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Here’s How Vegans Affect your Restaurant

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Visualize this: a group of five friends, one who is vegan. The group is debating which new restaurant they should try. Chances are, they’ll decide on a restaurant that has vegan options (if they’re decent friends). And there you have it, vegan selections have become the deciding factor for new business.

Keeping Up with the Vegans

Keeping up with trends is vital in every industry, but especially in the fast-paced, survival-of-the-most-mouthwatering, restaurant business. To understand the latest trends, you must listen to your guests’ needs. Gaining feedback can be simple, but using it is another story. For many chefs, it’s difficult to alter menu items based on other’s opinions. This is especially true when it comes to the vegan customer. You may not love vegan dishes, but your business will benefit from being vegan-friendly. The cliché is correct: the (vegan) customer is always right.

According to a 2017 report by GlobalData, “six percent of the U.S. population identifies as vegan, compared to one percent in 2014.”  This 500% increase is no coincidence. Individuals ranging from 18 to 80 are choosing a vegan or vegetarian diet, also known as plant-based diets. (Although referred to as diets, which are often viewed as temporary, vegetarian and vegan diets are almost always long-term, lifestyle choices). These lifestyle choices are mainly due to economic, environmental, and health-related factors, but that’s another blog.

Interestingly enough, many people can’t differentiate between a vegan and a vegetarian diet. So first and foremost, we must get these diets straight.

Seeing Through the Confusion

Vegetarianism:

A vegetarian breakfast

A diet containing no meat…at all. No red meat, chicken, turkey, or pork. Vegetarians don’t even eat fish unless they consider themselves a pescatarian. They will, however, eat eggs, butter, and other dairy products.

Veganism:

Almond milk An even more restrictive diet than the vegetarian, the vegan does not consume any animal products. From eggs to milk, to honey- they do not eat anything containing ingredients from another living thing. The number of substitutions for animal products is increasing; items like almond milk, coconut yogurt, and cashew cheese can replace traditional ingredients.

For example, The Impossible Burger has taken the nation by storm. 190 restaurants in Florida have the plant-based burger on their menu as well as 3,000+ restaurants across the U.S, Hong Kong, and Macau. Impossible Foods continues to partner with restaurants and fast food chains as everyone catches on to the profit potential.

Now that we’re clear on the two plant-based diets and their significance, we can begin to understand how restaurants must alter their dishes to cater to these customers…and why they should. In a city that’s full of restaurants, it has become increasingly difficult to thrive. Offering a variety of menu options for every audience is key to remaining popular and profitable.

Getting Your Menu Right

If your only vegan options include a side of broccoli and a cup of mushroom soup, you’re doing it wrong. You’ll need at least one or two vegan entree options. Consider creating a smaller, vegan/vegetarian menu to make plant-based diners feel welcome. If you don’t want to dedicate precious menu space to solely vegan meals, give options that are modifiable. Plant-based burgers (like The Impossible Burger) are good vegan substitutes for any meat-based dish, just be conscious to use olive oil instead of butter when cooking.

Your menu doesn’t have to go entirely from grass-fed beef to grass itself, but versatility is an enormous factor in customer acquisition and retention. Just because you don’t enjoy vegan dishes doesn’t mean they won’t benefit your brand and bottom line.

If you want to stay in the know, sign up for our E-newsletter. If you want assistance crafting or promoting a vegan-friendly menu, contact us at Absolute Marketing Solutions.

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Phoebe

A recent graduate from the University of Tampa, Phoebe brings an understanding of journalism, PR, advertising & branding to the Absolute team. Her extensive customer service and cross-cultural communication experiences give her insights into various perspectives.

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Discussing Digital Marketing Acronyms

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Have you heard the terms SEO, SEM, or PPC being used casually in a business meeting or conversation? It’s easy to nod along, never admitting that you don’t know what these acronyms mean. That’s okay. We’ve compiled a list that explains what these basic marketing terms, so you can feel empowered to use them and make informed business decisions. 

seo_acronym

SEO 

SEO stands for search engine optimization. Effective SEO gradually improves the online visibility of a website or brand through organic, or unpaid, results. SEO involves processes like keyword research and link building. A focused SEO strategy can increase the quality and quantity of incoming traffic to certain website pages. Google, Yahoo, and Bing are the most significant search engines in western countries and they operate using algorithms that calculate what and how to display the most relevant search results. These algorithms change frequently, and it’s essential to work with an SEO specialist who stays informed of these developments. Failing to adhere to updates can negatively impact a website’s visibility. 

