MARKETING: How to Attract & Host Amazing Alumni Group Events
There’s a reason why seemingly every classic TV show from the ‘80s has been rebooted in recent years. Nostalgia is a powerful drug. Whatever it is that forces us to see the past through rose-colored glasses, its effect is undeniable. And no reminiscence is stronger than that of those yearning for their college years. When adults get a chance to reunite and recreate their early-20s it can represent a windfall to your bottom line. How, then, do you get alumni groups in the door? The key is two-fold: connect with college alumni groups and host events – such as college sports “viewing parties” — for those groups.
DID YOU KNOWS…
Striking Workers Hit Highest Point in 35 Years
The number of workers on strike during 2018 and 2019 (so far) has reached levels last seen in the 1980s. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that in 2018, almost 500,000 workers were on strike, a level last seen in 1986. As of August 2019, more than 350,000 workers had been or currently were on strike.
Climate Change Named Biggest Threat
In the latest edition of the Pew Research Center Global Attitudes Survey, people in 13 countries named global climate change as the biggest threat to their nation. In eight more out of the 26 countries that were part of the study, ISIS was named as the biggest concern. One year earlier, 18 out of 38 countries had pointed towards the so-called Islamic State as the biggest threat in the world.
The Most Successful Teams at the Rugby World Cup
Among the favorites at the Rugby World Cup starting today in Japan are New Zealand, with three titles to their credit, including the last two editions, South Africa (two-time world champion) and England, the only European nation to have won the trophy.
GOING FROM BREASTAURANT TO BESTAURANT
Why it matters to you: What can so-called breastaurants do to cast a wider net?
Back in the ‘90s, I ran a small chain of billiard clubs that were part-bar, part-restaurant and part-nightclub. We did three things well -- value/quality food, great sports viewing atmosphere, and having really attractive people working as servers, bartenders, and hosts. I fully admit that this paradigm has seen easier days, especially with the rise of #MeToo and #TimesUp, but are those days already gone by? The answer to that question is complicated. Full disclosure, we currently serve the three largest examples of this genre with Hooter’s, Twin Peaks, and the Tilted Kilt all accessing the SportsTV Guide daily. However, we assure you that doesn’t impact our analysis, nor did it in this piece about the future of Hooter’s and Twin Peaks. The author observes that these restaurants see a massive disparity in the traffic between men and women (traffic is 65%+ male).
Now, if you know us, you know we have worked assiduously to be respectful of the right of all folks in our industry to pursue success and have an equal opportunity to achieve it. That belief doesn’t necessarily conflict with an understanding of what sells. While I won’t go so far as to say its sex that is being sold at these breastaurants, I will assert that having the most attractive staff possible remains a credible marketing strategy. Given that all three aforementioned operators also function as sports bars, they are already tilting their theme and marketing towards men. As long as men who want to watch sports will choose a restaurant based on the atmosphere, then these operators have a point of differentiation. The blog goes on to discuss how they can maintain traffic without explicitly attracting women and families, but I find that question confining. If there is a market for your theme, then you will do business. If there isn’t, then you need to consider what is next, not the other way around.
[Source: FSR Magazine]
MENU DEL DIA
Why it matters to you: Your menu says something about you, make sure it’s not bad
How we present what we sell matters in our industry and this gallery couldn’t be a better way to demonstrate that point. It includes 20 examples of menus -- good and bad. Sure, it’s total click bait, but there is a message hidden in the fluff & fodder that we all need to be reminded of -- your menu matters! The gallery actually some neat examples of how to employ your menu as selling, teaching, and entertainment tool. It also demonstrates how lousy a menu experience can be when an operators doesn’t actually consider the consequences of a marketing decision.
Take the operator that created a plot diagram (7) to show guests which cocktails were classic or experimental against relative strength of the concoction. By using an unusual graphical expression, the operators has not only delivered the relevant items for consideration, but he has also educated the consumer as to the nature of those items. Its novelty is only eclipsed by how effectively it communicates. On the flip side is the menu that is so distracting it’s difficult to read, like this ridiculously bound spiral notebook version. The guest is too busy looking at the goofy images to care about what’s include on the actual menu. Now is as good a time as any to review your menu to ensure it reflects your values, is interesting to guests, adds to their experience .and doesn’t embarrass you along the way.
[Source: BuzzFeed]
