With the increasingly fierce commodity economy and social competition, the marketing concept of tourism catering enterprises has gradually developed from the original self-centered product concept, production concept and marketing concept to the customer-oriented marketing concept, and even the "social marketing" theory has emerged from the longer-term development of catering enterprises, that is, catering enterprises should not only pay attention to immediate economic interests, but also pay attention to their own social benefits and establish their own overall image and long-term interests.
As an important part of tourism enterprises, tourism catering enterprises are naturally affected, and various marketing methods emerge one after another, and the marketing war is getting worse.
The so-called catering marketing, not only refers to simple catering promotion, advertising, publicity, public relations and so on. It also includes a series of planned and organized extensive catering products and service activities launched by catering operators to meet the needs of guests and achieve catering business objectives.
It's not only a piecemeal food promotion activity, but also a complete process. Catering marketing is carried out in a constantly developing marketing environment. Therefore, in order to adapt to the change of marketing environment and seize the opportunity, marketers should make corresponding marketing plans.
First of all, we must determine the business direction of catering enterprises, conduct market research and determine the business direction; Then, carry out market segmentation in depth, analyze competitors and situation, and determine marketing objectives; Immediately study and decide on products and services, sales channels, prices and marketing strategies;
And the specific implementation of the planned financial budget, and through a period of implementation, according to information feedback, timely adjust the business direction and marketing strategy, and finally achieve the best combination of people, price, performance, products, packages, promotions and many other factors.
Generally speaking, catering enterprises can consider the following aspects and adopt corresponding marketing methods, such as advertising marketing, publicity marketing, menu marketing, personnel marketing, restaurant image marketing, telephone marketing, public relations marketing and special marketing activities. The following article will further elaborate the above aspects. Advertising marketing is a marketing means to promote or publicize the catering public or potential guests in a specific catering market by purchasing the space or time of a certain propaganda medium. It is a common marketing tool in the catering industry. The limitation of the old saying "good wine is not afraid of the deep alley" has been recognized by more and more people. Therefore, in catering marketing, advertising is an indispensable and important means.
Catering advertisements can generally be divided into the following categories:
television advertising
It is characterized by its fast communication speed, wide coverage and colorful means of expression. It can be used in audio-visual, writing, color and sports, which can be described as an extremely infectious advertising form. However, this method is expensive and time-consuming to manufacture. At the same time, limited and influenced by time, broadcast channel, storage and other factors, information can only be passively exchanged in one direction. Generally, 7: 30 pm to 10: 30 pm is considered as the best time for advertising, but the cost is also quite high; Moreover, when merchants are busy competing for the "prime time" and "prime time" of the advertising war, the audience passively accepts the stimulation of visual advertisements too frequently, and their expectations for products are too high. Once they "follow the trend" in real consumption, they will suffer from some false advertisements and have distrust of those catering products with strong advertising. Some people are bored and rebellious because of untimely or shoddy advertisements, which runs counter to the original intention of advertisements.
Radio advertising is a kind of catering advertising form suitable for local or surrounding consumer groups. Its characteristics are: low cost, high efficiency and strong popularization. Generally, we can stimulate the audience's participation by means of hotline on demand, inviting guests to talk and ordering songs, so as to enhance the advertising effect. However, there are many defects in this way, such as: communication means are limited by technology; No data and visibility; Single expression technology; And its passive acceptance and so on.
Advertisements in newspapers and magazines
This kind of advertisement is suitable for food festivals, special events, small package prices and other catering advertisements, and some coupons can also be published for readers to cut out and enjoy preferential catering services with coupons. The advantage of this method is informatization and low cost, but the image is poor, the communication speed is slow and the advertising scope is small.
For example, promotional materials in restaurants can print some exquisite catalogues of formal catering activities and introduce various catering and entertainment activities this week or this month; There are exquisite brochures on the types, grades, locations, telephone numbers, number of diners, service methods, business hours and various special dishes of the restaurant. Specially made some "mini menus" that guests can take away as souvenirs; Various illustrated and exquisite introductions such as "weekend champagne lunch" and "children's set meal" are placed beside the elevator, at the door of the restaurant or at the front desk for guests to read.
telemarketing
That is, the two-way communication between catering marketers and guests by telephone. This kind of sales promotion is only through voice communication, so we need to pay special attention to using our own hearing to make a general understanding and judgment on the requirements, intentions and emotions of our guests in a very short time, and try our best to be accurate and focused when selling our catering products and services, and at the same time make accurate telephone records. The pronunciation and intonation of the conversation should be euphemistic, cheerful and polite. At the same time, don't forget the details such as the agreed interview and the time and place for further confirmation. Finally, thanks to the guests. This method has great limitations, and the general details are not easy to finalize.
