MARKETING: How to Write a Restaurant Marketing Plan from Scratch
Writing a good marketing plan can be intimidating. You know you need one, but you shouldn’t feel like you need a special degree or training. One of the main aspects of a good marketing plan is to keep it straightforward and simple. In this post we will share some secrets that will ease the process of building your marketing plan. We also throw in some tips on how to rev your promotions engine.
DID YOU KNOWS…
Food Brands Went NSFW This Weekend
Netflix, in a bold tweet that showed humor and self-awareness, asked “What’s something you can say during sex but also when you manage a brand twitter account.” And the internet pounced, especially food brands. From Campbell’s Chunky and Wingstop to Boston Market and more, food brand social media had a field day.
2019 Marks Inflection Point in Media Consumption
For decades, TV was the undisputed #1 in terms of daily media usage, and it still is if desktop and mobile internet usage are counted separately. If you combine the two, however, total internet consumption is expected to exceed TV consumption for the first time this year. According to Zenith, daily mobile internet consumption will amount to 130 minutes per day, up from just 80 minutes in 2015. Adding 40 minutes of desktop internet use, total internet use is expected to amount to 170 minutes per day this year, compared to 167 minutes of daily TV viewing.
Russia Banned from Olympics, World Cup
Russia has been banned from the 2020 Olympics and the 2022 World Cup over the country’s doping scandal. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) unanimously agreed to the measure after Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) failed to cooperate during the probe. Russia can, however, appeal the decision. Between this and meddling in elections, Russia’s really leaning hard into the heel role.banned from the 2020 Olympics and the 2022 World Cup
ATOMSPHERICS
Why it matters to you: The holidays remind us that your atmosphere is yours to determine.
The festive atmosphere is among the best elements of the whole holiday season. That atmosphere is enhanced by decorations, holiday-themed music, and even staff dressing the part by with Santa hats or other trappings of the season. And don’t you feel the difference when you enter a restaurant that has done nothing to embrace the time of year? The irony is, if operators put the same amount of effort into the atmosphere in their restaurants year round as they do for the last five weeks of the year, they would definitely improve their business overall. The atmosphere you provide is entirely up to you and the factors that influence are all 100% under your control. Of course the same factors that influence the holiday environment can be managed anytime you want to focus.
Music, for example, is among the most potent aspects of setting the atmosphere. There are literally hundreds of options that can be programed by day part to always ensure that the music you are playing matches the experience you want to deliver for guests. On those same lines, the lighting can have a significant impact. Too dark and guests can’t read the menu; too bright and people feel like they are in gym class. The key is to get it just right and never forget that guests are want to take photos of themselves and the food. Again, it’s about the atmosphere and social media is now a ubiquitous aspect of experience. It’s up to you to make the effort to improve your atmosphere and the good news is you can absolutely do that with a little effort.
[Source: Modern Restaurant Management]
NOTHING SEEMS TO CHANGE
Why it matters to you: It appear our industry hasn’t learned much since #MeToo began.
There are two articles that ran recently on Eater that perfectly encapsulate how obtuse we remain as an industry with regard to the treatment of women and minority communities. From casualties of the #MeToo movement trying to re-enter the industry to famous chefs doing incredible racist things, we appear to have learned nothing during the two years since #MeToo exploded into view. Honestly, when is our industry going to wake up and not be stupid about how we approach sex, gender, and race?
Unfortunately, the answer to that question is complicated. Unlike other industries, ours relies on mostly low-skilled, low wage employees for the bulk of their efforts. The truth is that a lack of power accompanies folks that fill out our line staff rosters. But what most operators are failing to appreciate is that the more we press these vulnerable people to support our industry, the further we push them towards organizing their own labor.
As a political example, the more we fight to keep the minimum wage low, the more we fuel the Fight for $15. Labor has been organizing against restaurant operators furiously these past years and have made real inroads. The best way to protect your business from a labor action is to treat your staff with respect and equally regardless of gender or race. Yes, it’s not as simple as that, but really why not? If you work assiduously to pay your staff a fair wage, give them equal opportunity to succeed, and protect them from harassment while they are working, you may just find the formula to not only win against labor, but also to grow your business. Now that’s a win-win we should all be able to support.
[Source: Eater]
