Even if the restaurant has excellent cuisine, chic interior and good location, guests can bypass it and not run in crowds for a business lunch. And banal advertising is to blame, or rather, its absence.
Idea
The banner "We are open!" surprise no one. Everyone writes like that, and they also attach photographs of beautiful dishes, as if there are ugly ones. For effective promotion you need a reason, and one that no one else has. People need nuances, a reason for conversation, in other words, an idea: an ecological phytobar, an oriental DJ bar, a psychedelic restaurant.
There are too many advertisements in the media, so only very bright, extraordinary advertising layouts can stand out. Moreover, not the advertisement, but the idea should be noticeable! You need to advertise a "chip", know-how, and not the restaurant itself as another pretty room in which you can eat deliciously. Sell not the name, and not the slogan, and not the third roll for free - sell the legend, the atmosphere, the way of life. You should not be guided by colleagues in this, do not be afraid to be the first.
Outdoor advertising
The most effective type of outdoor advertising for a restaurant is its sign. It should be combined with the facade group and stand out on it, be highlighted in the dark, the information should be easy to read. Restaurants with a sufficiently large territorial influence or located in hard-to-reach (more precisely, hard-to-find) places should afford more: on the way to the restaurant (knowing the main transport interchanges), you can install billboards, billboards, light boxes or road signs. A relatively new type of restaurant advertising is on transport (taxis, minibuses).
media
Depending on the target audience, the restaurant can focus on either the business and informational or entertainment press. If you plan to attract foreigners to the institution, then you cannot do without the English-speaking one. In general, the press is more suitable for image advertising - promoting the image of the institution that corresponds to its concept. The original layout of the restaurant should contain exactly this image and a minimum of text, literally: the name, slogan, address and one more short phrase, because when reading the press, people DO NOT READ ads. If a restaurant wants to say something more about itself, you can think about an article, since many publications practice special headings dedicated to restaurants. You can give a master class on making sushi, for example, for journalists.
Letters
There are two main types of mailings - mailing, SMS and Internet mailing. Regardless of this, a successful one that is aimed at specific representatives of the target audience. Letters should be sent only to those addresses from where future customers will be able and willing to come to the restaurant. Web mailing is cheaper and often more efficient. Regular customers can be asked to leave an e-mail themselves.
Gloss
An establishment of an average and above average price category should constantly have informational printing: the restaurant's business cards, detailed booklets with the main dishes of the menu and the legend. Promotional printing is timed to certain promotions, events and is intended mainly for mailing or pre-promotional distribution in the restaurant itself (on tables or in folders-invoice).
Gift
In restaurants, souvenir products can be very diverse, the main requirement for them is originality and conceptuality. The role of souvenir products can be performed by: folders-accounts that visitors can take with them, cans with the symbols of the restaurant, candles with the symbols, chocolates with the logo of the restaurant, etc. - the scope for creativity is colossal. A good idea - matches with the image advertising of the institution, but such products only work where people smoke.
TV
The effectiveness of restaurant advertising on TV is a controversial issue. The difficulty is that TV, unlike a restaurant, is an element of mass culture. For restaurants on TV, sponsorship of certain events is a good option: sports matches, concert programs. Successful experience - prize money and participation in specialized restaurant programs aimed at consumers. Only fast foods with a network of at least 8-10 establishments can count on a certain effectiveness of TV advertising.
Radio
Advertising of a restaurant on the radio is effective in two cases: when opening a new establishment (the campaign should last at least 3 weeks, 6-8 video broadcasts per day) and when promoting certain promotions (invitation to a party, information about business lunches, breakfasts, menu discounts, etc.). In order for such an advertisement to really work, the video must be playful, with an interesting idea that reflects the concept and even the style of the establishment. The more "jokes" a radio clip contains, the more likely it is to be effective.
Word of mouth
In the fine dining sector (expensive, elite restaurants), word of mouth advertising, holding various events, attracting famous people, creating unusual news stories, promoting a chef, etc. is very important. Arkady, a well-known restaurateur and adherent of this advertising method Novikov, opening the restaurant "Cheese", ordered the managers in the first week after opening to answer all calls from potential customers: "All tables are occupied … you can place an order for the day after tomorrow." Working for some time at a loss, the restaurateur created excitement and reputation of the popular place. The higher the cost of the average bill, the less role direct advertising plays and the more PR. On the web Advantages of the Internet over other methods: low price, efficiency of placement, wide target audience and its growth.
On a specialized portal about recreation and restaurants, information can be brought in full: description of the restaurant (its concept, general atmosphere, specialties, information about the chef, interior photos), news (ongoing events, promotions and tastings, changes in the menu, opening new restaurants, introduction of additional services), a full menu, including drinks with prices, coordinates (address, telephone, directions) and opening hours, the ability to book a table or a banquet online for both the B2B sector and B2C. In addition, the Internet is the only media environment where you can not be afraid of experiments, sharp turns and non-standard paths. WEB design tools, HTML, graphics, flash, Java, etc. are practically unlimited for creating any kind of advertising materials.
Fish-sticking
It is good to “tie” a restaurant to a well-known brand, in this case an associative connection is established between them and the attitude to the brand is transferred to the restaurant as well. Therefore, the promotion of a restaurant in boutiques and shopping centers (depending on the price category of the restaurant and its concept) can give a good effect - the so-called cross-promotion, when a system of mutual discounts or mutual information support is negotiated with stores, salons and boutiques.
