Kulture Konnect Blog

No one likes to talk about what’s wrong because then you have to admit you screwed up. It takes guts to admit a mistake, so we all avoid it. Let’s be a little courageous today and go down the path of failure and see if we can learn something. What are the top 10 mistakes restaurant marketing directors make when they set out to conquer their local market?

1. Claiming to have a strategy when it’s really a bunch of tactics.

You know how this feels if you’ve ever worked in a restaurant and it seems like everyone is reacting to the latest emergency. No one is on the same page and there’s finger-pointing everywhere. A real plan is based on sound principles that puts the brand at the center.

Instagram has ushered in a new era for restaurants, where customers care as much about the aesthetics of a dish as the taste. Even in upscale restaurants, where photographing your food was once a major faux-pas, the tides have turned.

New York eatery, Momofuku Ko, once had an iron-clad ‘no photography’ policy. If you were to take a secretive snap, as one diner once recalled when speaking to the New York Times in 2013, you could expect to be berated by the chef himself. But those days are gone, and the evidence is on Ko’s Instagram and Yelp pages, which are flooded with images of food and selfies.

While some restaurants have just begun to adjust to omnipresent iPhones as a way of life, others are actively courting Instagram users for free publicity. Dirty Bones, a hip London restaurant, started to provide diners with ‘Instagram kits’ that contained a mini tripod and lighting equipment. Some restaurateurs are now designing their restaurants with Instagram in mind, specifically seeking out ‘Instagram bait’ decor to lure in new customers from social media. The following infographic, courtesy of Fundera, looks at how Instagram has changed the restaurant industry.

Have you checked your restaurant Yelp reviews lately? If so, have you received any bad reviews from any of your patrons or an unhappy ex-employee?

Current technology allows everyone to share their thoughts and experiences in real time, this means that we can all express openly our opinions about your restaurant for everybody to see... And it doesn't matter if such opinions are true/fair or not. 

More and more, consumers tend to check reviews before they make the final decision of buying from any business, and that is not different for restaurants. According to research done by Pew Research Internet Project in 2010, 58% of Americans have researched a product or service online and 24% of American adults say they have posted comments or reviews online. Have in mind that this was done 2 years ago, numbers are certainly higher today. 

If lately you've been telling yourself: "I'm spending too much on my restaurant marketing," it's time to dust off your restaurant marketing strategies and take a look at what businesses in your industry are doing. 

The key is to watch for those restaurants that are successful as well as those that are not, so you can learn, what works and what doesn’t.

I’m here to let you know about a few ways that will help you in re-vamping your marketing plan. If you're spending too much on your marketing, I can provide you with ways to cut some unnecessary efforts that can potentially increase your marketing budget for necessary efforts. 

Restaurant marketing isn’t the same as it used to be. Traditional methods continue to be the preferred way to approach a restaurant marketing plan, but since the birth of the internet, and especially social media, it has become critical that restaurants embrace Internet marketing and cultivate a presence online. But how much online and how much offline should you do? What can you cut from your online and offline strategies? 

The holidays are here! And it's time to change up your menu and fit the holiday theme, but you are out of ideas of what to offer, how to design it and not quite sure what's the best and most effective way to create your holiday menu. Just remember, your restaurant menu design is the most important piece of marketing material! As the saying goes, the first bite is with the eye, and therefore, a menu design says a lot about a restaurant, creating an initial impression before the customer has even seen any of the food or drinks. Here are 4 fun examples of restaurants who got it right for the holidays!

Food is a powerful way to bring people together. In one way or another, food conditions our daily experiences everywhere, from work and family events to how we are introduced to new cultures, lifestyles, traditions and more. Our points of view, our memories and our lives in general can easily be influenced by just one meal and the experience surrounding it. For a restaurant, having guests sharing their favorable experiences can mean more business.

How do guests share their food experiences?

Through social media, of course.

Relevant phenomenons such as foodstagramming have people taking and sharing pics of their food at their favorite restaurants. Real-time feeds such as Facebook Live or Periscope allow for an even more intimate way of sharing with your followers through live feeds. The sensation is all around us… and it can’t be stopped, so, why not join?

In the 12 years of business... we have designed quite a few different menus in our time. Lots of clients come to us with ideas from the past that are no longer useful in today's restaurant consumer economy! Consumers these days have less patience, less time and they need immediate satisfaction. It's a tough crowd out there!

In the interest of education, we have outlined the below some of the most common restaurant menu design MYTHS! Please folks, do not try these at home!

The restaurant industry is one of the most competitive industries I have ever known. With a measly estimated 2470 head chef positions opening up each year (according to this Culinary Career infographic), aspiring chef's really need to do all in their power to begin to get training under their belt. Even just starting a restaurant has bleak prospects with 59% of start-up restaurants closing after just 3 years. In an effort to give students an opportunity to get their foot in the door, the California Restaurant Association Foundation started multiple educational programs to, in their words, "promote the health and prosperity of the foodservice industry by investing in our youth and our workforce."

Who knew food bloggers and Instagram famous foodies who dedicate their time to documenting and blogging their favorite food and drink spots could be a significant help to your restaurant marketing?

When you hear someone say that social media is powerful, it's because they are absolutely right! Social media channels such as Instagram and bloggers are just another form of "word of mouth." And having a well-known food blogger write about your restaurant could give you the sales boost you need. Bloggers have the ability to get the attention from locals and have an influence on public opinion.

81 percent of U.S. online consumers trust information and advice from blogs.

92 percent of companies who blog multiple times per day have acquired a customer from their blog.

67 percent of people say they’re at least a little more likely to purchase a product after a friend or family member shared it via social media.

And just so you know, many food bloggers and social media influencers are looking to build their own audience. They utilize social media such as Instagram, to grow their following. It becomes a win-win situation for your restaurant and for the food blogger.

So, now let's get down to business! Here are the top 8 food bloggers and Instagram foodie influencers in the Los Angeles area that your restaurant could collaborate with to boost your sales and restaurant marketing.

Most of us are more than familiar with popular chains such as Taco Bell, Chipotle, McDonalds, Jack 'n' the Box, Carl's Jr. and more, but with the industry constantly evolving with new concepts and formats the next best thing could breakout at any time. These next five restaurants are well on their way to potentially take over the restaurant industry in 2018. See why these up and coming spots could dominate.