it is about time we begin to empower more of them to take a seat at the table with us.
[Source: Restaurant Business Online]
GAMBLING ON ‘GAMBLING’
Why it matters to you: Wild Wings and DraftKings are partnering up for the football season. Is this idea something we should consider?
Sports and gambling go together like beer and football, a classic combo that will never go out of style. So we weren’t surprised when we heard that Buffalo Wild Wings was starting a partnership with DraftKings for the upcoming seasons. What this partnership means is every Sunday through the BWW app, fans can pick fantasy football teams. If guests pick a winning team, they can win prizes like rewards program points, gift cards, and even free chicken wings for the whole year! The loophole for the gambling is that no cash changes hands, participation is free, and the payoffs are in the forms of prizes. Not a bad idea.
So how can us smaller restaurant operators use this idea for the season? The exact same way really, just without the app. Operators can print out cards that are handed out to diners before a game starts that they can make their picks on. If they win, they can “cash out” or stay and bet on the next game for a change at larger prizes. Your prize structure can be very similar to BWW. As long as no money is changing hands your program isn’t illegal. Maybe even add a stipulation that participants must be signed up for your rewards program as well. That is one surefire way to get people to sign up and stay signed up!
[Source: Restaurant Business Online]