In the past, devious individuals learned to bypass and shortcut the ranking process through what we call “Black Hat” aka Spamdexing techniques – such as buying links from link farms, keyword stuffing in pages, hiding words in invisible fonts, and other deliberate manipulations of search engine indexes. Search engines like Google caught onto this pretty quickly and started penalizing websites who weren’t playing by the rules. At Absolute, we deploy genuine strategies to develop effective organic marketing that will generate qualified leads for our clients. 

If you want to learn more, visit our page to read about our services and our successes in building SEO strategies for our clients in Tampa Bay and beyond. 

SEM 

On the other end of the digital marketing spectrum, we have SEM: search engine marketing. SEM includes paid placements, banner advertisements, or anything using Google AdWords which can generate positive results for businesses and brands. Paid activities in the digital marketing world include PPC, CPC, or CPA ads – don’t panic, we’ll explain in a second. 

SEM can be a powerful marketing tool for brand awareness and lead generation. Depending on the industry landscape, the efforts of competitors, and the cost of ads, we recommend a targeted SEM campaign to complement ongoing SEO and maintain momentum for your business. 

search_engine_marketing

PPC 

PPC stands for pay-per-click, a popular form of paid advertising via Google AdWords and other third-party platforms. These ads allow you to set a limit for the amount you’ll pay per click. This makes it easy to forecast how many clicks you’ll receive within your allotted budget. 

PPC is a powerful tool because you can bid for high placements and get an immediate return on investment (ROI). Ads appear above organic search results, and users are highly motivated to click them since they’re often searching for a specific product, service, or answer. 

CPC 

CPC means cost per click; every time an ad gets clicked, it costs money. CPC tells advertisers the exact price of each click on a particular ad. 

After running a campaign, you’ll be able to see the average CPC and then test variables such as keyword selection, ad copy, position in the ad space, and other factors accordingly. Keep in mind that depending on your competition, keywords can be expensive. For instance, a personal injury attorney or an insurance company should expect to pay double, if not triple, for a single click on their ad compared to niche companies.  

CPA 

CPA can be a useful form of advertising for a business owner who is focused on how much a new customer costs to acquire. The acronym stands for cost-per-acquisition and refers to exactly that: the cost to get a new customer.  

Search Engine Land conducted an extensive study in 2016 and published an article outlining the industry averages for CPA by analyzing more than 2,000 clients in all verticals. They found that the average CPA in AdWords across all industries was $59.18 for Search and $60.76 for display. The CPA’s across industries varied greatly, however, with legal services being a top CPA industry at a whopping $135.17. For more industry benchmarks, check out their article here. 

CPM 

If you want to venture into paid advertising, another option you have is to go with CPM as a cost model. As opposed to CPC, where you pay each time someone clicks on your ad, CPM stands for cost per mille (one thousand impressions). You set a budget based on how much you want to pay to have your ad shared with one thousand viewers, readers, or listeners.

CTR 

You may have heard of marketers talking about CTR, which stands for click-through rate. It’s typically expressed as a percentage because it represents the number of users who clicked on an ad compared to the number of users who solely saw the ad. For example, if you created an ad on Facebook that reached 12,000 people, and 120 people clicked, then your CTR would be 1%. 

Many of our clients ask “what is a good CTR?” however, that question is highly subjective. The higher, the better, but it will vary based on industry and competition. In a study conducted by Wordstream, the average CTR in AdWords is 1.91% on the search network, and 0.35% on the display network. For more information about average CTR’s by industry, visit the guide here.

CTA 

In the marketing world, CTA stands for call to action. This is a specific instruction given to your reader. It may encourage calling, clicking, buying, or subscribing. Successful CTAs rely on the persuasiveness and quality of the copy, the value of the promotion, and the price. Make sure to work with an experienced copywriter to develop powerful CTAs.  

MoM 

No, MoM has nothing to do with your mother, or how she may or may not be made of money. MoM is a key performance indicator (KPI) that stands for month-over-month. MoM can be a measure of growth, market traction, business expansion, or any other rates of change. It’s a particularly useful metric for businesses and organizations that are based on monthly subscriptions or memberships.  

If you’re still perplexed, contact the marketing team at Absolute Marketing Solutions. Starting with a free consultation, we’ll put together a strategy to help your business achieve digital success. Call us today at (813) 908-6862. 

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4 Preventative Measures Can Curb Restaurant Turnover

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It’s Friday night and your best server is nowhere to be found. He worked earlier, but never returned from his break. You have called him repeatedly and his phone goes straight to voicemail. You’ve always depended on this server. He works long hours, double shifts, and rarely complains. Your stomach drops. Has he been overworked?

