Marketing Family Focused Customized, Personalized, Meals: Meal Components Work

 

Once again, its 4 PM: your customers are just beginning to think about what's for dinner.  Today 82.8% of American consumers are unsure about what's for dinner according to recent grocerant scorecards. Time starved consumers are looking for high quality Ready-2-Eat fresh prepared foods and Heat-N-Eat meals or component’s that can be mix, matched, and bundled into a perfect family meal.

Today's time starved consumers have no desire to cook from scratch. They want to purchase fresh prepared meal components that they can bundle into a customized family meal that will please everyone without spending time cooking according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

Yes, the restaurant industry is abuzz with the success of new technology, 1:1 marketing, a technique lauded by the 2024 DataDelivers Engagement Report. This data-driven approach personalizes guest experiences, leading to a staggering 300% increase in engagement.

Here's how it works: Imagine sending targeted messages directly to your guests' devices, highlighting dishes they love or offering birthday week specials. 1:1 marketing fosters deeper connections by understanding individual preferences and purchase behavior. This translates to more meaningful interactions, increased visits, and a loyal customer base.

But there's a catch: effective 1:1 marketing hinges on strong data management. Industry experts emphasize the need for unique guest identifiers linked to purchase history. Unfortunately, many restaurants rely solely on loyalty programs, offering an incomplete picture. This limited data can skew insights and hinder marketing efforts.

The key lies in going beyond loyalty. While loyalty programs are valuable, 1:1 marketing should encompass a broader audience. By reaching more guests with personalized messages, restaurants can drive significant sales and traffic. Here's where the three main forms of food marketing come into play:

1.       Transactional Marketing: Leverage purchase data to send targeted emails or SMS promotions based on recent orders. Craving pizza again? A discount offer might just hit the spot!

2.       Relationship Marketing: This is where loyalty programs shine. Reward frequent diners, celebrate birthdays, and offer exclusive perks to foster a sense of community.

3.       Experiential Marketing: Engage your audience with interactive events, themed menus, or social media contests. Create memorable experiences that build brand loyalty.

The DataDelivers report underscores the importance of customer retention. While acquiring new customers is crucial, retaining existing ones lays the foundation for long-term success.

Now think about this, 1:1 marketing empowers restaurants to personalize the guest experience and drive engagement. Solutions like DataDelivers' Customer Management Platform and Guest Connect program equip operators with the tools to cultivate a loyal following and achieve sustained success. So, ditch the generic menus and embrace the power of personalized plates!

For international corporate presentations, regional chain presentations, educational forums, or keynotes contact: Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions.  His extensive experience as a multi-unit restaurant operator, consultant, brand / product positioning expert, and public speaking will leave success clues for all. For more information visit GrocerantGuru.com, FoodserviceSolutions.US or call 1-253-759-7869

Fazoli’s Better-4-You Price, Service, Value Halo Works

 

The ability for a chain restaurant to use data to better understand it customer is a competitive advantage.  Chain restaurant have access to data specific targeting their target customer than one would think.  Food suppliers, Credit Card companies, Banks, Meat supplies, Consultants, and Private Label Manufactures not to mention the troves of data they collect on every transaction. 

Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® believes that Fazoli's new promotion '5 Under $5 Under 500 Calories' Menu will be a big hit driving top-line sales and bottom-line profits. Johnson stated, “consumers are paying attention to the price of food, and every January and February they pay attention to Calories. This new targeted offer will resonate enough to drive trial and customer migration from the fast casual sector, fast food sector, and grocery stores.”

This new offer with reset the current price, value, service equilibrium within the retail food sector according to Johnson. Fazoli’s known for serving premium Italian dishes at a great value – is making it more convenient than ever for fans to maintain their new year’s goals without sacrificing flavor with the launch of its 5 Under $5 Under 500 Calories Menu! 

Available at participating locations now through March, guests can choose from five delectable dishes at an unmatched value that are all under 500 calories: 

·         Gluten-friendly Rotini with Marinara (380 calories) – Gluten-friendly rotini topped with the brand’s signature marinara made from vine-ripened tomatoes. 

·         Keto Pepperoni & Bacon Flatbread (490 calories) – A low-carb flatbread brushed with garlic butter and topped with Mozzarella, pepperoni and savory bacon.

·         5-Piece Buffalo Boneless Wings (420 calories) – Five crispy boneless chicken wings tossed with tangy buffalo sauce. Wing orders include a side of celery and choice of ranch or bleu cheese. 

·         Small Spaghetti with Meat Sauce (370 calories) – Spaghetti topped with meat sauce made with ground beef, vine-ripened tomatoes and Italian seasonings.

