Bandwagon Marketing may work this time for Wendy’s!



When you can’t find the footing for your brand with the consumer, simply copy what the food sector leaders are doing and continue reading this blog. In 2005 our white paper The Customer Moved First, identified the meal component MIX & MATCH trend. The grocerant niche filled with fresh prepared ready-to-eat and ready-to-heat food is booming in large part because of Mix & Match meal components found in the Convenience store, Grocery store and the Restaurant sector.

Wendy’s a division of floundering Atlanta-based Wendy’s/ Arby’s Group Inc. is trying to break out of a sales slump. Under utilizing the 5 P’s of grocerant fresh prepared food marketing; Product, Packaging, Placement, Portability and Price with a consumer focus, Wendy’s is trailing others in the QSR sector.

Much like its sister chain Arby’s, Wendy’s lacks a vertically integrated, customer focused marketing strategy. Utilizing bundled tactics rather than strategy is like throwing buckets of water on a burring house. They need to create distinctive differentiated food consumable’s as an entity with identity by day part, too edify their customer base. In the short term copy cat marketing programs, particularly grocerant mix & match programs will work.

The Grocerant niche is about convenient meal participation, differentiation and individualization. Wendy’s can regain its legacy of industry excellence. However first Wendy’s must focus on the consumer today, rather than the past. Channel blurring is not in the minds eye of the consumer. It is only in the minds eye of the legacy marketing managers in legacy companies. The explosive growth within the ready-to-eat ready-heat fresh prepared food niche is a perfect example of how the consumer is responding. Do you know where your customers are eating?

http://www.foodservice.com/articles/show.cfm?contentid=4112&title=Restaurant Consumer Discontinuity

Outside eyes can deliver top line insights and bottom line profits. Invite Foodservice Solutions to provide brand and product positioning assistance or a grocerant program assessment. Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or on Facebook at Steven Johnson