Restaurant Trade Area Research

Recently, I found this to be of great help to a particular client who uses my consulting. Indeed, I’d be happy to come to your market and fashion the same type of system for your FF unit too.

The first thing I’d like to do in this post - is the ranking of `customer purchaser types’. And, first and foremost, the #1 type of customer is the LARGE transaction customer - the one that spends over 150% more than the average transaction - (typically a three or more party size - but, we are NOT worried about the size of the party, only the transaction total). Now, the specific marketing opportunity you want to offer for ANY of the `customer types’ - are the customers who are NOT using any incentives (coupons or programs) for THIS purchase. IF they are already `bouncing back’ - that is just what we want to see or develop. Examples of the approach I suggest will be found in this post.

#2 Customer type - Full price, big sandwich, combo. Yes, of course, the vanishing bread and butter customer - vital to the bottom line of most FF’s.  — IF you are not using my `full’ method (of asking certain customers how often they use YOUR unit - or - how many days since last visit) and lack knowledge of this customers frequency — it is vital to `market’ the idea of the `3 visit’ combo club (my suggestion to have an actual effective campaign for these folks is 3 visits).

#3 Customer type - Full price, multi-product purchaser. These are the folks who don’t get a drink - or skip the fries - or are buying for multiple people but not going the combo route. The marketing strategy for these parties is to `target the product not purchased’. For example, you have an order for two sandwiches and two fries - no drink — for that order, the bounceback is a coupon for a greatly discounted drink on the next purchase (or a discounted dessert or side if those are what’s missing).

#4 Customer Type - Full price, single product purchase only. To these customers - offer either a straight (say 10%) small discount on next purchase - or a `real value’ combo coupon (beyond normal pricing). These types of customers often fit into the various `clubs’ I have talked about in the past as yet another marketing opportunity - ie: - `drink club’ `dessert club’ etc.

#5 Customer Type - Value price (ie:dollar menus, etc), multi-product purchases. Market with significant combo coupon (to trade out of the lower priced items) or `frequency club’ targeting with VERY SMALL reward.

#6 Customer Type - Value price - single product. Again, market with significant combo coupon, or, specific discounted full price item, and GREAT service.

Now, the above is just ONE of my many ideas of how to market to your real existing customer base. And, obviously, is not with details that I’d fill you in with if you were a client.

Another of my favorites is the occasional - cross promotion - such as promoting a weekend coupon to your evening weekday customers - who share the same Trade Area often.

Find out more about my services at 678-467-8650 (cell) -> leave a message if you do not reach me directly and I will call you back.

As I’ve mentioned in the last few posts - the customer frequency of your customer base is the number one attribute of concern to your fast food restaurant. And, if you want your customer base to `listen’ to your promotions - perhaps it is time to treat them like a `listener’ to your channel/brand. One that they can be `loyal’ to (as I mentioned in the last post) - one they are connected with - involved with.

Indeed, it might be time in this new era of the Great Recession - to use one of the old standards of giveaways that radio used for decades to `maintain’ and grow listenership - and that is — give away LOCAL MONEY. Literally at the store level. To `listeners’ (customers) who followed the `promotion’ for entry.

So, for `drink-only, drive-thru’ customers - that meant using `their’ Drink Only `clubcard’ (which had a discount for drinks two and three) twice more for a chance at entry in the `monthly customer loyalty drawing’. Other folks would be turning in their `nite-owl’ cards with a similar idea to forming a (sub) brand loyalty - or a breakfast club.

Likewise, operators need to reach out to other - mainstream frequency programs - and use them in the same manner; (such as combo club, sandwich club, dessert club, or all milkshake purchases today get entry, etc.) - all for a chance to enter the LOCAL `money giveaway’. Indeed, the chance to `win’ 100 or 200 bucks - EVERY month - will stay in the customers mind.

Winners will be `announced’ on the outside reader board (giving customers a reason to read it at other times too) and inside too. The drawing will be LIVE in the store - creating an event. The winner will be posted on a winners board for all to see. JOE SMITH - 200 DOLLAR WINNER - COMBO CLUB CUSTOMER.

In the meantime, the `entries’ (the club cards with E-Mail addresses or phone numbers/addresses) will provide you with a usable custom marketing base for your selected marketing efforts. For your new loyal `audience’.