More than anyone, you are aware of the effects the economy has had on your business. In the midst of an unprecedented second consecutive year of negative real sales, frequency of visits are down as much as 36 percent in some categories. The years 2008 and 2009 have produced significant restaurant closings, a loss of jobs and stagnant capital investment. Margins are under greater pressure, and further cuts in expenses may no longer be an option.
But what you may not be aware of is that despite signs of improvement in the overall economy, research indicates that these changes in consumer spending habits are fast becoming the new normal. In other words, unless something is done quickly, the restaurant industry may never fully recover.
While the National Restaurant Association is hard at work in Washington, D.C., opposing unnecessary government mandates and potential burdens on your bottom line, we also have to be focused on the top line. We cannot “cost manage” our way fully out of today’s challenges. We must join forces to communicate the benefits of eating out that are undeniably woven into the fabric of our American lifestyle.
This is no easy task. Unlike before, your competition isn’t just another establishment down the street. Media pundits, economic experts, high-volume discount retailers, and even grocery stores have been offering consumers advice on the best ways to save money. Restaurants consistently are cited as a way to cut “reckless spending” from ever-tightening budgets.
But what if there were a voice that was capable of not only cutting through the mass of competing messages, but also powerful enough to counteract the naysayers telling people to cut back, stay at home and cook for themselves? What if there were a voice that actually could increase your customer’s intent to eat out?
There is such a voice: Yours—when it’s united with every other member of the restaurant industry.
We realize budgets already are stretched thin, but a pledge of only $100 per restaurant could give our collective voice enormous impact and lend tremendous weight to the efforts already being communicated by member brands.
Of course, individual establishments’ marketing will continue to help people decide which restaurant to choose. But the collective voice of the industry can motivate consumers to step away from their microwaves, walk out the front door and choose any restaurant. Period.
And that voice would not be falling on deaf ears. Research shows that Americans miss dining out. Not just the food, but also the socialization, the value and the convenience. And despite the economy, most people can still afford it. What they need is for someone to give them permission to help them overcome the social stigma that has been placed on eating out and to be reassured that forgoing the pleasure of restaurant meals is not the key to financial salvation.
What they need is a nudge.
So what is this nudge? The nudge comes in the form of an integrated marketing campaign, focused on influencing two key segments of the population that research indicates show the highest desire and propensity for returning to restaurants. Television, cinema and online advertising combined with social media, public relations and experiential efforts will deliver our message to a receptive audience.
But will it motivate them to eat out? According to research conducted by Greenberg Brand Strategy, the answer is a resounding “yes.” Consumer testing of the campaign yielded results at or above relevant benchmarks in all categories, including an impressive 11-percent to15-percent increase in intent to eat out.
So, we have an audience of consumers who want what only we can provide. We have a compelling message proven to motivate their intent to eat out. And, most of all, we have the opportunity for an industry to unite for the first time in history to deliver it to them.
What happens now? That’s up to you. The more NRA members and industry-related companies that contribute to this initiative, the louder our voice and the greater the impact our message will have. The more we work together, the greater we will all be rewarded.
Today is the day to get involved. Today is the day to make a pledge. Today is the day for us to all come to the table.
To get involved and make a pledge today, visit
Dawn Sweeney is the president and chief executive of the National Restaurant Association in Washington, D.C.