Frustrated restaurant manager Sound familiar? It should. Restaurant managers are dealing with this situation on an increasing basis. “The turnover rates for hourly and supervisory-level restaurant employees climbed in April 2018 to the highest levels in decades, leaving three out of four places constantly understaffed” according to Restaurant Business Online. There are officially more restaurants than ever before, but fewer employees to staff them.

Restaurant employees often quit on a whim, without warning. There are various reasons ranging from: not a good fit, willy-nilly scheduling, inadequate training, poor leadership, and the list goes on. Here is more information on the ‘why’ behind restaurant turnover. The bottom line is, when employees leave, a ripple effect of disorder ensues. The rush to hire and train new staff can result in negative customer experiences and brand damage. Although complete elimination of turnover may not be possible, you can reduce it if you apply these four fundamental concepts:

1. Find the Right People for the Job

You’re often pressured to hire fast, but if the applicant is not suitable for your restaurant, you will be faced with repercussions. If possible, be patient when hiring new employees and hire smart, not fast. Call references and pay attention to their resume. Ask yourself: “Is this applicant a job-hopper?” Ask them about their intentions to gain insights into whether or not they are just looking for a few months of work or a permanent employment opportunity. When hiring, it’s also important to consider your restaurant culture. The candidate may superficially seem like a good fit, but are they the best fit for your team and brand?

2. Shake Things Up with a Rotating Schedule

Your employees are more than just their ID numbers. They are human beings who lead dynamic lives: whether they’re juggling school, family, or both, managers must understand that the restaurant is not their only obligation. According to Inc., “vacation helps the entire company–from the employee’s mental state and productivity, to the company’s bottom line.” All employees need time to rest and re-focus, so refrain from scheduling someone on four back-to-back double shifts. Whether your employees are burnt-out, or in need of more shifts, keeping a fair, rotating schedule is in everyone’s best interest. If your employees know you will work with them, they will be more willing to work with you.

3. Consistency Breeds Confidence and Loyalty

There is nothing more frustrating than a boss who trains his/her employees haphazardly. Training is crucial to the success of your business. Make it a priority to do it right. Maintain a standard protocol for orientation and integration for all new hires. Nothing sends an employee running faster than disorganized and disconnected leadership. Teach your employees what you want them to know and then proctor a written test that focuses on restaurant concepts, customer service, and menu items to certify that each server is prepared before starting on the floor. This guarantees optimal customer experiences from new team members. Even after the completion of training, continue to teach your staff new skills to peak interest and foster consistent engagement. They will feel empowered and loyal to your brand.

4. Reciprocity Makes a Difference

Treat others as you want to be treated is more than an adage, it is a key to business success. According to Forbes, approximately two out of every three employees feel underappreciated and 66% of employees will leave their job if they feel taken for granted. Among Millennials, those numbers jump as high as 76%. Appreciating your employees goes far beyond pay. To ensure employee retention, managers must regularly recognize efforts, offer support and positive reinforcement. Consider honoring an employee of the month with a reward or giving an anonymous, monthly survey to see if your employees feel that they are treated well. Most importantly, never underestimate the power of a “thank you.”

Even if you do everything right, turnover will still occur. However, focusing on hiring, training, scheduling, and employee management will help you keep your staff and your customers satisfied and coming back regularly.

We hope this will be useful to you when it comes to staffing and overcoming high turnover rates. If you’d like to receive more information about this topic, sign up for our newsletter. If your restaurant reputation has been damaged and you’re looking for digital marketing assistance, contact us at Absolute Marketing Solutions for brand management consulting.

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The Restaurant Turnover Rate Explained

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Now Hiring It’s busy season in your restaurant, but you’ve lost several servers this month, and you can’t figure out why. You’re not the only one; according to Restaurant Business Online, the turnover rates for hourly-level restaurant employees climbed to the highest level in decades as of April 2018. There are various internal and external factors that contribute to the cycle of employee loss. The first step in solving a problem is recognizing that there is one. Understanding the reasons for turnover will help you maintain a full staff and smoothly operate your business.

THE STUDENT REVOLVING DOOR

The restaurant industry is the leading employer of teenagers and students. According to National Restaurant Association, one-third of all working teenagers in the U.S. are employed in a restaurant and 27% of all food and beverage employees are enrolled in school. Students often work in the hospitality industry as a way to earn fast cash before they graduate. In fact, students rarely work full-time while they are pursuing their college degree. This could cause conflict between the employer and employee due to changes in school and work schedules. As a restaurant manager, it is necessary to understand the likelihood of losing student employees.

