QSR/Restaurant – GroundTruth

GroundTruth On-Location at Brand Insider Summit focused on QSR

Marketing — Mon, 13 May 2024 17:05:20 +0000

GroundTruth will be on-location in New Orleans for the MediaPost Brand Insider Summit: QSR!

Jessi Hamilton, Sales Director, will be discussing “The Secret Sauce: GroundTruth’s recipe for driving and measuring restaurant visits” at 10:40am on Tuesday June 4. We look forward to you joining the conversation!

Catering To What Customers Crave

It’s harder than ever to be a brand marketer in the QSR and fast-casual industry. Prices continue to rise, customers are more selective about where they spend their money, and the competition to capture your fair share of stomach is fierce. But, let’s face it: everyone has to eat. So, how do restaurants position themselves to stand out among all the options someone can choose from? How do you become the brand they crave?

MediaPost’s QSR Brand Insider Summit is the only place where the best marketers from the biggest quick-service and fast-casual restaurants come together to have real, in-depth conversations about what they’re experiencing and what’s working in the industry.

Let’s Connect

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Dave’s Hot Chicken Drives a 2X ROAS and 7.8% Sales Lift

Marketing — Wed, 07 Feb 2024 13:00:00 +0000

Dave’s Hot Chicken has topped many lists as one of America’s fastest growing restaurant chains. They met their match when they teamed up with GroundTruth to help support, sustain, and accelerate results for the brand with targeted media and measurable results.

Since teaming up Dave’s Hot Chicken has leveraged GroundTruth’s targeted media products across mobile and social channels to support various initiatives, campaigns, and drive results at multiple locations.

Let's explore Dave's Hot Chicken's initial campaign with GroundTruth which focused on driving a consistent influx of foot traffic from both new and returning customers to specific locations in key markets.

Real-World Behaviors

The targeting approach utilized a mix of real-time location and audience-based targeting strategies.

Some of the real-time targeting strategies included connecting with audiences within the retail block of a Dave’s Hot Chicken restaurant (Retail Block Targeting) and devices within a five-mile radius to the target locations via Proximity Targeting. They also tapped into GroundTruth’s Neighborhoods Targeting solution, which focuses on audiences within specific geographical zones that show a higher affinity to the target location.

Due to Dave’s Hot Chicken’s emphasis on attracting new and returning customers, the audience targeting strategy was highly strategic. Their focus was on engaging both loyal patrons of their restaurants and visitors to their major competitors, aiming to entice “switchers” to give Dave’s Hot Chicken a try. They also reached proprietary GroundTruth Behavioral Audiences and layered in 3rd party audiences as well.

Real Business Results

Within a month-long campaign, Dave’s Hot Chicken was able to drive almost 1,400 diners to their locations within three key metropolitan cities.

Of the visits driven, 75% came from new or infrequent visitors with the remaining 25% coming from a mix of moderate to high-frequency visitors.

The campaign yielded a 2X return on ad spend and a 7.8% average increase in sales for the client. This success was attributed to hyper-local and precise targeting, reducing ad waste and enhancing their engagement with relevant audiences.

By the Numbers

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average sales lift in markets supported by GroundTruth media

The buzz and rapid growth that Dave’s Hot Chicken has had since day one has been an incredible benefit for the brand, but we still have the opportunity to reach more potential guests that may not have heard about us yet or for whom we just aren’t top of mind yet. So, our goal has been to do just that by building a strong, foundational media infrastructure.

GroundTruth has been a great partner for us in that effort. They helped us get in front of the most relevant audiences on multiple screens while providing transparency into the true impact of our media on things that matter like in-person visits, sales, and return on ad spend, all of which allow us to make more efficient and strategic marketing decisions.

Ready to Get Started?

Learn how our ad products can drive real business results.

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Dave’s Hot Chicken Drives Over 10K Visits

Marketing — Sat, 30 Dec 2023 13:00:00 +0000

After strong performances in previous campaigns with GroundTruth, Dave’s Hot Chicken returned with a new goal—to drive more app downloads with the secondary KPI of driving more visits to select locations. To entice customers, Dave’s Hot Chicken offered a free slider or milkshake to sweeten the deal.

