Posted by Jeff Schacher on Mon, Jul 27, 2009 @ 02:05 PM
In an effort of full disclosure, I will admit that I love to eat at Johnny Rockets and I used to be a Broadway wannabe.
I was very intrigued by the new Johnny Rockets campaign.
They are partnering with the studio behind the new "Fame" movie and
promoting a talent contest called "FAME National Talent
Search." They are encouraging their guests to show their talents either
at contests in Six Flags theme parks, or guests can submit videos on
myspace.
I like this new campaign for a few reasons:
- It pairs food with entertainment - Some of my best
meals have only been heightened by the music playing. From burger
joints to steak houses, the ambiance created through thoughtful music,
decor, menu design, and food presentation makes a memorable impression
when done right. Food at any level can be creative and artistic and is
made even better by pairing it with other artists.
- It fits their brand - For any unfortunate souls
that haven't experienced Johnny Rockets, it's a 50's style malt shop
with burgers and fries. To me that says Americana. And like it or not,
America has been devouring talent shows like American Idol, America's
Got Talent, and So You Think You Can Dance for several years now. We
like to watch the underdog with a dream have a chance to rise to
stardom.
- It's unique - Now there's nothing unique about a
restaurant franchise partnering with a film studio, but this
partnership is certainly different. I suspect that they hope to use
social media to bring together a community to help judge the talent.
While it's not a campaign to bring people in the door per se, I do
think it's a great way to insert their brand into new conversations
online and elsewhere.
Time will tell if this is successful, but I have a hunch it will work out well for them.
Posted by Jeff Schacher on Mon, Mar 30, 2009 @ 11:15 AM
I saw
this on NRN this morning.
The World Wildlife Fund is asking individuals, businesses, governments
and organizations around the world to turn off all electric lights for
“Earth Hour” from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. local time on Saturday. The
largely symbolic gesture is designed as a way to show support for
efforts toward environmental sustainability and planetary good health.
So my first thought was... do restaurants really care about global
warming or do restaurants care about their guests who care about global
warming? The tough thing about the restaurant industry is that it's
hyper-local. The people eating in your dining room are your neighbors
in most cases. Large chains have a challenge to be both local and
widespread in appealing to their guests, but at the end of the day it's
all about attracting your neighbors.
What better way to attract your neighbor than clinging on to an issue
that your neighbor cares about? But then you have to figure out a way
to let your neighbor know you're supporting it.
It's easy for the big chains...
McDonald’s restaurants around the world, for example, are participating
in various ways, such as turning off their road signs, roof beam lights
and other non-essential lighting, both inside and outside units. The
giant McDonald’s advertising sign in London’s Piccadilly Circus will be
switched off for the hour, which will be preceded with a countdown
timer to Earth Hour promoting the event.
But even the independents can get in on it...
The Pyramid Restaurant at The Fairmont Dallas, for example, is
featuring a special four-course menu by candlelight for $45 including
cane-sugar gravlax made with sustainable farm-raised Scottish salmon,
grapefruit-lacquered quail, a wild boar chop with Texas Winery Cabernet
Sauvignon veal glaze, and limoncello cheesecake.
Taking a public stance or featuring a promotion on any issue can be risky, it has to be sincere and can't be too gimmicky.
Guests
can look at it two ways, they can be cynical and see the restaurant
promotion as a typical marketing ploy, but I think most will appreciate
the fact that their neighborhood restaurant is bringing attention to a
cause they support. But the ultimate success of any campaign will be
determined by how well a restaurant knows its neighbors.
Posted by Jeff Schacher on Wed, Jan 07, 2009 @ 04:01 PM
IHOP has cleverly unveiled it's "2009 Hungry Consumer Relief Plan".
They are inviting guests to enjoy their fill of All You Can Eat
Pancakes for $4.99
until February 22. This is a very creative marketing idea and embodies
the kind of thinking that every business should embrace. I think this
will be successful for them because it's "sticky".
Chip and Dan Heath
describe in their excellent book titled "Made to Stick" some criteria
that make marketing messages sticky and successful. They have to be:
- Simple - what's simpler than unlimited pancakes
- Unexpected - announcing a "2009 Hungry Consumer Relief Plan" is surprising
- Concrete - it's food
- Credibile - IHOP is a well-known national franchise
- Emotional - it's about feeding people in tough economic times (I also know some people who can get pretty emotional over food)
- Stories - depending on the success of the "in-store" experience, this is a story that many people would share
It'll be interesting to see how well it works.