I thought before the New Year is out, it might be nice to share my thoughts on the struggling restaurant business.
One thing is inevitable: In time things get old. Marketing messages become less effective, and brand experiences become stagnant. When this happens, restaurant brands need to reassess their market, their position in it, and how they’re communicating that story. Rebranding the restaurant is necessary to invigorate an audience’s interest while reestablishing its position in the market.
However, rebranding a business takes time, money, and energy, so you need to be sure you’re prepared to take on such a project. You’ll also need to know what steps to take beforehand. This guide covers how to rebrand your restaurant and provides tips for successful restaurant rebranding as well as all the details you should upgrade.
To begin, you have to decide what the new brand will be. I'm some cases you may have acquired an existing site with an old concept or perhaps you are looking to refresh an existing, successful, but laging model. No matter the situation, the next few steps are crucial.
Just as you should know your restaurant, you should also be aware of your audience. This doesn’t just mean your regulars either — while you’ll want to keep them, you likely also want to expand your consumer base. Consider the locals and what demographics make up the majority of the nearby population. Your aim should change depending on who your largest prospective group is, from age to gender to median income.
Your audience also includes other successful restaurants nearby. They’ll be watching your moves and trying to compete for customers, so you need to bring them into the equation as well. Think about ways you can make your restaurant rebranding more appealing to the broader demographic.
You also need to differentiate yourself from your competitors. Oddly enough, most people do the opposite and copy an existing model ... DUMBBELLS.
It’s crucial to analyze how your restaurant branding stacks up in comparison to your competitors. If you know where you stand among the other restaurants in your area, you’ll have the benefit of knowing what you need to change to surpass them. You should conduct a SWOT analysis — a measure of your business's strengths and weaknesses, possible opportunities, and threats from other restaurants.
Customers are frequently willing to give feedback. They often do so unprompted, especially if they’ve had a particularly positive or negative experience. Their opinions can be valuable — they’ll tell you exactly where you need to step up your game and what you should keep doing. Gather as much feedback as possible before the rebrand planning and take it into account.
You can collect customer suggestions and comments in several ways. One of the most direct ways is talking to the tables once they’ve finished their meals. This method also has a secondary benefit — when a manager makes sure customers have a good experience, the restaurant seems more personable and caring. You can also ask them to fill out a survey or prompt them to respond to social media posts and polls. If you are reopening an existing restaurant with a new brand, the process is a little different. I usually advise at least one soft opening to introduce your idea to the community. With lots of teaser marketing months before.
Advertising is one of the most significant areas of a rebranding strategy. If no one knows about your renovations, they won’t be as effective at drawing in new customers. When you’re revamping your marketing tactics, you should:
Make a plan: When planning your rebranding as a whole, include a marketing strategy. Think about the types of advertisements you want to use, how you are going to design them, and how much you want to reveal. Sometimes, leaving a little mystery is a great attention-getter. Also, as videos are predicted to make up about 85% of internet traffic in the U.S. by 2020, you will want to incorporate posting some videos online.
A dramatic reopening celebration is a great way to catch the attention of locals and new visitors. Rather than quietly open your doors and allow people to see the new restaurant whenever they come in, schedule an unveiling event. When choosing a date, check community calendars to be sure it won’t coincide with other activities and pick a time that’s convenient for a notable amount of people
With that, I wish you good LUCK, labouring under correct knowledge.
If you think you might need a little help with your project, give us a SHOUT. Dinner Thyme offers a wide ranger of consulting and education programs to give your business a boost! Cheers, and have a great weekend!
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