By Randy Lopez, Branding and Marketing Consultant
I remember going to my grandparents house when I was in high school. It’s one of my favorite memories. It was my second home: warm and comfortable. There was always something good on the stove and pictures of my aunts and uncles from their own younger days filled the walls. My grandfather’s collection of books included old Time-Life books that I spent hours going through and the old stereo was filled with albums left behind from their kids that grew up and moved out.
It was definitely not a hip place though it worked for me because this was my family and I understood the history and had a vested interest in learning about each piece of dated decor and memory.
I’m bringing this up because as a marketing and brand guy, I’m seeing so many once-powerful chains closing up or greatly reducing their units. And it’s not just the full service brands but fast-casual giants that have lost their market share and relevance. Like the home of my grandparents, they are comfortable and appeal to certain folks but can hardly be called exciting and innovate. Times have changed and they haven’t. True, they might have some new furniture or decor but it’s just a quick fix and the basic DNA of the concept is basically unchanged. Loaded potato skins, deep fried onions, vegetable mix side dishes, and spinach dips still make up a dated majority of the menu. And let’s face it, it’s not that they don’t want to update, but because of their size, it’s difficult and expensive to remodel a chain that needs not just decor updates but a completely updated vision.
Whether I am working with a large chain, small group of restaurants or creating a new brand, my concern is always to look at the current reality of the industry and discuss new trends and directions to keep “grandma’s house looking interesting for the next generation.” Unfortunately, too many consultants and internal teams look at simple programs and promotions to drive short term sales and discounts that create small spikes but don’t help build the brand and long-term guest frequency.
And if that isn’t enough, we might be going into another recession especially with the uncertainty surrounding our current presidential race. But that can be another blog in itself. Heck, that could be a novel…
Like Grandma’s house, a fresh coat of paint or some new furniture just makes make the house (or concept) look and feel just like an “old place with some new stuff.” And as a brand builder, a new logo or menu layout only goes so far unless you add new brand touch-points like updated menu items and messaging that speaks to your current targeted guests.
To help get you started, here a few tips to consider when keeping your brand alive, healthy and able to change and grow with the times. If you keep these in mind, your brand has a better chance of growing in small increments rather than waiting for a large change to survive.
Know your guests – Keep track of who is visiting your restaurant. Whether it’s through surveys, email questionnaires, formal research or even informal table visits; find out why your guests visit you and not the competition. Or why they visit you only once a month, twice a week or only every year.
Use this information to look at trends and drastic changes. Especially if you have a mature brand, look at the age group and see if you are capturing your core guests as well as seeing younger folks that can grow with you in the future.
Know your competition – Just because the restaurant down the street sells pizza and you are the leading Mexican Food restaurant, you might be one of the choices for an after-work happy hour or family dinner. Look at the other successful concepts and learn from the types of experiences that the locals are enjoying.
Look at the trends – Nope, this doesn’t mean you have to add kale or have your servers wear mustaches skinny jeans and plaid shirts (even the men). Trends can keep you relevant and aware of flavors and menu ideas that might be popular in the future or help you decide everything from design elements or branded collateral and offers. Today’s younger guests are raised on cooking shows and understand more about cooking and flavor profiles than older audiences. Sometimes it’s as simple as updating specific menu items and ingredients or even just communicating existing cooking styles and preparation.
Experience the world – Force yourself to look at new concepts, listen to new music, experience the arts. Insights and new ways of thinking should find their way into your brand. My grandparents started to get set in their ways like we all do and stopped updated their place. Does your concept look the same way?
Revisit your branding and messaging – Like buying new clothes from time to time, everyone needs to update. Does your logo look dated (and not in a cool, “ironic” way)? Notice your menus, and every piece of advertising you do. Ask yourself if they’re connected. Does the style and brand “feel” tie in with all of your messages? If not, it might be time to do a brand style update (more on that in a later blog).
It might too simplistic to say that many brands could have survived if they updated their look and feel. But I strongly believe that if they reflected current trends, tastes and focused on a strong vision they would have a better chance. Like my grandparents house, they might have reached more members than their immediate family.
At Synergy, we have a formal process to uncover strategies and tactics to refresh your brand and create excitement with new messaging, flavors and ways to enhance the guest experience, drive traffic and build sales. Feel free to contact me if you’d like to discuss how we can help your brand stay relevant and successful for today and the future.