·         Small Fettuccine Alfredo (450 calories) – Fettuccine with creamy garlic and Parmesan Alfredo sauce topped with shaved Parmesan cheese and Italian herbs.

 

Fazoli’s Director of Culinary Innovation Rick Petralia, stated, “At Fazoli’s, we’re taking the stress out of new year’s resolutions while giving our fans exactly what they crave,”…. “Our 5 Under $5 Under 500 Calories Menu allows our guests to experience classic Italian dishes at an incredible value, all while feeling confident that they’re sticking to their health goals. We’re constantly innovating our menu to best accommodate our guests’ dietary and lifestyle preferences to ensure we offer delicious options for every guest. Our new menu provides a quick, easy and delicious way to commit to better eating habits while still enjoying flavor-packed dishes.”

Leveraging the ‘halo’ of better-4-you with price will prove to be an outstanding branded message that will drive incremental revenue, trial, and garner new long-term customers.

Don’t over reach. Are you ready for some fresh ideations? Do your food marketing ideations look more like yesterday than tomorrow? Interested in learning how Foodservice Solutions® can edify your retail food brand while creating a platform for consumer convenient meal participation, differentiation and individualization?  Email us at: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or visit us on our social media sites by clicking the following links: Facebook,  LinkedIn, or Twitter

In a Battle for Share of Stomach

You Can Win!

RaceTrac Data Driven Details Drove Success

Time and time again Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® team of Grocerant experts expound on the value of consumer focused data over legacy sales data to drive top line growth and bottom line profits.  Here is one example of success.  Leveraging a combination of rich media and location targeting last holiday season RaceTrac generate a 47 percent lift in traffic at the chain’s 450 outlets across the southern U. S.

Credit Jamie Rodgers, RaceTrac brand director who stated that “By using NinthDecimal’s physical-world data, we were able to successfully reach not only our loyal guests, but also our competitors’ audiences, and drive these individuals into our locations in a measurable way”

It has been widely reported that the December 2016 campaign was run by full-service digital agency Vert, along with design firm R/GA, and geo-data ad and attribution platform NinthDecimal.

A 47% lift is outstanding according to our own Grocerant Guru® Steven Johnson so how did they do that? The three companies collaborated on developing “a dynamic, engaging ‘drive-to-store’ mobile ad unit that was both eye-catching and easily trackable. The rich media ad was designed to guide mobile users to the nearest RaceTrac convenience store using their current location.

NinthDecimal then built an audience segment comprised of consumers who were most likely to respond to the ad based on previous visits to RaceTrac and its competitors’ locations. Using NinthDecimal’s Location Graph data set of mobile audiences’ devices, it served the ad to those “qualified users” when they were within 10 miles of a RaceTrac convenience store.

Note: the 47 percent lift includes both existing and new customers, RaceTrac and NinthDecimal execs said.

Rodgers  continued “By using NinthDecimal’s physical-world data, we were able to successfully reach not only our loyal guests, but also our competitors’ audiences, and drive these individuals into our locations in a measurable way,”

The campaign’s results come as marketers have widely embraced the use of location data as more than just a way to send an ad to the “right person at the right place in real-time.” The frequent goal for location data these days is two-fold: understand and predict patterns of consumer behavior based on where they go, then use unique device data — anonymized, of course, most platforms are quick to note — and then, determine if such targeted ads were able to drive that consumer into a store to complete a purchase as a result.

David Staas, president of NinthDecimal  stated “In the era of data-driven marketing, it’s incredibly valuable for brands to understand the effectiveness of their ad spend down to the last cent,” … “The RaceTrac marketing campaign shows how brands can leverage mobile location data to reach new and existing customers as well as deliver real world business results through digital advertising.”

So what is Rich Media?  For one thing, rich media, tends to include moving graphics and sound, can also be “dynamic” — that is, they can be seen to resonate (or fail to) with consumers in real-time, allowing marketers and their agencies and platform partners to update the messaging and delivery on the fly.

When asked how much of a factor the tools associated rich media were in generating the 47 percent lift in traffic at RaceTrac, a NinthDecimal representative said “rich media offers dynamic messaging that corresponds to several live variables during the flight of an ad, changing (in real time) creative to reflect those conditions.

“In this instance, identifying the nearest RaceTrac location for users based on their current location creates a unique experience,” the NinthDecimal rep added. “Removing the hurdle and extra step of having a user search for a location by inserting a real-time map in the unit itself, certainly provides high level of value that a standard banner may not have the ability to offer.

Are you ready for some fresh ideations? Do your food marketing tactics look more like yesterday that tomorrow?  Visit www.FoodserviceSolutions.us for more information or contact: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us Remember success does leave clues and we just may the clue you need to propel your continued success.