Keep an eye on digital marketing opportunities

When Nation’s Restaurant News surveyed 600 restaurant operators for its second annual Restaurant Technology Outlook, they found that digital marketing is an area of tension for many businesses right now: Operators understand that digital marketing efforts are critical to driving traffic and sales, yet across segments, the vast majority of survey respondents reported being only “somewhat satisfied” with their existing digital marketing tools – or worse. (The same was true for related tools for loyalty programs, integrations and APIs, customer data platforms and CRM systems.) Tellingly, the survey found that digital marketing topped the list of investment priorities for restaurants, with 46 percent of respondents saying they would support this area of their business with investment. In the quick-service segment, an even larger percentage of respondents (54 percent) were in favor of digital marketing as a top priority for investment. In a recent webinar, “Emerging Tech Strategies for Restaurants,” Christi Ravneberg of Nation’s Restaurant News said operators’ dissatisfaction with their digital marketing tools, growing knowledge and confidence about guest data, and willingness to invest, combined with the expanding applications of artificial intelligence, could deliver a “perfect storm for a lot of exciting investment and innovation on the marketing front in the next year.” If your restaurant is looking to enhance its current capabilities in this area, you will likely find opportunities to innovate (and perhaps negotiate) as providers bring new services to market and vie for business in a market eager for better options.