Three steps for staying the course when marketing your restaurant

Transcending the trends: Three steps for staying the course when marketing your restaurant
By Cynthia Hollidge
July 3, 2013

Remember at the beginning of the no-carb craze when you couldn’t turn on the TV, read or hear anything but the buzz about going carb-free? It was during that time that a pizza operator asked me what my opinion was regarding whether they should introduce a carb-free pizza. My first thought was: “How can a company that generates the majority of its sales from a product primarily full of carbs come out with a carb-free version?”

Wouldn’t the introduction of a carb-free pizza perpetuate a negative stigma about their core business? Did I really think that consumers would give up eating pizza, pasta, fresh-baked bagels or croissants? My answer, of course, was that in the long term, not in a million years. My recommendation was to stay the course. They should focus on reminding their customers why they should feel good about eating their products. Reinforce what great quality ingredients go into everything they make.

Avoiding the bandwagon

I watched as some of their competitors tried to get on the no-carb bandwagon. While they were busy trying to get their customers to eat their new carb-free offerings, our client was busy telling their story. They seized the opportunity to tell their customers about the superior quality of their product. Staying the course was the best way to address the issue, and it proved to be the right call. The buzz quieted, same store sales were up and new stores were opening.

There are times when a new technological trend will change how we execute a specific function of our operation. Typically these trends need to be addressed. As social media began to emerge as a marketing strategy, an operator told me he was going to save money on print and “just do social media.” I couldn’t help but wonder if that was throwing the baby out with the bath water. Maybe I was missing something. Maybe this operator was on the cusp of things to come. Intuitively I understood the importance of social media as an ingredient in their marketing mix, but to rely on it as their sole messaging vehicle? I didn’t think it was the right way to go.

Multiple channels work best

A marketing strategy should always include multiple channels to ensure your message is getting out there. Before the Internet, traffic was driven by a combination of direct mail, TV, radio and other analog media. The key was, and always will be, brand consistency, a clear message and balancing your marketing dollars to maximize effectiveness within each channel (and that’s of course where measuring results becomes critical). Sure enough, our client returned to include print in their strategy, when after eight months a significant reduction was observed in delivery orders, a sales segment that accounted for 70 per cent of their business. Knowing when to jump on the bandwagon and when to pass on the ride is a million-dollar question. The advice I can give is to take three simple steps: First, stop and take a step back from the hype and media inundation. Think about what really matters, long term. Second, do a little research; what you want is to be is fully informed. Remember that the trend is already out there. You are not going to be the first one to adopt it, and taking the time to know how it will affect your business in the long run is crucial. You may not always be right about the sustainability of the new direction but you will at least have established whether or not your business can tolerate the risk. Last and most importantly, have a plan. Every day I see small and medium sized operations spending hard-earned money on ad hoc marketing initiatives that don’t work for them. Have a plan and a budget, a method of measuring results and, most importantly, a succinct message that speaks to both your loyal customers and those you want to attract. Oh, and that pizza operator? He’s now offering gluten-free and whole-wheat products, successfully adding a brand new segment while making a better-for-you product accessible to both a new group of customers and his long-standing client base alike. See also: About the author Cynthia Hollidge is president of Toronto-based foodservice marketing firm CCS Creative. A recognized expert in the food presentation, marketing and distribution industry in North America, she has had over 25 years experience serving in managerial and executive positions in the food industry. With a unique ability to visualize the overall picture, her insight is a much sought-after asset valued by her clients.

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