MARKETING: Why You Need A Branding Guide (And How to Create One)
Smart restaurateurs know that their brands are their biggest asset. Even though they once thought they were in the restaurant business, eventually – once they started paying attention – they found out they were in the branding business. Spending time and money to define your brand is imperative to carve out a unique place in your segment. Without it your restaurants will be ill-defined and will quickly lose ground.
DID YOU KNOWS…
The Dry Pack
If going sober is one of your goals for January 2020, Heineken has a drink for you. It’s called the “Dry Pack” and boasts a 0.0% ABV. It’s a 31-can limited edition case and is available for free through a custom website that’ll go live on Dec. 27th at 10am ET.
Impeachment
YouGov found that the public backs impeachment with 47% of those polled saying Trump should be impeached while 39% said they are against it. Among registered voters, the gap is narrower with 50% saying they are in favor and 43% stating that they are against it. Things get extremely divisive among America's political factions with 82% of Republicans saying the president should not be impeached while 88% of Democrats think the opposite.
US No Longer Trading with Wakanda
US officials have removed Wakanda from their list of free trading partners. Before you freak out, Wakanda is a fictional African kingdom set in the Marvel Comics universe. Wakanda was added to the listings for test systems and was not meant to remain visible. Regardless, it’s an amusing little error, but we still think not trading with Wakanda is just a bad move for the US economy. #WakandaForever
LABOR IN CHECK
Why it matters to you: New rules at the NLRB are a win for management…finally!
Labor made lots of waves during 2019 and it sure feels like the momentum is all theirs at this point. Enter the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) that reversed an Obama-era rule restricting access to an employer’s email database for use by employees. Prior to this new ruling, employees had a right to access their employer’s email system to air dissatisfaction with working conditions, pay and other aspects of their employment, or to make a pitch for organizing into a collective bargaining unit. The decision was based on a perceived right of employees to freely discuss job issues with co-workers without interference or retaliation from their bosses.
As you can imagine, that was considered overreach by most employers and this new rule by the NLRB reverses that access. There is a single loophole of requiring access to an employer’s email system for non-work-related discussions if that was the only way employees could communicate with one another.
If you feel vulnerable to a labor action by your staff this new rule at minimum protects you from your own systems being used against you for them to organize. Nothing will stop them from creating their own list and moving forward if that is their intention. However, at least, you don’t have to make it easier. Of course, we believe that if an employer treats their staff as partners and provides them with value a labor movement is far less likely, but it’s nice to know you won’t be forced to make it easier on them.
[Source: Restaurant Business Online]
CHARTREUSE ANYONE?
Why it matters to you: It’s time to explore digestifs like Amaro.
Just like those low-waist jeans or long straight hair, all things old become new again. Such is the case in the world of mixology especially as Millennials and Gen Zers continue to search for new and more interesting experiences. You need look no further than the explosion of the classic cocktail. Manhattans, Presbyterians (no not those Presbyterians), and Rob Roy’s have all reemerged as standard cocktail menu fair. Frankly, this is a trend we at The Daily Rail wholeheartedly support. There was both a simplicity and authenticity to these classic cocktails and it seems to be resonating with your younger consumers. We rarely do the recipe thing here, but we thought this blog on how to incorporate Amaro into your cocktails was too relevant to ignore.
Amaro is classified as a digestif and has been used to end dining experiences for hundreds of years. The word amaro literally means bitter in Italian and that is exactly what the flavor brings. There are dozens of cocktail ideas you can co-opt to include this or any other classic digestif onto your beverage menu. At the risk of being a broken record, test a few out as specials, but don’t limit yourself to Amaro. There is literally no limit to the number of great aperitif and digestif spirits you can access to give your menu a new twist with classic tones.
The goal is transparent as an appeal to Millennials and the emerging Gen Zers for experiences and to satisfy their curiosity surrounding the world of classic cocktails. Your investment will be a few bottles of spirits that no one knows, but your return is potentially a following for your joint of guests that just want to know more.
[Source: Eater]
