Food for thought: The spy who sold out
Forgiving a pretty face
Facebook to agencies: how will people share your story?
Is “The Pitch” an accurate reflection of our industry?
There’s no shortage of web-savvy business owners boasting unbridled success via promotions on Twitter, or garnering legions of fans on Facebook. But when I recently broached the subject with my brother-in-law, a restaurant operator in Guelph, Ontario, he was unconvinced that social-media tools were a tangible way to boost traffic and ultimately sales in the food service category.
Daunted by his skepticism, I decided to do some digging to bolster my case. The facts are sobering: Nearly one-third of Canadians use social-media websites and tools at least twice a week. That’s according to a 2009 study by Forrester, a digital marketing and advertising consultancy. Additionally, more than half of social-media users say they feel a stronger connection with the companies and brands they can interact with online – in real time.
“Today, digital engagement is about going to where your customers are, listening and then responding with genuine, earnest dialogue,” says Adam Luck, Director of Interactive at Grip.
“Gone are the days of ‘build it and they will come’ websites. Facebook ‘Fan pages,’ like the ones we built for Toronto’s Duke Pubs, are where we are beginning see more and more traction.”
The real opportunity for food service operators looking to connect with their audience lies in reaching consumers where they’re already interacting: microblogs (such as Twitter), social-networking sites (such as Facebook) and opinion- or review-sharing sites such as Yelp.com, CitySearch.com, or local favourites such as MartiniBoys.com and Dine.to.
Not only do these channels foster conversations between brands and consumers, but their low cost-to-use compared with traditional marketing vehicles such as print, television and radio make them an excellent fit for smaller chains or individual franchisees looking to connect with local markets.
“For a startup like us, it’s an easy and inexpensive way to reach current and potential customers,” says Matthew Corrin, Founder and CEO of Freshii, a fast-growing newcomer to the quick-service restaurant (QSR) category.
“Facebook and Twitter allow us to promote specials or announce new store openings, but it’s also been a great way for me to hear honest feedback and course correct our business to better serve our customers.” You can follow Matthew’s tweets here: @freshii.
Simply put, I believe social-media marketing can drive traffic and sales in addition to building brand awareness and loyalty. To that end, Adam Luck (our Director of Interactive) and I have put together some quick thoughts: 5 Tips for Socializing Your Restaurant. If nothing else, I hope my brother-in-law can park his skepticism long enough to read it.
Curtis Westman
January 6, 2010 @ 4:24 pm
Marketing for food service professionals is yet more obscure for fine dining establishments. High-end restauranteurs are actually in a difficult position regardless, especially in a diverse city like Toronto. The effect that traditional, and growingly, even non-traditional advertising has on their target demographic could be questionable.
How often, for example, do we really see or hear about popular Toronto restaurants like C5, Scaramouche or Canoe in our everyday business? These restaurants survive not on ingenious marketing campaigns, because of a constant long-term ‘buzz’ generated by strong word-of-mouth and a history of quality. Their customers are often loyal, and when they’re new, they’ve been guided there because of something they’ve heard. In the past, this ‘buzz’ was usually generated by newspaper or magazine reviews, travel guides and culinary awards, but in the past few years, this has all changed dramatically.
The days of a restaurant being made (or broken) by a single review are over. Restaurant critics are no longer the de facto experts, and while they still hold some major clout, the power they once held is being transferred – as you’ve pointed out – online.
Surely, then, if high-end restaurants hold such loyal clientele and rely almost entirely on earned media, some might argue that they’re “recession-proof.” But the truth is that while reviews may be glowing and word-of-mouth may be momentous and overwhelmingly positive, restaurants – even landmark venues – are still failing. Last year alone, Toronto lost notable mainstays Perigee and Truffles, and Scaramouche is being forced out of their lease to make way for more condominium space.
This is the second difficult position that restauranteurs have to deal with: an unpredictable market. As the Globe and Mail reported last year in the middle of the current economic draught (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/food-and-wine/were-still-dining-out-but-weve-swapped-fine-for-casual/article1209946/), even the high-end diners were cutting back, leaving the high-end restaurants without their loyal customer base, and bolstering the business of mid-range restaurants that do have the budget and the drive for advertising.
Would these venues benefit, then, from running city-wide marketing campaigns to reinforce their ‘buzz’?
An interesting side note regarding Twitter as it relates to these businesses: this month, for the launch of the yearly “Winterlicious” festival, the Toronto restaurant Nyood (Chef Roger Mooking), will be running a unique promotional event. On January 29 and 30, diners at Nyood will be encouraged to tweet about the food they’re enjoying on the restaurant’s corporate Twitter account, and the dialogue will be projected onto the wall for other diners to read. An intriguing concept, I think, which is likely to draw a particular sort of crowd.