Mail advertising is a form of advertising that directly mails business letters, brochures, restaurant news articles, postcards, etc. From restaurants to consumers. It is more suitable for some special catering activities, the launch of new products and the opening of new restaurants, attracting some large local companies, enterprises and institutions, permanent hotel institutions and old customers. This method is more flexible, less competitive, gives people a cordial feeling, and is also convenient for measuring work performance; But the cost is high, time-consuming and laborious.
Advertisements in other printed matter and publications
For example, catering advertisements can be published in telephone books, travel guides, city maps, tickets for tourist attractions and other places. Outdoor advertising refers to catering advertisements made through outdoor signboards, buildings, vehicles and light boxes. Such as neon signs, light box advertisements, roof signs, wall advertisements, bulletin boards, etc. , in the central business district, on both sides of major traffic arteries, stations, docks, airports, squares and other areas where pedestrians gather more; Advertising signs on both sides of roads such as expressway; Advertisements on the inner and outer bodies of vehicles such as automobiles and trains; Advertising set up on the spot such as catering facilities. Even advertising shirts and lighters can be the carriers of advertisements. Its characteristics are: low cost and long advertising duration. This method is very suitable for the image advertisement of catering facilities, but it should be noted that the focus of its advertisement should highlight the characteristics of catering products, the geographical position and image of the advertising carrier, and give people a novel and unique feeling.
Other advertisements
For example, contract advertisements, that is, advertisements that use catering products and services to pay debts, are generally used when advertising expenses are insufficient; Free advertisements provided by credit card companies for customers; Signs at the entrance of hotels or restaurants; The elevator in the store can also be turned into three advertising walls; Tent-style table cards, with various information such as food festivals, desserts, drinks and the latest dishes in the restaurant. Publicity and marketing This is paid or unpaid news reports, news and other forms. Generally, information about food and services is provided to people through radio, television, newspaper articles, oral communication, signs or other media. Compared with advertising, it is easier to win the trust of consumers.
Marketing staff of catering industry should be good at grasping the opportunity, capturing some newsworthy activities held by catering industry and providing information to the media. Media representatives should be invited to all large banquets, press conferences, entertainment activities and food festivals held by restaurants.
Relevant information can be provided in advance, or in the form of written notice or self-made news articles.
Generally, the relevant personnel of the department should be responsible for the writing of the manuscript, the shooting of news pictures and other matters. You can also jointly organize small columns such as "Beautiful Diet", "Holiday Food", "Colorful Life" and "Diet and Health" with TV stations, radio stations, newspapers, magazines and other media, which can not only expand the positive influence of hotels in society and improve the reputation of departments or restaurants, but also publicize their own business characteristics and various sales activities. Personal sales
Generally speaking, sales promotion can be divided into the following situations:
Special promotion:
The general catering industry can set up special salesmen to market catering products, but they are required to be proficient in catering business, understand the market situation and be familiar with the operation of various catering facilities and equipment in the hotel, and guests can get positive reservations and commitments from them.
Comprehensive promotion:
In other words, all employees of the hotel are real or potential salespeople.
The first level consists of marketing director, catering sales agent, sales manager, sales staff and other full-time personnel.
The second level consists of part-time sales staff, such as catering director (or catering manager), banquet manager, restaurant manager, reservation clerk, usher and various service personnel. The manager can greet the guests at the restaurant gate before each meal; Patrol during meals and solve all kinds of complaints and difficult problems on the spot; After dinner, I sincerely thanked the guests and asked their views and opinions on dishes, drinks and services. Through their warm and polite attitude, skillful and superb service skills and appropriate language art, service personnel sell to guests by voice or silence;
The third floor consists of chefs and other personnel. Menu marketing is to promote food and drinks to customers who have been consuming in restaurants through various forms of menus. Marketing can be carried out through various fixed menus, revolving menus, special menus, today's special dishes, chef's special dishes, weekly special dishes, new dishes this month, children's menus, middle-aged and elderly menus, couples' menus, weekend menus, food festival menus, etc.
Various menus can also choose different textures according to the situation, design covers with different artistic conception and taste, and the format and size can be flexibly changed, and can be made into paper pad type, desk card type, poster type, hanging type, tent type and so on. Colorful, or elegant, or luxurious, or exquisite, can make guests fondle admiringly, and invisibly produce a desire to buy and put it into action. These menus are actually wordless advertisements. Restaurant image marketing
Design and plan the image of the restaurant, such as the design of storefront logo, the choice of restaurant theme, the decoration style of the restaurant, furniture, layout, color lighting, etc., so as to promote it. For example, you can create a Shanghai restaurant with an old Shanghai atmosphere in the 1930 s; Banana villa with Vietnamese style; Dai style bamboo restaurant; Romantic, elegant and artistic western-style steak house; High-end Chinese restaurants with mahogany (or imitation mahogany) furniture, plush chairs and Qing palace costumes; Mongolian restaurants with the theme of yurts, small square tables and flower carpets exude a rough and wild game atmosphere; The blackboard at the entrance of the restaurant attracts customers with handwritten menus, and Italian restaurants with bright national flags on three sides can be seen everywhere in the restaurant; Greeters with red lanterns and red flowers and green leaves, greeters with obvious Sichuan accent, young people in Chinese tunic suits, big copper pots with a long spout and Sichuan-style restaurants that make tea like waterfalls are all successful examples of restaurant image marketing.