In a six-week campaign across 59 locations, the QSR chain utilized a blend of audience, real-time, and third-party app targeting on mobile screens. During the final two weeks, GroundTruth extended support through social amplification on Facebook and Instagram to enhance results.

Real-World Behaviors

To optimize reach and impact, all six weeks of the campaign flight were supported by mobile display units. There was a healthy mix of targeting tactics and multiple creative sizes to ensure maximum reach. The targeting mix included both real-time location targeting and audience targeting.

The team amplified the campaign with targeted ads across social media as well, using both Facebook and Instagram. The rare advantage? Since GroundTruth managed the social campaign, we layered in our unique audiences on top of the standard audiences within the respective platforms for additional reach and connection to the mobile campaign.

Real Business Results

The impact of the mobile campaign proved successful in driving both online and in-store performance. Overall the campaign reached 12M potential customers, driving 44.8k to click to learn more while influencing over 10k diners to head to a Dave’s Hot Chicken near them.

Top Click-Driving Tactic: Location Audience QSR and Fast Casual Conquesting drove almost a quarter (23%) of all clicks, proving that reaching your competitors’ core customers can help you steal market share.
Top Visit-Driving Tactic: Proximity and Loyalist Targeting each drove about 9% of all visits showcasing that mixing location and audience targeting solutions is the perfect combo.
Most Effective Visit Rate Driver: GroundTruth Retail Block Targeting ensured ad delivery to potential customers near a Dave’s Hot Chicken location in real time and drove a 2.16% visitation rate.

By the Numbers

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Ready to Get Started?

Learn how our ad products can drive real business results.

The post Dave’s Hot Chicken Drives Over 10K Visits appeared first on GroundTruth.

GroundTruth On-Location at Brand Insider Summit focused on QSR

Marketing — Wed, 15 Nov 2023 06:53:00 +0000

GroundTruth will be on-location in Santa Barbara, CA for the MediaPost Brand Insider Summit: QSR!

Eating out is back in but ordering is a cluttered menu of high-end and low dining options from real and virtual brands. Consumer purses are tight, but marketers can’t discount themselves to success. For QSR/Fast Casual brands, customer acquisition, loyalty, differentiation have all become hotly contested terrain. Getting and keeping share of customer stomachs has become a complex web of media creativity, partnerships, sleeping with frenemies, and trying to use the tools at hand to build better customer experiences that customers actually notice.

At the Brand Insider Summit: QSR event, we will gather both iconic and challenger brands in quick service and fast-casual dining to share what is moving the needle in all of these challenges.

Let’s Connect

The post GroundTruth On-Location at Brand Insider Summit focused on QSR appeared first on GroundTruth.

7 Effective Hyperlocal Marketing Strategies

Nicole Genchur — Sun, 16 Jul 2023 15:05:00 +0000

Let’s say you are running a massive organization and want to reach potential customers. How would you go about it? Chances are you will use your immense resources to launch a stunning national ad campaign. After all, with your marketing insight, we know you could create an excellent campaign that connects with your target audience, stirs emotions, and influences their buying decisions. However, what if you are running a small company instead? Do you know how to reach potential customers? You can develop a national campaign, but without the same resources as the larger companies, this approach may not get the same results. As many small companies have discovered, national campaigns can be a wasted investment, as they are costly and may spread too wide for a small company’s marketing efforts. So, what should a small organization do? As a local business owner, most of your revenue comes from the people who can easily walk or drive to your store. Instead of going wide with your advertising efforts, it makes more sense to use hyperlocal marketing strategies to win over potential customers.

What is Hyperlocal Marketing?

Hyperlocal marketing is an advertising strategy that targets a particular area with localized and relevant promotions. With the rise in mobile device usage worldwide, hyperlocal marketing has become even more important for marketers looking to win over potential customers. According to Google, “shopping near me” searches increased by over 200% from 2016 to 2018. On top of that, a 2022 SafariDigital report discovered that 97% of users searched online to find a local business. With findings like these, it’s no wonder more small businesses are incorporating hyperlocal advertising in their marketing plans. Want to leverage hyperlocal marketing in your promotional efforts this year? Here are 7 key hyperlocal marketing strategies and tips you need to know to reach your target audience more effectively.

