Coupons: Coupons are HIGHLY overrated. HIGHLY. There are two kinds of buyers in this world: Situational and Relational. Situational Buyers spend money when the situation is right, i.e.: when they have a coupon. Relational Buyers show up because they have a relationship with you. Relational Buyers are what you need to survive. Relational Buyers are Norm and Cliff from Cheers. They show up every single day with full-price money (plus heavy tips) because they have a relationship with you, your restaurant and your staff. "But I track my ads with coupons." No you don't. You track your Situational Buyers with coupons. Pretty soon, those Situational Buyers will demand a bigger and better coupon. Then they'll want more and more and more. Don't fall into that cycle. You may have seen a downward spiral like that in real life: they're called drug addicts. That's why we call coupons "the crack of advertising." The truth is that tracking ads is by and large a myth. It's nearly impossible to do accurately and anyone who tries to tell you otherwise is a Salesperson, not a Marketing expert. If you're only tracking coupons, you're also only tracking print ads. Sure, Sales Reps will tell you to say things in your ad like, "Mention this ad and receive ten percent off your next meal!" Have you ever stopped a server and said, "Oh yeah, and um... I heard your radio ad... so, um, I'd like the ten percent off... please." Yeah - me neither. There are different ways to track ads, but most are honestly unreliable at best. Suffice it to say that television is the king of advertising, so if you can get on TV with Local Saute for the same cost as a print ad, your answer is,"Duh."
Demographic: This is your Target Audience. This is the most-likely individual you think will come into your restaurant. This requires a homework exercise: think of the absolute, most-likely customer who will come into your restaurant, fall in love with the food, the decor, et al, and will be your faithful customer forever. Who is your Norm and Cliff from Cheers? Picture that person in your mind and get to know that person intimately. Break that person down as far as you can: is it a man or woman? what age? what nationality? what kind of work does s/he do, if any? does s/he have kids? how many? how old? how much money does that person make per year? how much money does his/her spouse make? what kind of car did s/he arrive in? does s/he drink? is s/he college educated? is s/he a CEO, a cubicle jockey or a grunt? is s/he a life-long local or a transplant?... Think of EVERY question about that person that you possibly can, and I mean EVERY question. Write it all down on a piece of paper and lock it away in your head forever. Then find out how to best reach that person and BOMBARD that demographic with constant messages about your restaurant. That person will show up, and everyone like that person will show up. Then they'll go and tell their friends who are just like them to show up, too. Then they'll bring more and more people and so on and so on. Build an unshakeable foundation of dedicated, faithful customers who will love your restaurant unconditionally forever and you'll do very well. |