COMPETING FOR RESOURCES

Turnover rates increase when the economy is doing well. This is due to a higher number of opportunities at other restaurants and businesses. You’re not just competing for customers anymore, but for valuable workers. Forbes labels a strong economy as a catalyst for high employee turnover. “More jobs mean more choice for workers looking for the right company fit. When an organization no longer seems like a good match, an employee is more likely to move on.”

EMPLOYEE TREATMENT

Long hours, low pay, little recognition, and poor work culture can contribute to high turnover rates. If you’re not paying any attention to employee’s states-of-mind, they’re likely to leave. Recognizing that each employee has a life outside of the restaurant is crucial in keeping them around. Make it a habit to inquire about your employees’ family, school, or hobbies. Know what your staff is doing outside of the restaurant and show that you care about their work-life balance. Understanding their outside life is important, but creating an engaging internal culture is just as vital. The New York Times reports that “employees are engaged when they feel productive, think they are contributing to their company’s mission, have trust and confidence in their managers and are given the opportunity to grow and advance — not necessarily by climbing the corporate ladder, but by learning new skills.” Creating a valuable company culture isn’t easy, so we’ll be posting another blog soon that explains how to do so.

THE REASON COULD BE THE SEASON

Some employees leave with the seasons. The National Restaurant Association reports that there are more than 500,000 restaurant jobs added in the summer… up North that is. In Florida, summer is the slow season. Fewer customers mean fewer tips: a server’s worst nightmare. Regardless of where you live, during off-seasons, front-of-the-house staff suffer and may seek employment in another industry.

Although you don’t have control over economic and seasonal issues, you can prevent losing employees by becoming familiar with the risks and providing a supportive, inviting company culture. Read more about some of the ways you can curb turnover rates here.

To keep up to date on trends that can affect your restaurant, sign up for our newsletter. If you need help marketing your restaurant or repairing your brand, contact us at Absolute Marketing Solutions.

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8 Necessary Elements for Successful Logo Design

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We are surrounded, from the second we wake until the time we lay back down, by logos. Not only do we look at them, but we interact with them on our phones, computers, and tablets. You may not always notice, but they are always present… and the ones you do notice stand out for a reason. Logos can project a powerful message, often without a single word. But how do certain logos convey meaning, grab attention, and stand the test of time while others are overlooked and soon forgotten? Our graphic designer, Chelsea Pence, gets to the bottom of this by delving into the processes and considerations behind notable logo design.

1. Why Are Logos Important?

“People often choose products based on their perceived value rather than their actual value” (Logo Love). A logo is often a consumer’s first interaction with a company, so it needs to be not only memorable, but compelling enough to convey the company’s branding and philosophy all in one. Your logo is a literal reflection of your company. When done right, logos will transmit values, ideas, and emotions to your intended audience.

2. How Do You Get Started?

Begin by talking to your client and hearing their needs. Learn about their branding goals and the image they want to establish. You want to know everything about the company that you can. What are their strengths and goals? How do they define their brand and what is their company culture like? Who is their target audience? Once you have a thorough understanding, sit down with the client to agree on a budget and deadline. From there, sketch and sketch some more. Try mind-mapping (visually organizing) your ideas. Put every possible idea onto paper and then hone it down to a few possibilities that you will further develop.

Logo Brainstorming

3. Are There Any ‘Must-Have’ Design Requirements?

All logos are different; there aren’t many widespread requirements, but the best logos are simple and recognizable. We all know the typeface for Coca-Cola, and the Nike “swoosh”, and what those images represent. Every logo is unique but every client requires different branding, so it’s important to know the design rules like a master. Once you get down to the process, you will make better looking sketches and have a better final result.

4. How Do You Choose Typeface + Color?

The optimal strategy when handling elements of style is to consider the form and font first, by working in black and white. It is crucial for your logo to be readable without color, however, colors are very important as they are tied to cultural and emotional values. There is much thought that goes into deciding what colors to use since this aspect most noticeably gives meaning to your design.

5. What Does the Rest of the Process Entail?

Oftentimes you and the client won’t see eye-to-eye about the design or process, so it’s important to immediately establish what the expectation will be. Make sure you know your point of contact, and if a committee will be involved in the final decision, so you’ll know how to communicate properly. Help your clients; make sure you’re able to explain the design process in-depth to all decision-makers and keep them involved as well. A good rule of thumb: always under-promise, and over-deliver. Being able to hit your deadlines and communicate clearly is key to a healthy client relationship. This process depends on communication and trust. You’re still questioning and checking with your client regularly, but it’s important to establish a good relationship from the get-go so that your client will trust you and give you enough creative freedom with the design process.

