Special Report: Creative communicationSpecial Report: Creative communication

Mark Brandau

From employing familiar tactics like buying cable TV ads to testing novel social-media strategies with a less obvious return on investment, restaurant marketers are looking for ways to extend the reach of their brands and translate that awareness into sales.


Chipotle Mexican Grill, Panera Bread, Denny’s, Hospitality Democracy, Firehouse Subs and Cinnabon are among those operators that have devised effective marketing programs spanning the spectrum between traditional media and social media — and, in some cases, incorporating a combination of the two.


The following five case studies offer a look at how those brands struck gold with their individual marketing approaches. But while each operator took a different tack, one common...