| Restaurant Guerrilla Marketing is Essential for the Small Business Owner |
| Invention Development Advice - Marketing | |||
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During the 1970s, independently owned restaurants proliferated the landscape around the USA and it was said that they represented fully 85% of the options available to the hungry public. These days, that has changed considerably and chain restaurants are much more dominant, believed now to have completely reversed the scenario, so that independents only represent 12% of the market.
During the 1970s, independently owned restaurants proliferated the landscape around the USA and it was said that they represented fully 85% of the options available to the hungry public. These days, that has changed considerably and chain restaurants are much more dominant, believed now to have completely reversed the scenario, so that independents only represent 12% of the market. It is said that to ensure a good chance of survival, the independent restaurateur must remain in business for at least five years. To enable this to happen, he or she must employ restaurant guerrilla marketing tactics with the emphasis on staying ahead of those all too dominant chains. It's definitely a case of David versus Goliath in the food and drink business. Large restaurant chains often rely on macroeconomics to keep them up front. They can gather a considerable amount of data and details due to the number of locations that they operate and can crunch the numbers to see which way they should proceed. They certainly have the advantage of scale, but are at a disadvantage when it comes to an independently owned property, as restaurant guerrilla marketing is deployed there. The local, often referred to as "mom and pop" cafe or eatery is able to interact with customers on a very personal level. This is the very essence of restaurant guerrilla marketing for the small business owner and often the difference between sinking and swimming. While a typical chain may expect visitors to line up and wait and be summoned by a very impersonal paging device, the independent owner is proud to get to know the regular visitors and call them by name. To correctly deploy restaurant guerrilla marketing techniques, the business owner must be able to adjust his tactics at very short notice, be they prices or menus. The chain or the franchise owner is not able or allowed to do this and thus the independent restaurateur must use his ability to every advantage. Independent restaurateurs hate the cookie-cutter style of the big business efforts. The small guys have a distinct and unique selling proposition and without this ability to operate at the micro level would be swallowed up and disappear as the chains just keep on going. One of the major issues to face an owner practicing restaurant guerrilla marketing is the difficulty providing a consistency of delivery versus a retention of loyalty. In other words, while it may be tempted to experiment and change menus on a fairly regular basis, the business also wants to attract regular clientele and there is a danger that it would be difficult to achieve this level if there is an inconsistency and nothing to "hook" with. A small neighborhood restaurant is dependent on its ability to keep its guerrilla marketing at the forefront. There simply must be a great two-way communication and face-to-face interaction with customers, to give the restaurateur all information and ammunition she needs to survive. More information: Writer Jose L Riesco teaches the most effective methods for getting more visitors to your restaurant at www.myrestaurantmarketing.com. Find out about honing your restaurant guerrilla marketing here.
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