Tips For Successful Hyperlocal Marketing

Optimize Your Business Listings

You haven’t optimized your online business listings yet? Well, get on it! Those listings can influence whether your company appears in the right place when people search for your specific product/service. Make it a priority to update your Google My Business and Yelp listings, and make sure business information on your social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram, etc.) is up to date. As well as your business name, address, phone number, and website, make sure you enter business hours and any other information that helps people decide to stop by. Do you happen to have a business with multiple locations? Here’s a hyperlocal advertising tip! Create a specific landing page for each location! By having designated pages for each business location, you can use them in your business listings for even better hyperlocal targeting!

Localize Your Content Marketing

Listen up, marketers! Content marketing is an absolute must for any hyperlocal advertising strategy. After all, relevant and high-quality content engages visitors, raises brand awareness, and builds customer trust, leading to more visits and sales online and offline! When crafting copy for hyperlocal ads, make sure you are leveraging the language/terminology most common in your locality. For example, does the consumer in your targeted area say bucket or pail? How about a faucet or a spigot? Pants or trousers? As marketers, you need to know the correct wording and use it in your content! Getting it right makes content much more enticing for your target audience.

Target Your Search Advertising.

Since you know that your target customers are searching for local information, you need to target your ads accordingly. In case you don’t know, search ads are keyword-based, which means these ads must target the best keywords related to location and product/service. You can also hyper-target your ads to only people in a particular area. For example, if your business is a local pizzeria, you would create a search ad campaign targeting consumers searching for “pizza delivery in [town]”, allowing your business to reach people in that town actively looking for a quick slice. To make hyperlocal ads even more effective, seed relevant and up-to-date copy throughout your channels! Whether it’s a microsite or a business blog, ensure that when people follow your search ads to your desired destination, the page greets visitors with content that relates to them!

Utilize SMS Marketing

According to the Pew Research Center, 97% of Americans own a cellphone. Why does that matter for your hyperlocal marketing strategy? SMS marketing has become an integral part of hyperlocal advertising efforts! SMS messages have an open rate of 98% compared to 20% in emails, , plus consumers tend to act on them quickly. If you’ve got a local event or offer, using this hyperlocal marketing method,paired with location technology, is a great way to increase foot traffic and sales.

Send Relevant Email Marketing to Your Users.

Even though we just said SMS messages have a much higher open rate than email, don’t underestimate the potential of email marketing for your 2023 hyperlocal advertising efforts! . Most marketers already use some form of email list segmentation, allowing them to quickly send relevant emails to potential customers. With hyperlocal targeting, you can make your emails even more relevant by sending different offers and promotions depending on your email recipients’ location. The more relevant your emails are, the more likely people will open them and act. For example, if you know a snowstorm is coming to a particular area, it’s a great time to update those customers about winter gear.

Use Location-Based Advertising & Weather-Based Targeting to Show The Right Ads at The Right Time

Want to take hyperlocal marketing one step further? Use location-based advertising and proximity targeting to serve ads to people based on where they are now, where they have been, or where they will go. For example, if someone walks past a shoe store and sees an ad with the right offer, they might turn back to have a look. Consider combining this hyperlocal advertising tactic with weather-based targeting, as it can further target the right ads to the right people at the right time. In case you’re a bit cloudy on weather-based targeting, it is a digital advertising tool that pushes ads to users based on the weather conditions in their location. Think of it just like the corner stores that put out their umbrella display when the sky turns gray.

Take Advantage of OOH Advertising

Out of home (OOH) advertising brings businesses full circle back to where advertising started. In some respects, it’s the original location-based ad! In the past, a retailer might pay for an ad on a nearby billboard, or run a promotion near the store. But now, marketing around your locality has gone digital. Today’s OOH advertising uses the power of mobile location technologies to serve up relevant ads in high-traffic local areas. With this hyperlocal targeting strategy you can reach consumers not just in a certain town, but on a particular block. You can even transform your out-of-home idea into a DOOH campaign, increasing local traffic and sales.

