In our marketing-obsessed society, unfortunately, sometimes the sizzle becomes more important than the steak. And pundits will tell you creating a buzz about your product, whether it’s a food item, a new resto or a piece of equipment, is half the battle in achieving success.
But, these days, with social media so accessible, everyone thinks they are marketing gurus. As a result, consumers are pummelled by a barrage of marketing messages through word-of-mouth, traditional advertising (print, television or radio) and, increasingly through social media channels such as Twitter, Facebook, blogs and more.
As a consumer, the messages are sometimes overwhelming; as a business operator, the choice of marketing options available is often daunting. Deciding which medium to use, how often to use it and the focus of the message are among the issues operators have to contend with on a regular basis. Unless, of course, you’re one of those operators who believe word-of-mouth advertising is superior to marketing.
But, as important as marketing is, and clearly it is, restaurateurs need to realize there is more to marketing than meets the eye. And, really, successful marketing is about more than the message you convey through an ad, a Facebook page or a tweet; it’s about delivering on a promise. Take, for example, the menu. Why is it that while so many restaurant owners place great attention on site location, decor, and food, they often fail at maximizing the selling potential of one of their biggest marketing tools — the menu. They err by listing too much info and too much choice, or too little info and too little choice; and sometimes they convey a message of sloppiness and neglect by failing to carefully edit the menu for clarity and spelling. More importantly, operators and/or chefs sometimes fail to deliver on the customer expectation created by the menu.
While recently dining in a casual, downtown restaurant with a good reputation and following, I opted for the rotisserie chicken. The menu listed the dish as rotisserie chicken with roasted potatoes and vegetables, so imagine my surprise when, after waiting for what seemed an indeterminably long time for the dish to arrive, the waitress delivered a thin slice of chicken surrounded by a few vegetables and a couple of roasted potatoes.
Clearly, the menu description failed to accurately reflect the reality. By listing the dish as rotisserie chicken, it created a visual image of a quarter chicken or a half chicken featuring drumstick and wing. Oddly enough, when I asked the waitress if this was the way the dish was typically served, thinking perhaps she misunderstood my order, she curtly answered affirmatively and walked away, failing to ask whether there was a problem. Needless to say, the meal and the experience left a bad taste in my mouth. But it also underlined the myriad marketing messages a restaurant conveys in the course of a day, whether through its decor, its food or even its staff. And it proved how important it is that marketing messages work in sync to produce the desired end result. That’s just smart marketing. After all, it’s not just about the sizzle; it’s about the steak. Or in this case, the chicken.
Features in September 2012 issue:
Diners Crave Unique Cuts and Varieties of Beef
Tapping Into the Value Of Old World Wines
Books for Cooks: Chuck Hughes Chats About Garde Manger
Best Ways To Connect With Your Customers On Facebook
How To Attract Customers To Full-service Restaurants
Demystifying Growing List of Marketing Mediums
Controversy Surrounding Restaurant Tip-outs
Atlantic Canada’s Relish Burgers Prepares to Move West
Back to School: Profiling Chef Dave Ryan
How To Increase Tips and Keep Guests Happy
