The inaugural Restaurant Marketing Workshop —just wrapped in Indianapolis. Created and produced by Networld Media Group (the same folks behind Fast Casual Executive Summit and Restaurant Franchising Innovation Summit), this show was a tactic-based conference for marketers, by marketers about how to be better at marketing.
Panelists and speakers were hyper-focused on sharing insights, tactics, and playbooks... basically the secrets to enhancing all of your marketing efforts.
The Restaurant Marketing Workshop describes itself as:
“An immersive experience designed to empower marketing professionals in the restaurant and hospitality industry. This one-of-a-kind event will equip you with the latest strategies, tactics, and insights to drive brand awareness, customer engagement and revenue growth.”
It was an incredible show for all levels of the marketing team to attend and learn. From those who strategize it to those who execute it to those who need to measure, everyone in attendance walked out with ideas, frameworks, and how-tos.
It was totally incredible.
I took so many notes that it would be unfair to just share a summary with you. So, instead of my typical key takeaways, here are ALL OF MY NOTES, unedited, panel by panel.
If you have any questions, drop me a comment or send me a message.
ALL MY NOTES FROM THE RESTAURANT MARKETING WORKSHOP
Third-Party Delivery: Play the Game, Don’t Get Played
The number one complaint on third-party orders is missing items. If you want to improve business in 3rd party channels, focus on order accuracy.
PS This is relevant to first-party ordering as well!
The average return rate for the restaurant business is 30%. If they leave you a negative review and you don't reply to the review, the rate drops to 13%. If you respond to them, there is now a 54% rate of return! That's not permission to screw up but it does help hammer home the impact of replying to reviews.
PS They are likely to spend $5 more!! PPS The rate jumps to 64% if you are using AI to write your review replies!
Jane McPherson, SVP of Marketing of Penn Station East Coast Subs shared the results of a test they ran. They spent budget on DoorDash and then later spent an equal budget on Google, Meta and YouTube—lifted all sales channels including DoorDash totaling the same results as just spending on DoorDash.
11% = percentage of guests that can be converted from third-party to first-party.
The #1 way to get people to convert is a bag stuffer offering $5 off their next order in exchange for collecting feedback. They have to give their name and email to access the offer.
Thanks for sharing the stats 🍽️Zack Oates🍕 from Ovation!
From the Inside Out: How Push and Smalls Sliders Worked Together To Build a Breakout Brand
5 Steps for Starting a Brand Refresh or Rebrand:
- Start with the why
- Use data & evidence to make the case
- Position as a growth opportunity
- Suggest a low-risk first step
- Invite a third party to evaluate the brand
MY take: If you have a rock-solid brand foundation/identity, make sure everything you do—from your menu to your store to your food to your social media—is on brand, always.
From Michael Alberici SVP, Marketing, Smalls Sliders and Mark Unger, Chief Creative Officer/Partner, Push.
Beyond the Buzz: Proven Restaurant Marketing Tips from the Best in the Business
Influencer marketing tip from Tom Carr, Chief Marketing Officer, Chicken Salad Chick: When trying to figure out which influencers to work with, look for content creators who already have shown they like your brand.
Social media marketing tip from Kelsey McManemin, Vice President of Marketing, HTeaO: Bring social back in house. No one knows your brand better than you and having someone active in all conversations will ensure your content is more on brand, more relevant, and more engaging.
Social Media Audit
Most important social media metrics to measure:
- Engagement - Erin Levzow, Growth Advisor, Batch & Box
- Shares - Kylie Selvage, Senior Social Media Manager, Push
- Tags - Jason Sobocinski, Co-Founder & President, Haven Hot Chicken. Biggest tag tip: Tag anyone whose name starts with [INSERT LETTER] and they owe you lunch
DM a guest who left an awesome comment and give them a $10 gift card. - Jason Sobocinski
Customer Acquisition that Actually Works
Content tips from Jerry Shen, VP, Marketing, Dave’s Hot Chicken:
- Share UGC. Create content that looks like UGC. This helps you reach people who already like you and people like those people.
- Use CTV ads to reach new guests in your core demographic in a 3-5 mile radius around the store.
- Use content that is authentic to your brand
Shared by Brandy Blackwell, Marketing Executive, Main Squeeze Juice Company: Step one for a marketing plan is address challenges. A proper marketing plan includes what activity you're going to do in each channel.
Empower others to tell the story for you; influencers, earned media, guests.
Heard for the 2nd time at the show: When it comes to influencers, find ones that are already fans of your brand.
A super important tactic for creating digital ads is using behavioral targeting. Age, gender, etc. aren’t nearly as useful.
Consider using YouTube ads as part of your paid ads strategy.
NIFT is an easy to turn on, easy to use, easy to measure way to acquire new guests who've never dined with you before. Brian Siemienas shared that at Salad House (where I am the CMO):
- 2,566 marketable names added to email database
- 238 first-time customers
- 147 guests made a second visit
- 111 made 3 or more visits
- The lifetime value of those guests = $28,062
This was off of 5 stores in 4 months!