6. How Long Does the Entire Process Take?

It can take anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks to design a solid logo. Creating something from your client’s concepts is hard work and can often be time-consuming because of the back-and-forth communication. The best designers stick to rigid schedules and let their client know up-front what the process entails before starting the project.

7. What Happens if You Get Stuck?

No matter what, don’t look at too many other logos if you get stuck. Avoid the comparing mind, or you’ll wind up confused and discouraged. It is always good to have inspiration, but the best ideas come from intuition. It generally goes back to understanding the desired brand identity and your client’s target audience, so don’t be afraid to ask additional, clarifying questions. When in doubt, put a pencil to paper.

8. Is it a Good Idea to Buy a Logo Online?

The problem with quick and easy $5 logo sites is that you won’t receive the detailed thought that fuels the creation of a genuinely representative and artistic logo. A logo purchased online will usually be clip art from a stock image company, or at best some amateur work that today’s consumers will not give a second glance. Always choose to work with a trained graphic designer who can deliver quality work rather than using a random website.

A unique logo is a cornerstone of any prominent brand. Logos make up an international language that when designed properly, anyone can understand. Whether you are designing a logo from scratch or re-designing an outdated logo, the process is elaborate. A web-generated symbol will never make headlines or turn heads- it takes time, training, and a comprehensive understanding of the client to produce newsworthy results. If you need help designing or re-designing a logo, contact us at Absolute Marketing Solutions.

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Three Reasons Your Restaurant Should Embrace Employee Social Media Advocacy

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If you are like many restaurant owners, you know that your staff spends a great deal of time (hopefully off the clock) on social media. Yet if you are like most restaurant owners, you may not have considered how this behavior could have a positive impact on your business.

Restaurant owners have long understood the value and impact that word-of-mouth marketing can have on their bottom line. If a friend, colleague, or family member tells you about a good experience they had a local eatery, you are more likely to trust their opinion and may wish to try it as well.

In 2014, a study conducted by Verizon and Small Business Trends found that 85% of customers learn about a business through word-of-mouth. What’s even more surprising about this statistic is that when the study was first surveyed in 2005, the result was 83%.

By now, you likely know that social media presents an opportunity to leverage similar word-of-mouth recommendations and endorsements. However, there is one surprising social media tactic that is increasing in popularity: employee social media advocacy.

RELATED POST >> CONSIDERATIONS FOR ENFORCING A SOCIAL MEDIA ADVOCACY PROGRAM

What is Employee Social Media Advocacy?

Employee advocacy refers to the promotion of an organization by its employees. This can take many forms including email, chat, forums, discussion boards, but the most common and effective channel is social media. Assuming your employees care about your restaurant (and if they don’t then maybe they don’t need to be there) then they can be one of your biggest marketing assets.

According to Marketing Profs, employees are hiding their superpowers regarding what they can do for your brand. Some of the most staggering statistics include:

–    Content shared by employees receives eight times the engagement than content on branded channels

–    1000 employee advocates can reach 1 million customers, drive 50,000 social engagements, and create 5,000 unique pieces of content.

–    A 12% increase in brand advocacy can double revenue growth

(source: http://www.marketingprofs.com/chirp/2014/24740/unleash-the-superpowers-of-employee-advocates-infographic

Three Ways that Employee Social Media Advocacy Works

A bigger reach

If you consider that each employee may have eight or more social network accounts with a few hundred followers, you can begin to see the size of your employees’ social media footprint and the marketing reach it presents. Every chef, sous chef, server, bartender, and host has a personal social media network that could amount to thousands of potential customers within your reach, dramatically expanding the possibilities of peer-to-peer endorsement.

Trustworthy endorsements

A study found that an employee sharing company content on their newsfeed had 20 times more impact than a brand publishing on their page, for the reason that individuals are more likely to trust and believe content shared by another individual rather than a company or brand sharing it about themselves. The same applies to the real world. Would you be more likely to believe that Starbucks employees have high job satisfaction because Starbucks posted it on their corporate press page, or because your friend who works there shared the story on their wall?

Amplified messaging

Social media advocacy works in tandem with your corporate or brand messaging to have a synergistic effect. With your employees contributing to the conversations around your restaurant brand, it further emphasizes your own messaging because you are not the only one having the conversation. Use your employees and their existing social media networks to deliver messages about your products or services in a way that feels authentic, natural, and trustable. Not only could their posts be influential to potential customers, but social postings can spread company culture and can express your values, missions, and goals to their audience.

