The hospitality business is a very competitive one, with so many restaurants and hotels opening up on a regular basis. However, you may have noticed that many such establishments also close down as fast as they are opening up. Why is that?
One of the main reasons that hospitality businesses fail is that they are unsuccessful at creating a good brand identity for themselves, which results in low business turnover. In order to survive in a competitive industry, brand identity is key, among other requirements such as high-quality food and service. Your brand identity will determine how your customers perceive you and your business, and how you make a mark for yourself in the eyes of the general public.
While a catchy tagline, theme and attractive logo (including these on your marketing and promotional collateral, staff uniforms including server aprons and chef coats etc) are important for the marketing aspects of a business, your brand identity is what gives your customers an idea of what to expect from you. So, here are a few tips of how to build a successful brand identity for your restaurant.
- Define your Vision and Mission and your identity – Take time in deciding what kind of service, food, ambiance and experience you would like to offer to your customers. In addition, you will also need to decide how you want the general public to perceive you, whether as a family friendly restaurant, a high-end fine dining restaurant, vegan restaurant, or anything else.
- Identify your target audience – Determine what kind of customers you want coming to your restaurant, according to age group, lifestyles, preferences etc. Once you have an idea about the appeal you can create to your target audience, you are one step closer to creating an effective brand identity for yourself.
- A unique voice – Your brand voice should be in line with the identity you want to create as well as your target audience, and create all marketing aspects for your business around this voice. Whether it is a formal high-end voice or a casual hip one, you decide how you want to create your identity in accordance with your target market. In tune with this, you can then start creating your logos, taglines, brand colors, as well as your appearance and ambiance.
- Appearance – The look (décor) and ambiance of your restaurant should reflect your brand identity and voice. The appearance of your staff, uniforms etc should also reflect this same voice, including using the color themes of your brand on even things such as uniforms like chef coats and server aprons.
- Continuously improve – Building an effective brand identity doesn’t stop after you have opened up your restaurant. While the initial decision making and setting up process is important, building a unique identity for yourself is an ongoing process, which should continue over time. When you are in business for some time, it also helps to review your branding strategy now and then, and make any changes where required, in accordance with changing markets and consumer behavior.
- Rewarding loyalty – Once you have built a successful brand, and you have your fare share of loyal customers, it is time to reward their loyalty. Many establishments have loyalty programs which provide a premium service to members, as well as discounts and special offers. They may also have designated seating areas for member customers, so that even if it is a busy day, you will never turn away your regular customers.
- Be consistent – Don’t forget that your brand message should be consistent throughout your business, from the smallest element to the most important.
- Your personality – As an owner of a restaurant it is important to reflect your own personality in your business, so that you yourself are in-tune with the environment, ambiance and identity you want to create. This also makes your business unique, because each and every one has their own unique personalities.
With the high competition that is out there, especially in the hospitality industry, it is important to find innovative and creative ways to reach your target audiences. Since many people are now using social media, this is also the ideal platform for businesses to create greater visibility for themselves, and project your brand identity to the many potential customers who are out there. It is also a great way of engaging more with your customers, as a way of retaining your existing clientele. By giving your followers and regular customers recognition and appreciation, they will surely recommend you to other as well, thereby building a strong brand name for you.