Pitch Like a Pro
Ideal pitches have:
A. compelling data or stats.
B. A unique story angle or point of view.
C. Contact information.
D. Assets.
E. Exclusives.
Tips:
- Always include a photo (or photos)
- No attachments—just links to download
- Put brand name and item or thing in the name of the file. This helps with SEO.
- Always include brand name, number of stores, what you're about, where and when you were founded, where to find more information
- Send press release in AP style. You can have ChatGPT do that for you.
What do reporters hate?
- A lack of information
- Irrelevant pitches
- Pitches that sound like a marketing brochure
- Using the wrong name of the recipient
- Pitches that are obviously written by AI
- Receiving press releases on a Monday
Creating a Loyalty Offering that Doesn’t Suck
Shared by Melissa Cummings, VP of Digital Marketing, Tropical Smoothie Cafe:
- Offers only happen in owned channels
- In-store orders (fliers) only redeemable digitally
- "Capstone" Promotion: Member appreciation week: new offer every day. Drives huge frequency from current guests -- Promote in advance to try and get sign-ups -- No more than 3 times per year -- Has to be highly valuable -- Do in off-peak/slow times of the year
- Sign-up promotion is robust and intriguing
- Promotions should be measured, tested and adapted and the numbers should tell the story
- Personalized messages deliver up to 5x conversions. Example: "If you loved our [ITEM] you should try our [ITEM]"
- Deep link items in your emails so it goes right to that item or loads it right into their cart
Rewards that aren't discounts:
- Points multiplier
- Bonus points
- Early access
- Tasting events
- Exclusive products
What To Do with All This Data?
Great tip on how to think about segments vs personas shared by John Lee Fellow, Client Strategy, Imaginuity: Segments = used for media targeting Personas = used for messaging and content creation
Amazing idea on measuring marketing efforts shared by Jessie Galioto-Grebe, Director of Marketing, Via313 Detroit Style Pizza: When writing the plan, ask all stakeholders how they want to measure. Taking in all viewpoints helps to make the plan stronger.
What Else Can You Do With All This Data?
If you have the ability to do so, analyze the LTV of guests without an email address vs guests with an email address.
Haley Hendrix, MBA , Senior Manager, Guest Insights & Off-Premise Strategy shared that at Eggs Up Grill the difference is equal to three trips.
At Salad House, I took a look, and for us the difference is $135!
80% of guests don’t come back. Focus on learning things about guests who become regulars and use that to figure out how to get more of your one-timers to come back a 2nd time. - Abhinav Kapur, Co-Founder & CEO, Bikky
Local Store Marketing Drives Success
Some great school campaign tactics shared by Courtney Mazzella, Vice President of Client Services, Champion:
- Feed the press box
- Sponsor pep rallies
- Scholarship giveaways
- Sponsoring morning announcements
Big endorsement by Julie Wade, CFE, Head of Marketing, Taziki’s on digital ads:
- Have Google CPC campaigns and Meta awareness campaigns running 24/7, especially around new store openings
Customers don’t care about $1–2 off. Lead with a half-off or free item.
Quick tips:
- Understand your cost per acquisition. If you’re giving something away, make sure you are getting something back. - Toni Martinez (Riggs), Senior Account Executive, direct2you
- Make sure local store marketing plans are turnkey for franchisees. - Shoshannah DiDomenico Field Marketing Manager, Scooter's Coffee
- Community partnerships are powerful. Offer food trade. - Evan Sherrill, Content Marketing Manager, ClusterTruck
- Ask local community leaders who else you should talk to. Ask what they care about. - Courtney Mazzella, Vice President of Client Services, Champion:
- Because AI is changing how people use Google and Apple Maps, when opening a new store, ask everyone who is working on the build-out, the training, the employees, etc. to use either app to get directions so their crowdsourced natural learning finds out where the store is. Julie Wade, CFE, Head of Marketing, Taziki’s.
- The best local store marketing is when people don’t realize they are being marketed to. - Katie Reed, Fractional Field Marketing, Multiple Brands
Get the Gift of Gift Cards: Unlock Six-Figure Success!
- 54% of consumers expect to purchase a gift card from a restaurant
- Gift cards are the most requested gifts
- 51% of US adults forget to redeem their gift cards
- Millennials make up 37% of gift card buyers
Six Figure Gift Card Program:
- What did you sell last time? What do you plan to achieve this time?
- Be in it to win it all year
- Deliver a gift card experience
- Develop holiday campaigns
- Incentivize and engage your team!
Kathleen Wood Founder & CEO, Kathleen Wood Partners, LLC knocked this one out of the park!
My BIGGEST takeaway from the whole show ... YOU NEED TO BE HERE NEXT YEAR!
If you were at Restaurant Marketing Workshop, what did you learn?
Do you need help with any of this? Send me an email rev@brandedstrategic.net
-Rev Ciancio
WHAT DOES REV DO?
- I help restaurants to build guest marketing programs.
- I help hospitality tech companies with lead generation and content marketing.