Conclusion

As you can see, hyperlocal advertising can really help make your product or service much more relevant to your local customers, ultimately driving sales and encouraging repeat business. Now, go forth, marketers! Use these hyperlocal marketing strategies and tips to help your small company be the talk of the town!

Interested in creating an effective hyperlocal marketing campaign? Contact GroundTruth to see how you can better reach local audiences.

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The Ultimate QSR Playbook to Drive More Visits to your Restaurants

Marketing — Wed, 07 Jun 2023 12:46:00 +0000

GroundTruth’s media solutions target your customers based on where they go in the real world, so you can be confident that your campaigns will drive real business results.

This guide highlights key strategies and tactics built to drive measurable results for your brand with a focus on promoting limited-time offer, daypart strategies, customer acquisition, and more. We also highlight how big brands have used our solutions first-hand to achieve their goals.

In this playbook, GroundTruth highlights key strategies to:

You can now access the full report below.

The post The Ultimate QSR Playbook to Drive More Visits to your Restaurants appeared first on GroundTruth.

Bark Social

Marketing — Mon, 01 May 2023 17:28:00 +0000

Bark Social, the first social club for dogs in the mid-Atlantic, teamed up with GroundTruth to increase visits to their doors.

While the clubhouse invites “dogs and dog lovers to have fun”, Bark Social wanted to attract both dog owners as well as new audiences who might not necessarily own a pet but want to experience a first-of-its-kind venue and unique night out.

Throughout a three-month campaign, GroundTruth helped Bark Social reach key audiences based on behaviors such as visitation specific categories of businesses and brands within driving distance of the Bethesda, Maryland staple and ultimately brought hundreds of footprints and pawprints through their doors.

Real-World Solutions

Behavioral Audience Targeting and Location Audience Targeting were used to reach audience groups whose behaviors and visitation patterns indicated potential interest in Bark Social.

Bark Social leveraged Location Audiences to identify dog owners by targeting consumers who were recently seen visiting local pet stores.

To reach potential audiences based on lifestyle, we tapped into a variety of Behavioral Audiences who displayed real-world visitation patterns to areas that might signal interest in Bark Social’s unique offering.

Real Business Results

Bark Social saw some “pawsome” results, with over 400 visits attributed to this marketing campaign, averaging a $6.67 cost per visit. Combined with a click-through rate of 0.46%, it’s clear that Bark Social’smessaging resonated with the target audience.

By targeting audience groups who displayed preexisting behaviors or foot traffic visitation to ideal locations, GroundTruth was able to intelligently identify and reach potentially interested consumers and drive them to visit Bark Social, while keeping low cost per visit and high customer engagement.

By the Numbers

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Are Seasonal Holiday Campaigns Worth The Hype?

Marketing — Wed, 05 Apr 2023 12:50:00 +0000

When it comes to finding an occasion to celebrate, few are more equipped than the all-knowing marketer. From capturing the enchantment of National Unicorn Day to bringing families together on Thanksgiving, marketers have a unique ability to turn a quirky or established holiday into an opportunity to engage and attract customers.

While these holiday ad campaigns can be a great way to boost sales, not all are created equal. So, marketers, are these festive campaigns worth the pursuit? Let’s look at some real-world behavioral trends to see if federal and/or niche holiday advertising campaigns are more trick than treat.

Federal Holidays: Do They Drive Business Results?

As celebrated days recognized by the U.S. government, federal holidays are typically associated with increased consumer spending since people have more free time to go out and shop. These holidays can be powerful ways for savvy businesses to increase sales, visibility, brand awareness, engagement, and social impact. However, with countless marketers vying for the attention of their target audience, standing out during these festive occasions can be quite a challenge!

Example #1 – President’s Day Marketing & Auto Dealerships

President’s Day is a time to recognize our nation’s leaders, reflect on our country’s values, and, apparently, purchase a new set of wheels! When it comes to this federal holiday marketing, car dealerships put the pedal to the metal on their ad campaigns. So, does pulling out all the stops work for dealerships?