Build a social media advocacy army

One of the most significant benefits of using employee advocacy on social media is that its momentum can be self-sustained by your employees once they understand the policies that govern your social media presence. Social media marketing’s success is often tied to not only a regular stream of valuable, engaging content but in remaining consistent and spreading approved messages to enhance your brand’s reputation online. In this way, you can leverage social media advocacy by using your employee’s existing social behaviors to grow your brand’s online presence further.

At Absolute Marketing Solutions, we partner with restaurant owners to help educate and empower their staff and employees to devise a custom social media marketing strategy to accelerate growth and build a world-class brand experience.

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Miné Salkin

Miné Salkin is a multimedia producer with a specialty in marketing, tech writing and digital storytelling.

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Are your employees on social media? Here are some considerations for enforcing a social media advocacy program

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Getting your employees to become social media advocates can be a great way to amplify your reach and acquire new customers. According to Brandwatch, 1,000 employee advocates can reach 1 million customers, drive 50,000 social engagements, and create 5,000 unique pieces of content.

Consumers care deeply about endorsements made by their peers and will listen to their friends if they show love of a brand. However, your employees posting content about your restaurant on your behalf might make you nervous. In fact, the first thing you may have thought when reading this blog was, “doesn’t that put control of my brand into the hands of someone else?” Yes, and no. It has been said that branding is what people say about you after you’ve left the room, and in this way, having employees as social media advocates can be the biggest brand endorsement yet. You may own your restaurant, but your customers and your employees create your brand.

Concern: Your employees might not fully understand your restaurant brand identity.

Communicating brand messaging effectively while maintaining a personal tone is not a natural skill for everyone. If your employees’ posts sound forced or insincere in any way, it can harm your efforts. If an employee has a negative experience at their workplace and turns to social media to vent their frustrations, they could damage your reputation.

To solve this, set guidelines and put official processes in place to make sure how they understand how to use the tools responsively and tastefully. Make sure all your staff is on the same page about organizational goals and objectives, so you can all work as a team. Whether your organization decides to post about events, shout-outs, company milestones, individual achievements, or other topics, make sure your staff is trained on how to identify and publish content on their LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook channels.

Even if an employee at your restaurant or bar is a stellar bartender or server, they may still need some training on how to effectively express their views, share company content, and build the brand in a way that is aligned with your organization’s overall brand strategy. Having a weekly meeting to go over some of the topics on social media can help your employees feel confident about what they are posting and to ensure that a consistent message is being conveyed.

Concern: Your employees will spend time on their phones instead of working

While a Facebook live video might garner high engagement with your page’s fans, you don’t want your employees using every excuse to check their phone and spend their time on social media instead of focusing on the customers in your restaurant. Training and teaching your employees rules about deciding who, what, and when to post is of importance. Keep a content calendar with important dates visible, so that all your employees understand what’s on the social media menu.

Some restaurants and bars start out a social media advocacy program with a small select group of employees who demonstrate social media savvy, are energized, and passionate about their jobs. Identify and select a few employees at your restaurant to start with, who you know will take the added responsibility seriously and won’t let it get in the way of serving customers or performing other tasks.

Concern: Shares and posts from your employees will sound forced.

This is a huge concern for any brand that engages in a social media advocacy program, and for good reason. You do not want your employees to feel obligated to share content, because if they aren’t into it, it will likely sound insincere. Perhaps they don’t want their friends seeing them post updates about their work. Perhaps they don’t want their personal social life involved with work in any way. They may have different views about privacy in this regard and may elect to keep their social media away from their job.

Make sure when you hire employees that they are aware of the social media advocacy program. Communicate clearly what is expected. If people aren’t on board, do NOT make it mandatory participation. Instead, consider a social brand ambassador program that incentivizes employees to leverage their networks and achieve thought leadership amongst their peers.

For more information about leveraging social media advocacy for your restaurant or bar, contact us at Absolute Marketing Solutions today. We can help you identify concerns with social media employee advocacy and craft a custom solution that works to amplify and accelerate your restaurant’s visibility on social media.

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Miné Salkin

Miné Salkin is a multimedia producer with a specialty in marketing, tech writing and digital storytelling.

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What’s Your Restaurant Brand Personality?

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A brief, but definitive guide to determining what characteristics your restaurant brand has.

