Advertising

QSR Marketing Al Ries Style—”Stop Following the Leader!”

Al Ries reminds us that just because the McGaints are utilizing one strategy that seems to be effective, that is not necessarily the only way to be a successful player in the QSR market.

Al Ries is a legendary branding strategist, bestselling author and originator of the concept of Positioning. If you took any marketing classes, or have read any marketing books, chances are you have read one of the 10 or so books Al Ries has written such as, The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing, Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind, or seen one of his many articles in Ad Age.

QSR marketing is one of his topics from time to time, and Al offers a perspective on how to compete against the McGiants. (more…)

4 Ways QSR Marketers Can Increase the Shelf Life of Food Photography

Increasing the shelf life (or service life) of your food photography can dramatically reduce its cost.

You don’t need a calculator to compare the cost of a shot that lasts one year, to the cost of a shot that lasts 5-10 years. If you’re a regional QSR, that can make big difference to your bottom line.

Here are 4 easy ways to make sure your shots have a long shelf life: (more…)

5 Tips for More Effective QSR Marketing Point of Purchase

Only 13% of consumers even glance at your point of purchase (POP). Here’s what you can do about it.

Visual confusion seems to be the primary issue reducing POP engagement, according to Dr. Hugh Phillips, author and internationally recognized expert on the cognitive psychology of shopping.

In a recently released book entitled Marketing at Retail, Phillips argues that the net effectiveness of POP at retail drops below 10%, to around 6-8%, when you factor in poor design and store-level installation compliance—sobering statistics, considering the investment QSRs make in POP.

Fortunately, Phillips offers 5 tips to improve your customer POP engagement: (more…)

POP Design—The Quick QSR Marketing Transaction Booster

4 proven elements of effective POP design–that are rarely followed.

I’m sure you’ve noticed. Everyone from the CEO to the mailroom clerk is an expert on POP design. Why? Because it’s easy to change. “Add this here. Make this bigger. Make that smaller. Oh, and add this too.” But there is one word that describes perfect POP design—Simple. That’s it. Simple. Think about it. You’re really working with simple elements—a product and many times a price. The real thinking and focus in POP design are the following 3 points: (more…)

5 Advantages of Motion Control Food Footage for Greater QSR Marketing Impact

Create shots you can’t get any other way, and simplify editing.

Tight food shooting is unforgiving. It’s virtually impossible to capture a pour of syrup across pancakes, then move over to the eggs and then to a cup of coffee with a camera operator and a jib arm that tracks the movement in a single shot. That kind of movement requires on-the-fly adjustments to focus, lighting and effects like steam or drizzle. For a camera operator, it’s like patting your head and rubbing your belly while riding a unicycle—it’s hard to sustain. (more…)

Using the Bowman Media Model to Optimize Your QSR Marketing Mix

There is a better way to predict the effectiveness of your media marketing mix.

It’s not the end-all. Nothing is. But the Bowman Media Modeling technique provides 3 tremendous benefits:

It greatly eliminates the subjectivity in the media mix. You can now quantify your recommendations.
It provides better ROI.
It allows you to better forecast the results of changes to the marketing mix and promotions.

(more…)

Winning at Breakfast QSR Marketing

10 Steps that will increase your breakfast sales against the McGiants.

For the past three years, breakfast is the only daypart that has seen increases according to NPD research. And QSRs account for about 80% of those breakfast visits. So if you want to grow your transactions, you have to win at breakfast. And you have to win against the McMassive resources of McDonald’s, Taco Bell and Burger King. Here are the 3 encouraging facts that usually hold true for QSRs: (more…)

Studies Show Creativity Increases Your Ad Budget and Improves Your QSR Marketing

3 studies prove creativity will increase your ad effectiveness and budget.

You have to have the best analytics possible to plan and forecast your marketing.

But what about the human element? You also have to understand consumer behavior and emotion on top of all that math. Take a second to think about the ads that attract your attention, that you remember, that you talk about. They have something in common: They are the creative ones. (more…)

5 Ways QSR Marketers Can Control TV Production Costs

Just knowing a few questions to ask and who to ask can lead to significant TV production savings.

When you’re a regional QSR, getting to develop a creative commercial is fun. Getting the estimate…not so much.

First, there’s the shock of seeing the total cost. Then, there’s the shock of getting the 16-page estimate you asked to see with endless line items and terms you don’t understand—key grip, craft service, lens kit, etc. Do we need all that? (more…)

The Oft Overlooked 900lb “Guerrilla” for QSR Marketing

For regional brands, Guerrilla Marketing can be your breakthrough media.

Most regional brands don’t have the store penetration in a given market to go toe-to-toe with the McGiants’ media budgets. And even if you focus your budget on a single medium to try to breakthrough, your pockets still aren’t deep enough. That’s when Guerrilla Marketing can make up the difference. There are 3 keys to developing good Guerrilla Marketing: (more…)

Slaying the McGiants

The Regional QSR’s Marketing Guide to Winning Transactions