According GroundTruth data, Foot traffic to auto dealerships began to spike roughly a week before President’s Day (2/21/2022). Even though automotive dealership foot traffic was 76% above average on President’s Day, traffic was actually 95% above average on 2/16, about five days before President’s Day.

According GroundTruth data, Foot traffic to auto dealerships began to spike roughly a week before President’s Day (2/21/2022)

One method brands can leverage to help capture consumer attention early is by developing integrated campaigns that drive both online and physical actions. This can increase potential car sales significantly and help diversify revenue channels.

Example #2 – Labor Day Marketing & Retailers

Who says Labor Day is just about BBQs and pool parties? Retailers put in some serious work to bring their favorite customers the hottest deals and steals of the year! So, do these Labor Day campaigns work for retailers?

According to data from our Retail Lean, retailer foot traffic increased by 21% during Labor Day weekend in 2022. Even though there was a noticeable increase in foot traffic, Labor Day had the smallest percentage increase compared to other federal holidays. Memorial Day Weekend (51%), Presidents Day (46%), and July 4th (44%) beat Labor Day in 2022 in terms of foot traffic increase.

According to data from our Retail Lean, retailer foot traffic increased by 21% during Labor Day weekend in 2022.

Consider leveraging behavioral audience targeting to really hone in on the perfect holiday for your campaign. By doing this you connect with your desired customers based on their lifestyle, interests, and brand preferences.

Niche Holidays: Do They Drive Business Results?

For those who don’t know, a niche holiday is a special day that typically targets a specific audience or interest group. Some holidays were declared by government entities (United Nations officially launched Human Rights Day, for example), while others were designed by brands themselves (did you know National Rotisserie Chicken Day was created by Boston Market?).

Sure, it’s tempting to jump on quirky holidays, but hold your horses! While not every holiday is worth celebrating, finding the right holidays that resonate with your target market can be an excellent opportunity to promote your brand and generate sales.

Example #1 – National Popcorn Day & Movie Theaters

Movie theater chains and National Popcorn Day sounds like the perfect match, right? After all, what moviegoers wouldn’t go out of their way to enjoy a discount on the iconic snack? Well, grab the popcorn, marketers!

Based on visitation data, there were no sharp upticks in traffic to movie theaters on National Popcorn Day. However, there were some interesting trends in early January 2023. Foot traffic to movie theaters in the first 20 days in January was highest on 1/7/22, 77% above the average for the timeframe, following the premiere of M3GAN, which topped the box office that weekend. Compared to the two Thursdays prior, foot traffic to movie theaters was actually lower on National Popcorn Day, despite offers for 50% off popcorn.

Example #2 – National Pizza Day & Quick Service Restaurants (QSRs)

Want a slice of the action on National Pizza Day? QSRs often bake up ad campaigns to leverage the niche holiday honoring everyone’s favorite food. Do QSRs enjoy the sweet taste of victory from these pizza-loving campaigns?

Niche holiday ads in action for National Pizza Day

Based on our data, foot traffic to pizza shops was actually 13% below average on National Pizza Day in 2023. Does this mean National Pizza Day campaigns are going stale? Not quite.

In 2019, IHOP partnered with DoorDash to release the Pancizza, a limited-time pizza-sized pancake. This headline-grabbing campaign gained 779 million impressions and increased online orders by over 35%. Talk about love at first bite!

Just like pizza, a niche holiday campaign can’t be half-baked. Since niche holidays may not be enough to change consumer behaviors, you need to develop a well-thought-out campaign, and pair it with heavy promotional efforts, to grab your slice of the pie.

Looking to create an eye-catching campaign for your QSR? LTOs can be very effective in terms of increasing foot traffic, driving app usage, and boosting sales.

User-Generated Holidays: Do They Drive Business Results?

Unfamiliar with user-generated holidays? These unique days are created and celebrated by individuals or communities rather than being established by governments or organizations. More often than not, these holidays are discovered online and gain popularity through word of mouth or viral content.

Even though these holidays can be very trendy, it’s important not to over-invest in them, as they are relatively new and unproven. So, it’s best to test the waters before fully committing to the newest holiday craze.

