According to the National Restaurant Association, U.S. restaurant sales are estimated to reach $683.4 billion in 2014. Many restaurants need to be competitive and launch marketing campaigns to secure their own profits in this industry. There are several typical objectives in a restaurant marketing plan.
One of the main objectives of a restaurant is to ensure customer satisfaction and build a repeat-customer base. According to research by the National Restaurant Association, 66 percent of American adults in 2014 said they would be more likely to patronize the same restaurant if it offered a customer loyalty and reward program. Other goals of this objective include enticing regular customers to come back more often as well as introducing the restaurant to new customers. Restaurants that give frequent diner cards (such as buy 10 meals and receive the 11th meal free) typically incorporate this objective in their overall marketing plans.
Many restaurant marketing plans focus on generating restaurant traffic, which means growing the client base and having busier lunchtimes and dinner services. There several ways to attain this objective, such as intensive marketing campaigns using email and social networking pages. Other marketing strategies include monthly or weekly specials, coupons, and gift-card promotions. Many restaurants incorporate takeout or delivery services to accommodate prospective customers that do not typically dine out.
Most marketing plans are more successful if they set measurable goals. The goal of most restaurants is to be profitable, and the majority of them have clearly outlined financial goals broken into weekly, monthly and annual amounts. Some restaurant management teams are successful with week over week goals, and they may achieve them by reducing costs while growing profits at the same time.
Even the most successful restaurants seek to improve their position in the local market and strengthen their brand. This type of marketing objective may be as simple as creating an innovative restaurant name and logo that becomes a household name. It may also include advertising the restaurant’s atmosphere and concept. Other marketing strategies, such as partnering with charitable organizations or cooking with healthy products, can also build a brand to win new customers. In 2014, according to the National Restaurant Association, 64 percent of adults said they would be more likely to use restaurants that sourced food locally; 72 percent would visit restaurants that offered healthy options.
