MARKETING: 4 Tips for Spreading Your Brand Locally
Whether you are opening up a new restaurant or you’ve been in the area for years, it’s quite likely many people still have no clue who you are. Especially for smaller, family-owned restaurants that don’t have the spread or marketing of major franchises, you need to get people to notice you. That means having strong branding and then spreading it in your area so people see it, learn to recognize it, and get comfortable with it. Here’s some tips to get you started.
DID YOU KNOWS…
US Household Debt Hits Almost $14 Trillion
Standing at $9.44 trillion, mortgages still account for the lion’s share of the total debt balance, with student loans a distant second at $1.50 trillion. While credit card debt “only” amounts to $0.88 trillion, 8.3% of total credit card debt is 90+ days delinquent, trailing only student loans (10.9%) in that unfavorable category.
Global Terrorism Death Drops 15%
Last year, Afghanistan suffered the highest death toll from terrorism with 7,379 people killed, a 46% increase on 2017. The rise in violence came amid a surge in Taliban activity with the group perpetrating attacks across all of the country's provinces and one province in Tajikistan. Meanwhile, the successful fight against the so-called Islamic State group has seen terrorist deaths plummet in Iraq. Overall, global deaths from terrorism fell 15% in 2018.
Where US International Students are From
For the tenth year in a row, China is America's largest source of international students with 369,548 enrolled in undergraduate, graduate, non-degree and optional practicing training programs. Despite the rising tensions and a trade war between Washington and Beijing, that total marks a 1.7% increase on the 2017/18 academic year. The report found that 202,014 students came from India while South Korea had the third-highest total -- 52,250.
TREND LIMITS
Why it matters to you: Retail beverage trends don’t always transfer to on-premise.
National beverage trends can move faster than we can keep up in our industry. Take all these fruit flavored wines that are now being offered to consumers. Varieties like coconut, cherry, strawberry, blackberry, pineapple, and more now pervade retailers shelves. They are fun, but are they appropriate for restaurants and bars? It turns out that these trends have their limits.
Eric Loring beverage director at the Boston Seaport Hotel observed, “Flavored wines are popular in retail because they’re convenient—the same as the ready-to-drink category of flavored hard seltzers, however, on-premises guests typically want a higher quality, fresher beverage made with real fruit. Wine that’s artificially flavored doesn’t help achieve that goal.”
You could dismiss this trend and move on to the next opportunity, but why not do some exploration of your own? These fruit flavored wines are much like Sangria in that they leverage sweet fruit flavors that many consumer palates crave. We suggest you explore some fun ways to serve these wines, but bill them as crafted rather than some artificial version of the beverage. With access year-round to the fruits necessary to create these drinks, you can take advantage of the trend without having to service something that restaurant wine consumers may not consider. It allows you to shine with your guests by delivering a craft beverage and simultaneously not miss out on the action surrounding flavored wine. And that scenario is pretty sweet (see what I did there?).
[Source: FSR Magazine]
NO GOOD DEED GOES UNPUNISHED
Why it matter to you: Burger King’s impossible burger is exposed to possible meat contamination from sharing the grill.
This is such an interesting conversation about the responsibility of operators to properly explain their food preparation process or face problems. In this case, Burger King is being sued by a vegan guest because his Impossible Whopper was cooked on the same grill as the regular beef patties. The suit contends that BK’s advertising implies that it is a meat-free option, but because it’s cooked on the regular char-broiler that the burgers employ, it simply isn’t. There is a clear argument to make that using a slogan like “0% Meat, 100% Whopper” to describe your product implies no meat is included. But how do they manage their operations in light of this new product without causing distress to their vegan guests?
We will ignore the fact that BK offers their “meatless burger” in their Whopper format with cheese and mayonnaise, which should be clear inference they don’t see it as a vegan option, but that’s a conversation for a different day. In QSRs, this is a serious challenge due to space limitations and the operational efficiencies baked into the turnout process. Full-service operators don’t have the same inflexible systems to contend with and can clearly address this issue. For example, because you likely have a multiple burner stove top, you can offer a plant-based burger cooked in cast iron that would never have any meat in it. Problem solved and you can now tout your Impossible Burger as a possible vegan option. Well Done.
[Source: Restaurant Business Online]