Example #1 – Dry January & Alcohol Suppliers

Want to try the dry, marketers? After the craziness of the holiday season, no wonder many people voluntarily stop drinking alcohol for a month. Would this user-generated holiday result in a dry spell for alcohol company sales, or is it the beginning of a beautiful friendship?

Despite this user-generated holiday encouraging people to swear off the sauce, some alcoholic beverage manufacturers (i.e., Samuel Adams and Tito’s Handmade Vodka) developed campaigns to promote dry January.

The results of Dry January surprised us all. There was a 17% increase in beer, wine, and liquor store foot traffic in January compared to December.

Summary

Did these campaigns directly result in liquor store foot traffic? Only time will tell. However, organizations that actively promoted moderation and responsibility through their channels did not experience a negative impact on their business. If your brand wants to get on that (band)wagon, CTV spots can leverage most of the same targeting parameters as a mobile or display campaign.

For the most part, federal and niche holiday ad campaigns can positively impact your business. That being said, the success of any holiday marketing campaign depends on many factors, like crafting the right messaging, outmaneuvering your competitors, and, above all, utilizing accurate and relevant data! So, marketers, whether you’re hoisting the sails on International Talk like a Pirate Day or jamming out on Get Out Your Guitar Day, make sure you have the right information before diving into a holiday campaign!

If you’re looking to set your next marketing campaign apart, get the real-world behavioral insights you need by contacting us today!

The post Are Seasonal Holiday Campaigns Worth The Hype? appeared first on GroundTruth.

Do Limited-Time Offers Provide Effective Results for QSRs?

Nicole Genchur — Thu, 19 Jan 2023 13:55:00 +0000

Do you believe fall is incomplete without a pumpkin-spiced latte? Do you rush to buy that movie-inspired burger meal before it’s too late? Well, as you can see from the long line of people waiting to try the limited-edition ghost chili burrito, you are not alone! Limited-time offers have been a tried and true tactic leveraged by many fast-food chains to make their desired customers salivate.

How do QSRs use limited-time offers?

For those who don’t know, a limited-time offer (LTO) is a promotional tactic to offer a special product or service for a short period of time. By stores providing a deal for a limited time, LTOs create a sense of urgency and exclusivity, encouraging people to take advantage of the unique offer while they still can. Ever since restaurants discovered that limited-time offers could help generate awareness and boost sales, LTOs have become a quintessential part of the QSR industry.

Sure, we all may suffer from FOMO (fear of missing out), but can limited-time offers actually get your desired customer through your door? In this blog post, we will analyze proprietary GroundTruth foot traffic data to determine if consumers’ real-world behaviors shift when QSRs introduce limited-time offers, such as limited-edition holiday cups or new breakfast items. So grab a snack, and let’s discover the truth behind those tasty deals:

Did limited-time offers drive more traffic to QSRs?

1: Wendy’s French Toast Sticks

Back in August, Wendy’s announced the addition of a new breakfast item, French Toast Sticks, to its menu. Fast-forward to National French Toast Day (November 28th), and Wendy’s celebrated by offering a free four-piece order with any breakfast purchase until December 4th.

Real Business Results
Real business results: The week that French Toast Sticks made their debut, foot traffic increased by 10% compared to the three weeks prior.¹

2: Starbucks Holiday Cups

Starbucks added extra cheer to the winter by offering holiday beverages at U.S.-based locations on November 3rd, such as their signature Peppermint Mocha, Caramel Brulée Latte, Toasted White Chocolate Mocha, and Chestnut Praline Latte. Starbucks also brought back some of their cold coffee options for the holidays too, like their Iced Sugar Cookie Almond Milk Latte and Irish Cream Cold Brew.

Real Business Results
Real business results: Visitation to Starbucks cafes increased immediately upon the release of their holiday favorites. Foot traffic to all Starbucks locations was 26% above average on 11/5, just a few days after the arrival of the seasonal, limited-time holiday cups in to stores. ¹

3: Halloween Pails at McDonald’s

What is the most iconic Halloween trio? The Sanderson Sisters from Hocus Pocus? Nope! It is McBoo, McPunk’n, and McGoblin from McDonald’s! The beloved Halloween-themed Happy Meal pails returned to participating McDonald’s restaurants ahead of Halloween this year. Although the buckets were available starting from October 18th, most customers waited until Halloween day to pick them up at McDonald’s, along with a tasty holiday treat.

