3 Amazing Restaurant Marketing Campaigns And What You Can Learn From Them

Sometimes it may seem like another business or restaurant has already used every marketing idea you can think of. But even if an idea has already been used, that doesn’t mean you can’t tweak it and make it your own, or closely examine it and learn from its success. With that in mind, we wanted to bring you three great marketing campaigns that real restaurants have used in the past. Have a look and see if there’s anything you can take away from them to use for marketing your own restaurant.

Delete Your Friends

Burger King channeled the power of social media with a campaign that encouraged people to delete their Facebook friends. Deleting 10 friends would earn them a free Whopper from Burger King. It was a savvy campaign that took into account the hundreds or even thousands of “friends” that most people have acquired on Facebook. Delete ten? For many, it was easy. In just one week, roughly 200,000 friends were deleted.

What You Can Take Away

The almost limitless uses of social media should be your main takeaway from this promotion. There’s a reason that so many restaurants and businesses try to engage their customers on social media—that’s where they are. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat are incredibly easy to use and reach customers through. Another takeaway? Get creative. Burger King’s promotion was such a hit in part because it reversed the normal formula for a social media campaign. Instead of liking or sharing something, get rid of something else.

Trial By Fire

Hell Pizza in New Zealand developed a simple, yet diabolical game, and turned it into a runaway hit. The idea was that they would sell a normal pizza to customers, but upon request, they would add Ghost Peppers to exactly one slice of pizza. The “fun” for the recipients was the knowledge that they would be playing a pizza version of Russian Roulette with the slice laced with extremely hot peppers. Hell Pizza received $2.3 million in additional sales and an ROI of 400%.

What You Can Take Away

The challenge was both unique and fun. It involved multiple diners and an element of danger that upped the stakes. Your marketing campaigns don’t have to be dangerous, but they should have a unique element that sticks in your customer’s memory. In this case, diners got a pizza and a great story to tell their friends—which is exactly the type of word of mouth campaign that can increase business.

Doctors Eating Hot Dogs

In 1916, Nathan’s Hot Dogs opened, selling their hot dogs for half the price of a competitor. But that in itself seemed a little fishy to people. What was in the hot dogs if they were so inexpensive? So in a stroke of genius, Nathan Handwerker hired actors in lab coats to stand outside, eating his hot dogs with a sign that said, “If doctors eat our hot dogs, you know they’re good.”

What You Can Take Away

Your brand and people’s perceptions of it can make or break your restaurant. Fortunately, you have quite a bit of control over how people view your restaurant. When you are planning a marketing campaign, be sure to think about what it will say about your restaurant. Will it give off the vibe or the look you’re going for?

If you’re still looking for a way to get the most your of your marketing efforts, then contact Marketing Vitals today for a free demo of our groundbreaking restaurant analytics software.