Marketing globalization and localization of differentiated chain catering industry
With China's entry into WTO, "internationalization of international market and domestic market" has been objectively placed in front of China enterprises. Enterprises and products are becoming more and more homogeneous. In this special market environment, how can the catering industry meet the different individual needs of consumers? The author believes that in the global competition of catering industry marketing, its essence is the localization of characteristics and the competition of local characteristics.
In recent years, the catering industry in Wuhan is full of vitality, and a number of "new brands" have sprung up everywhere. The "time-honored brand" has gradually become a "sunset in the western hills", and a new round of catering competition has begun. This is a contest of the comprehensive strength of talents such as brand, personality, dish innovation and service innovation. At present, the catering industry in Wuhan presents the following trends: popularization and low consumption; Heavy pile, light dislocation: "disorderly super-life."
The formation of the strategic thought of implementing differentiated chain management in Little Blue Whale
Differentiated chain operation is actually the embodiment of "customer-centered operation", and the difference of consumers' demand for products is far greater than the identity of product supply. Many famous enterprise groups at home and abroad, such as Procter & Gamble and Haier. All of them become stronger and bigger through differentiated personality management as a brand extension.
Little Blue Whale learns from Procter & Gamble, Haier, Marriott and Shanghai Jinjiang, and implements differentiated chain operation. First, it has innovated the globalization and localization of service marketing; The second is to calmly analyze the fierce homogenization competition in the catering market; The third is to combine the characteristics of Chinese food itself, but also to solve the mystery that Chinese food is not long.
As Little Blue Whale is the first catering enterprise in Wuhan to introduce standardized chain stores, it opened its first chain store in 1995. Its health characteristics, cultural atmosphere, management concept and development model have been recognized by the market and some investors. In just 8 years, 20 stores have been developed, including 6 in Wuhan alone.
There is no development without innovation, and there is no competitiveness without innovation. Of course, differentiation chain is not equal to random chain. The connotation of the differentiation chain of Little Blue Whale is "three changes and four unchanged", which changes what customers feel personally, including dishes, service processes and store layout. Cuisine will change with the "theme" of the hotel, not "one hundred restaurants and one dish", each with its own main characteristics; The design of service process will also change with the change of theme dishes, conveying a personality that is difficult to imitate; The change of environmental layout only focuses on the service characteristics of dishes and creates a good dining atmosphere for customers. "Four invariants" means that the concept of "healthy diet" remains unchanged; The standard of joining the chain remains unchanged; Management norms remain unchanged; The image recognition system remains unchanged.
Practice of Differentiated Chain Management of Little Blue Whale
In February, 20065438+0-65438+,Little Blue Whale launched the brand "Jingchu Renjia" on the basis of the original Jiyuqiao chain store. The official launch of "Jingchu Family" is the first exploration of the differentiated management of Little Blue Whale. Wuchang, as a tourist and cultural area, has many places of interest and cultural landscapes, but it is not a pure Hubei cuisine restaurant. Many foreigners travel to Hubei, but they don't recommend Hubei restaurants to their guests. Many people don't know what the real hubei cuisine is or how to introduce hubei cuisine. Relying on the profound Chu culture, Little Blue Whale launched a new brand of Jingchu family, a tourist culture restaurant featuring Chu style and Chu rhyme. "Jingchu Renjia" is different from other shops of Little Blue Whale in its unique personality, which is reflected in the rich Chu culture atmosphere, such as totem decorative architectural style, decorative pendants, bronzes, ornaments, dragon and phoenix tables, Guan Gong, bronze statues and the Twin Towers of Chu State. And each private room has a different allusion culture; The characteristics of the dishes are: Jingchu local famous dishes, historical and cultural famous dishes, Gaoshan wild vegetables, official dishes, folk dishes, New Year dishes, big bowls and other series. These personalized operations echo the tourism orientation of Wuchang District, welcoming foreign guests and friends from other provinces and cities, and the business situation is gradually better than when personalized operations are not implemented. This move has also strengthened our confidence in further implementing the comprehensive differentiated chain in Wuhan.
Liu: Chairman and General Manager of Wuhan Little Blue Whale Health Food Management Company, Deputy Secretary General of Wuhan, Vice President of Wuhan Federation of Industry and Commerce, President of Wuhan Catering Industry Association and Director of China Cuisine Association.