Married To A Brand | Brand Education for Restaurants | BrandEd

Commitment seems to be something that we struggle with these days. With divorce rates continuing to climb is it really a surprise that dating and courtship has literally turned into a game? Between the popularity of The Bachelor and the Kardashian girls can you blame anyone for not taking commitment seriously?

These girls may be models but they are a far cry from a model for marriage.

When it comes to brands what do you consider a sign of commitment? Is showing patronage enough? The goal of any brand, especially a restaurant brand is to create a long lasting relationships. One that can even last a lifetime. In order for that to happen, both parties involved need to be willing to share. You know communication.?That?s kind of important when we are talking about commitment.

What kind of COMMITMENT are we talking about here??

• A) A commitment to communicate?
• B) A commitment to?listen?
• C) A commitment to learn?
• D) All of the above and more? ?
• The answer is D, ?all of the above? and sometimes this means that you have to be willing to change. Yes, CHANGE.?
• Sounds a lot like marriage doesn?t it?

Before we go any further, for the men out there let?s define?commitment (according to dictionary.com).

A restaurant brand isn?t asking you to sign a marriage certificate. They are just hoping for your commitment.

com?mit?ment?kuh-mit-muhnt]?noun?

1. the act of committing.

2. the state of being committed.

3. the act of committing, pledging, or engaging oneself.

4. a pledge or promise; obligation

5. engagement; involvement

Similar to marriage when we commitment to a person or a brand we expect something back in return. This can mean many different things such as attention, a promise or maybe even a guarantee. You may often hear me preach about managing expectations and the importance of not over promising and under delivering. If a customer pledges their loyalty to your restaurant brand, you better be committed to delivering on all the promises that your brand makes. When building a brand for the long haul it should be your goal to gain loyal and committed fans. Just be sure to appreciate the relationship and never take your loyal customers for granted.

Can consumers stay loyal to brands, when brands stay loyal to them?

The bigger the brand the harder this is to achieve. The reason this is usually the case is that the Executives making the decisions are far too removed from the everyday interactions with the consumers. The most successful restaurant chains that I have worked with appreciate and value the information that they can obtain from the employees. You know those who work directly with the guest everyday. Servers and managers used to be the gate keepers of customer feedback, however today that is no longer the case.

Social Media has provided a vehicle to talk directly with the consumer. This happens in real-time. Certainly a much quicker exchange of information then the old comment card, wouldn?t you say?

Tell me if you have ever heard this one before.

CEO of Company X: ?I don?t want to be active on Social Media, I mean it?s fine for my wife or kids but I don?t want to know what you ate for breakfast. And, I certainly don?t want to give my customers a place to complain.?

There are so many things to say about that comment it is hard to know where to start. But just a few retorts I like to respond with once I stop hyperventilating.

I shot a picture of this last time I was at Uncle Julio?s. I have been committed to their Carne Asada for close to 10 years. That?s longer than most marriages.

1. You do serve food at your restaurant, right??Are you telling me you wouldn?t want the endorsement from a customer telling their friends that they love your Carne Asada? I am sure the CEO would also hate it if that customer shared a picture on Facebook or Instagram.
2. As for the negative comment, so what you are saying CEO is that you don?t care what your customers think? And/Or you have no interest in improving the product or service?
3. I understand that social media is not for everyone. I am not here to tell you that you personally have to be active on Twitter or Facebook. I would certainly advise it. Your customers are active on social networks, that is all that should matter to you.?

How Do I Make This Marriage Last?

The longer the relationship the better the communication should be. VIP, Loyalty Programs, Valued Customer, Rewards, etc. Any good husband will tell you that it is their job to make their wife feel special. And, any good customer service rep should tell you the same thing.

MAKE YOUR VALUED CUSTOMER FEEL SPECIAL!

What About My Brand?

I have always believed that a brand needs to stay fluid in order to be successful, which means that your brand is constantly in a state of evolution. This doesn?t mean that you change who you are at the core. Just be accepting of change.

Communication is the key to any committed relationship.

A few tips:

Pay attention to trends.

Be aware of the competition.

Stay engaged with your audience.

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Committed brands understand that they need to change.

Good brands listen to their audience. Successful brands listen?and make changes.

I guess the same advise works for successful marriages as well. Just don?t ask a Kardashian.

How do you stay committed to your customer? Are you listening and learning? Do you have a direct way to communicate with your audience? What has and has not been successful for your restaurant?

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Source: http://brandeducationservices.com/2012/08/29/married-to-a-brand-brand-education-for-restaurants/

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