While there’s no crystal ball, restaurants will, again, need to continue to change how they market to get – and keep – their customers’ attention in 2024.
And that probably shouldn’t be a shocker for any of us. I mean, we’re all restaurant customers ourselves. Breaking through the information clutter seems to be a herculean feat for any restaurant brand right now.
Let’s face it – a lot has changed in restaurant marketing in the last decade.
Long gone are the days of all marketing resources being spent on straight-up TV, radio, and outdoor advertising. Since 2012, we’ve experienced an ongoing shift from traditional media to engagement and experiential marketing – and let’s not forget a global pandemic. Now, fast-forward to 2023.
Social media. Earned media. Email marketing. Social influencer. OTT advertising. Online review management. We have many more tools in the marketing toolbox, and the all-paid media approach is yesterday’s news. There is, however, a mix of old school tactics making a comeback with some new twists for restaurants in 2024. For instance…
👉 Brand reputation promotion – building the trust bank…with “sponsored content”.
👉 Brand reputation protection – this time via social listening and online reviews.
👉 LSM (local store marketing) – guess what’s back, back again?
With 2024 around the corner, we’ll be sharing a three-part series over the next couple of months focused on why some of these old school tactics are worth adding to your mix again.
Stay tuned for what else we’re hearing about restaurant marketing in 2024. And, of course, feel free to message me on anything new – or new again – you’re seeing for the upcoming year.