Whether you’re opening your very first location or considering a rebranding effort, strong restaurant branding is more crucial to your bottom line than ever.
Be Unique. Be Different. Stand Out: Due to the saturation of messaging and offers bombarding us today, creating a restaurant brand that stands out from the crowd can be a tricky proposition. In an environment of dining satiety, an eatery must differentiate its name and reputation in order to grow sales.
Three Tips to Getting Noticed:
Avoid the temptation to follow current trends
Establish a unique and appealing concept
Reinforce your brand through clear, unified messaging
Human nature dictates that consumers want to think of your brand in relation to one key feature. For example:
Jimmy John’s “freaky fast” delivery
Buffalo Wild Wings’ success based on one delicious food
Rainforest Cafe’s now-famous experiential dining
Ask yourself what you want that feeling to be, once everyone agrees with it, paint this on the walls of your office. Tattoo it on your wrists. Let it be the guiding light of the business.
Forming a Brand Strategy
Be “unique, significant and transformative enough to build a business around.
Choose a concept that’s rational but has an emotional element
Pick a concept that’s achievable
Consider an appropriate tone for your branding. Fun or serious. Quirky or conservative. High-end or highly affordable.
Determine symbols that might be incorporated to set the stage for your brand
Be Original. Be the first one to market with a distinctive idea
Make sure your employees understand the primary message of your brand, and their role in living up to its premise
Once your brand is launched, gather data to learn how it’s being perceived by customers. While a strong restaurant branding and strategy can provide you with ideas for marketing directly to your ideal customers, strategies aren’t meant to last forever. As you gather data on everything from your customers to the best dishes on your menu, be ready to change your marketing strategy to better address the needs and concerns of your customers.