Brandpersonality is a set of characteristics, often human-like, that are attributed to brands. Having a well-defined and developed brand personality gives consumers the ability to relate to brands and develop an affinity for them over others.

Let’s say you own a sushi restaurant in SoHo. Most of your customers describe your décor as “authentic,” or “eclectic,” and the food is surprisingly delicious for such a modest storefront. Your servers are passionate about providing awesome customer service. It sounds like your restaurant may already have a brand personality defined, but do you know what it is?

Brand Personality Defined

A brand is often defined in the way it presents itself, the language it uses, and the way it behaves. Just like a human being, different personalities achieve differentiation amongst people. Imagine that a brand is a living person, Malcolm. Malcolm is sassy, funny, and very sharp – he has many friends and is liked by others who share his sense of humor – though not everyone appreciates his witty comments. His remarks about social media are popular with people in his age group, but younger and older people don’t really get it. By leveraging advertising, packaging, customer service, and all the other aspects that encompass a brand, a personality is expressed, just like how a person has characteristics that define them and set them apart from others.

If done successfully, your restaurant’s brand personality can increase the value of the brand overall by giving it a consistency that certain consumer segments or groups enjoy.

The 5 types of brand personality

In advertising and marketing, there are five defined personalities that work as a framework to describe a brand. Each dimension is divided into a set of facets that can add depth and complexity to a brand’s overall personality. The five types or dimensions of brand personality are generalized as:

Sincerity – being down to earth, wholesome, unpretentious. Just like the sushi restaurant we invented in this intro.

Excitement – spirited, rebellious, imaginative. Dick’s Last Resort is a chain known for its outrageous, surly employees who dish out plenty of sarcasm and insults to their patrons alongside their fare. Feeling sensitive today? Don’t eat there or you may leave in tears.

Ruggedness – tough, wild, untamed, weathered. Dinosaur BBQ, Outback Steakhouse, and Holy Hog come right to mind.

Sophistication – glamour, romance, intelligence. You’re a 4-star Michelin restaurant atop a high rise building in Manhattan. Your reservations are booked up months in advance.

Competence – responsible, efficient, reliable. Every time I walk into a Panera Bread, I always get the same vibe during my experience.

The five types of brand personality were developed as a framework created by Jennifer L. Aaker in the 1990’s at Stanford, who also concluded in her studies that brand personalities are also derived from what they caused consumers to believe and dream in an aspirational way. According to this model, ruggedness and sophistication are two brand personalities that speak the most to the consumers’ sense of aspiration.

Brand archetypes

BrandZ, a global brand equity platform, analyzed nearly 15,000 brands internationally and identified archetypes for brands that tended to perform better than others.

restaurant_brand_personalityFor instance, some of the most inspirational personality archetypes include the Explorer – brands such as Jeep, GoPro, and Red Bull encompass the philosophy that “where’s there’s a will, there’s a way.” Other successful archetypes that have a profound effect on consumers are the Hero archetype. Think of brands such as Nike, TAG Heuer, the brands that let consumers overcome obstacles, slay dragons, and bring out the best in themselves and others.

How to choose your restaurant brand personality

While you may aspire to have a certain brand personality or archetype, first understanding your audience and values is of paramount importance in defining your brand personality. As a restauranteur, you’re familiar with the power of your restaurant’s atmosphere. Your dining room is not just a place to buy and eat food. It’s an extension of your restaurant’s brand personality. Consider what your restaurant offers that truly distinguishes it from the rest, and how your audience perceives it.

Brand personality is the summation of all the consumer’s experiences with the brand. It is unique and long-lasting. To learn more about developing your restaurant brand personality, contact us at Absolute Marketing Solutions and discuss our Tampa brand identity and design services. We can help you shape your restaurant’s brand personality to achieve success in the highly competitive hospitality industry.

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Miné Salkin

Miné Salkin is a multimedia producer with a specialty in marketing, tech writing and digital storytelling.

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Has your restaurant been slammed by the Ripoff Report? Here’s what you should know

Posted on by absolute.admin3

EXTORTION!!!! SCAM!!! That’s how many describe the review site Ripoff Report. Ripoff Report is a for-profit website that many claim runs on the philosophy of being a BBB – “bad” business bureau. The website claims that it serves consumers by providing a platform for anonymous complaints. Having worked with numerous businesses that have been listed on Ripoff Report, I know the frustration that hardworking honest business owners feel when their reputation is being attacked online by anonymous sources. If this is the first time that you have been hit by a tarnishing review on the Ripoff Report, and you are looking for answers, then I hope this post proves helpful.