Real Business Results
McDonald’s restaurant saw a 32% increase in foot traffic on Halloween compared to the same day the week prior. ¹

Conclusion

As you can see from our data, limited-time offers can turn up the heat on quick-service restaurant foot traffic. The value of LTOs doesn’t just stop there. According to the March/April edition of PYMNTS’ Digital Divide series, the research found that 26% of QSR customers consider the availability of promotions or deals when deciding between restaurants. Outside of foot traffic, savvy advertisers can leverage this LTO insight to help drive QSR app usage and boost off-hours sales as well. So, marketers, if you need to spice up your QSR brand, you may want to add a side of LTOs with your marketing plan.

Are you looking for the right insights to enhance customer experience and increase brand awareness? Contact us to see how we can get the data you need to take your marketing strategy to the next level.

1 GroundTruth Visitation Data

The post Do Limited-Time Offers Provide Effective Results for QSRs? appeared first on GroundTruth.

2023 Real-World QSR Market Trends

Marketing — Thu, 12 Jan 2023 13:50:00 +0000

Now serving an unpredictable 2023! As we all jump right into the new year, advertisers know it’s an important time to create new and improved marketing strategies to keep your existing customers and find new ones.

From the automotive market to the healthcare industry, a key ingredient of any effective marketing strategy during an unstable economy is to understand and incorporate real-world behavioral trends into your 2023 game plan. The quick service restaurant (QSR) industry is no different.

If you’re a QSR advertiser looking for behavioral insights to help your company grab a larger slice of the market share pie, we’ve got you covered!

Here are five real-world QSR market trends to help your 2023 campaign be the greatest thing since sliced bread.

To Eat Out, Or Eat In?

For most of 2022, consumers grappled with rising costs, such as menu prices and grocery bills, forcing many to weigh the financial benefits between going out to eat or eating at home. In fact, in the latest QSR Insights Report, we highlighted that the monthly average price grew by double digits (+16.3%) while basket size decreased (-5.3%). With recession fears looming, this question will likely be asked around many more dinner tables this year.

So, how can you use this insight to spice up your next QSR marketing campaign? Give your customers a value-driven reason to eat at your establishment! To win over those on the fence between going out and staying in, push limited-time offers (LTOs) and discounts targeting price-conscious customers, encouraging them to enjoy a meal out.

Battle Loyal

QSR advertisers know better than most of the importance of establishing brand loyalty in such a crowded market. However, when inflation gets thrown into the mix, QSR customers are much more likely to switch loyalties in search of the best deals.

Just last year, we witnessed many loyalty changes in the QSR industry, such as 15% of Chick-Fil-A customers switching to Burger King and 29% of McDonald’s customers switching to Subway. With many expecting prices to rise in 2023, the battle for loyalty will likely rage on.
How can you remain competitive and establish stronger brand loyalty next year? Win over deal-seeking customers by pushing reward-based coupons through real-time tactics, like Proximity Targeting, to influence loyal customers near your locations.

Make The Most Of QSR Apps

Following the pandemic, online ordering and home delivery became the new normal for many people. With the increasing significance of mobile apps in the overall QSR customer experience, making sure to incorporate app-based marketing tactics is essential.

Promote your QSR app by using hyper-focused ads targeting key areas, such as delivery zones, encouraging hungry patrons to place orders online. Also, our QSR Playbook shows seasonal weather changes create shifts in consumer dining behaviors, so take advantage of these changes through advertising tactics like Weather Triggering.

Flow With The Stream

Did you know that the average US adult watches 5.5 hours of TV and digital video content per day? Chances are this fun fact doesn’t surprise you because everyone loves to watch videos online.