When you are listed on Ripoff Report, there are two unfortunate truths you must face immediately.

People Will See It  

Ripoff Report ranks very highly in Google’s search results and typically appears on the first page when a user searches for your business’ name.

Legal Action Won’t Likely Help

Despite dozens of lawsuits, very few, if any, reviews have ever been deleted from the website.

The founder of the Ripoff Report, Ed Magedson, has defended more than 100 defamation lawsuits since the website’s inception in 1998 – and has never lost a single case. Magedson describes his website as the following:

“The “Ripoff Report” serves people who are concerned about being cheated. This website allows people to be armed with the opinions, comments, and experiences of others like them so they can determine for themselves if they want to do business with certain listed companies or individuals.”

Unlike many review sites, Ripoff Report allows its review authors to remain anonymous by practicing the first amendment that free speech includes the right to remain anonymous.

What Can I Do?

Ripoff Report offers a limited number of ways for businesses to respond to a negative listing. One program called the “Ripoff Report Verified” to restore your business’ reputation, but because it is pay to play. Restaurant or business owners can go through the process to become a Verified Ripoff Report business, where they earn a badge and can display their comments above any other negative complaints. Ripoff Report insists that it is a trustworthy way for businesses to repair their reputation and would complement any other public relations strategy.

Regardless if you intend to play the Ripoff Report game and go through the verification process, there are activities you can engage it to mitigate the damages of a public relations crisis resulting from a devastating complaint or review from the website.

>>Related post: A guide to fake restaurant reviews, and what you can do about them 

That Sounds Like Extortion! Isn’t There More That I Can Do?

Step 1: Remain calm

The last thing you should do at this time is to make a hotheaded public statement about the reviewer, the review, or the Ripoff Report website itself. No matter how outrageous, false, or defamatory the review is, your reputation should suffer even more if you demonstrate anger, denial, or attempt to brush off the review. Analyze and examine the complaint, and investigate it thoroughly. Is it valid? Is it fake? Assemble a crisis management team to prepare approved statements and messaging should you be contacted by the media about the review.

>>Related post: How to handle the media during a PR crisis with former Fox 13 Consumer Lawyer Eric Seidel

Step 2: Issue a response

If the complaint made is a valid one, make a public response to them that shows you care about the customer’s experience and have every intention of making it right. Many restaurant owners must juggle between discerning fake reviews from legitimate ones, and their response to your earnest attempt to correct the situation will indicate which category their complaints falls under. Be sure to provide them with a phone number or customer service form so you can not only get more information about the incident but take the conversation offline and out of the Internet’s eye.

Step 3: Put your white hat on

In the search engine optimization world, “white hat” refers to all activities that are legitimately used to improve search rankings for websites, unlike black hat tactics which involve link farms and other shady practices.  Issue a PR release about something your restaurant or business is doing, perhaps donating to a charity, hosting a fundraiser, or another activity that is beneficial to the community. If you can generate positive comments from customers and get the attention of the press to cover your story, you will suppress the negative remarks from Ripoff Report and move them further down the search results page.

Step 4: If it applies, consider arbitration or a lawsuit

A recent change to the Ripoff Report’s service is that it now offers a VIP (Voluntary, Impartial, Private) arbitration service which costs $2,000 to file a complaint if the statements are false and can be proven as such. You will need to provide evidence that the facts of the review were false, and there is no guarantee that the review will be removed, as Ripoff Report typically favors the consumer as it considers itself a platform for the public, not business owners.

However, if there are comments of a highly defamatory nature involving rape, violent crimes, or other accusations of that nature, you have the option of hiring a libel attorney to represent you. Your attorney will produce a court order to demonstrate the falsehood of the accusations, and if granted, Ripoff Report will remove the false statements.

(While the author is not an attorney, please bear in mind that this blog does not constitute legal advice. However, research has shown that attempting to sue Ripoff Report will get you nowhere, because it is protected by the first amendment and freedom of speech.)

Step 5: Hire an experienced marketing company to manage your reputation

If your business has been maligned by a negative review on Ripoff Report or elsewhere, you may consider hiring a team of digital experts to monitor, maintain, and manage your online reputation. While it may seem like the end of the world when a customer tears your restaurant apart online, these comments are opportunities to turn your haters into advocates. Contact Absolute Marketing Solutions if you need help repairing, managing, or elevating your restaurant or business’ reputation. We’ll start with a free digital audit and devise a strategy to make you in full control of your brand.

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Miné Salkin

Miné Salkin is a multimedia producer with a specialty in marketing, tech writing and digital storytelling.

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