According to eMarketer, U.S. connected TV (CTV) ad spending will hit $26.92 billion in 2023 and will likely continue to grow by double digit percentages through 2026. With more marketers incorporating CTV ads into their campaigns, brands are discovering that video-based marketing tactics can help build stronger connections with their target audience and create greater consumer awareness.

QSR advertisers, take note! Capitalize on this behavior by using video ads to deliver the right message, at the right time, to the right audience. Whether your campaign calls for CTV/OTT or pre-rolls, incorporating video ads in your QSR strategy can help your company take on the challenges of 2023.

Late To Bed And Early To Rise

Maybe it’s workers returning to the office, or maybe it’s people getting less sleep than they did pre-pandemic, but the battle for on-the-go breakfast customers and late-night snackers is on the rise. In fact, we found 41% of McDonald’s foot traffic occurs during the morning, while 35% occurs late at night.

Why not join in the battle, QSR marketers? Increase the traffic to your restaurant during these specific times by using Custom Audiences, ultimately giving you the data you need to increase your presence and customer loyalty.

Whatever this year serves up, keep these real-world behaviors in mind to help make your 2023 campaigns the big cheese of the QSR industry. For more real-world behaviors and QSR market trends, make sure to check out our Lean: Insights Reports to take your marketing strategy to the next level.

The post 2023 Real-World QSR Market Trends appeared first on GroundTruth.

GroundTruth Insights Spotlight: In a Struggling Economy QSRs can Benefit from Understanding Real-World Behavior

Nicole Genchur — Thu, 10 Nov 2022 10:42:00 +0000

Summer and Fall have come and gone. So now that we’re entering Winter, and slipping deeper into an inflation-induced spending deficit, deal seekers are emerging at a time when consumers are looking to save wherever they can.

The impact of this shift is that loyalty is becoming harder and harder to come by for QSRs when consumers are shifting their buying from experience buying to more of a savings approach. So what brands are QSR restaurant patrons going to and which competitors are they switching to? What audience “type” do these customers fall into?

In the latest QSR Insights Spotlight, we highlight the trends surrounding QSR switchers and the impact they are having on major QSR brands. In our analysis, we see customers are switching their loyalties based on a few key factors: inflation increasing the cost of goods, a general weariness of recession warnings, and a preference for summer favorites such as tacos and sandwiches, and more.

GroundTruth observed visits to over 30 top QSR brands to demonstrate how real-world behavior can help predict marketing trends, inform strategic business decisions, and provide insights into brand loyalty and new customer growth opportunities.

Important insights for marketers:

15% of Chick-Fil-A customers switched to Burger King, while only 4% of Wendy’s customers switched to Burger King
McDonald’s and Chick-Fil-A audiences are both more likely than average to be seen at Grocery and Convenience stores
McDonalds has seen a strong increase of patronage from the Working Moms and Beach Lovers audiences

Our Insight Team’s findings showcase how location insights help predict valuable customer trends, inform strategic business decisions, and provide insights into brand reach and growth opportunities.

Down in the dumps about the lack of QSR loyalty? Here are a few ways QSR marketers can win back customers who are moonlighting with competitor brands:

Drive traffic during specific dayparts – Increase traffic to your locations during specific mealtimes.
Target value customers – Reach budget conscious customers with special offers, coupons and more.
Promote new limited-time offers (LTOs), especially during the holidays – Drive awareness of LTOs and steal share from key competitors by reaching Competitive Loyalists.
Understand brand overlap & churn – Understanding the invisible “competitor” presents a tremendous opportunity to slow churn and drive new loyal customer growth.

For more foot traffic stats and consumer trends, check out our latest Lean: Insights Reports to uplevel your marketing and branding strategies. Want more QSR Insights? Check out our latest QSR Insights Brief.

The post GroundTruth Insights Spotlight: In a Struggling Economy QSRs can Benefit from Understanding Real-World Behavior appeared first on GroundTruth.

Holiday Insights Spotlight

Lily Yan — Tue, 01 Nov 2022 09:29:00 +0000

GroundTruth’s location insights can help predict valuable consumer trends, inform strategic opportunities, and provide insights into the 2022 holiday season.

The post Holiday Insights Spotlight appeared first on GroundTruth.