Everything You Need to Know About Restaurant Branding in 2023
For any restaurant that wishes to build customer loyalty, the creation of a recognizable and memorable restaurant brand is the most effective way to achieve it. Every restaurant must develop an eternal brand identity that the target audience loves.
- A well-done brand tells customers everything about the restaurant
- It gives visual and emotional cues to potential customers
- It extends across all parts of the business
- A well-used brand gives the restaurant a competitive edge
A recent survey conducted by Vista has made the following observations
- 89% of small businesses in hospitality attribute their overall success to branding
- 83% say that branding exercises significantly impact their revenue growth
- 87% report that branding helps attract new customers to the restaurant
- 93% of business owners claimed that branding helps build trust
Restaurant Branding Strategy Concepts
From building signs to restaurant logo branding, the strategy of restaurant branding involves several steps.Â
Restaurant branding image and identity
A restaurant is not just about the food offered. Getting people to trust the restaurant and its name forms the foundation of the branding exercise.
Mission And ValuesÂ
The brand has to be perfected before it is launched. Drafting a mission statement is the first step of the restaurant branding strategy.
Brand Personality
By presenting the restaurant with human qualities, customers will know about your brand character.
Target MarketÂ
Restaurant branding strategies must always be based on the characteristics and demographics of the target market.
The Brand Tone
The tone can be determined by using typefaces that match the restaurant’s branding exercise
TypographyÂ
The font that the restaurant uses communicates its identity.
Color Palette
By using the perfect color palettes and color psychology, one can positively stimulate the customer’s purchasing decisions.
Develop The Restaurant’s Brand Identity
A brand identity is not just about the colors. It represents the restaurant’s personality, the tone of the branding communication, the emotions that the restaurant wants the people to feel, etc. So, it is important to understand the target audience, establish a theme, and feel that works well with all personas.
Top Restaurant Branding Ideas
Optimize The Website
People look for several kinds of information like menus, opening hours, locations, etc. on the website. So, it is essential to keep the website optimized and gadget-compatible.
List The Restaurant On Dining And Restaurant Apps
By getting discovered on dining apps, restaurants can be found by people who are interested in their business. This is one of the top free restaurant branding strategies. Include as many details about the restaurant as possible in the apps.
Build Your Google Business Profile
Getting the Google Business Profile is highly essential as it allows the restaurant to appear in local search results and Google Maps
Do Not Miss Yelp
With its large user base, Yelp brings several new customers to restaurants. So having an optimized Yelp account is of utmost importance.
Use An Online Reservation System
Restaurants that wish to build a robust brand must always have an online booking platform. This opens the avenue for the business to customers looking for newer places to dine-in or order. A few of the renowned online reservation systems for restaurants include – OpenTable, Yelp, EatApp, Tablein, Resy, Tock, etc.
Revamp The Restaurant SEO
Restaurants looking to improve their SEO strategies to be easily found in search results must start by building a Google Business Profile, embedding Google Maps on the restaurant website, using location keywords in the website’s URL structure, and SEO optimizing all the website pages.
Create An Extraordinary Online Menu
Restaurants must use an interactive online menu (an HTML version) in place of a static PDF one as the former is easier for Google to index. This online menu must be made easy to navigate. This is possible if it is mobile-friendly and has a font that is easy to read. Include high-margin items on the online menu and stimulate sales.
Start A BlogÂ
Starting a blog section on the website is a great way to voice out the restaurant’s personality. It is a great way to share news or any latest updates with visitors.
Foodie Photos
Instagram users are well aware of the power of food photographs. A cost-effective way to promote the restaurant online is to click and share high-quality, hunger-stimulating photos on the website and other social media platforms.
Brand Logo
The restaurant’s logo is a valuable brand asset. It is important to create a professional, simple and memorable logo that tells customers several things about the restaurant in a single glance.
How Do Restaurants Brand Themselves?
One can hire a specialized restaurant branding agency or also use other practical ways like the following for the branding exercise.
Online ReviewsÂ
Restaurants must have an active presence on sites like Yelp and TripAdvisor as it helps build trust with potential customers who rely heavily on online reviews when choosing their next destination for dining.
Email Marketing
Emails are an effective way to reach customers who have subscribed to your mailing list. This audience will be interested in the restaurant and curious to know its offerings. Emails can be sent out once or twice in a week to keep people informed about special offers, promotions, coupons, etc.
Social Media
Social media platforms are literally a no-cost, yet effective way to reach and interact with a large audience – that too, in real-time. Accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. can be used to share images and videos of the restaurant’s food and ambiance. This will encourage followers to constantly stay in touch with you, thus, building a robust brand.
Work With Food Influencers And Marketing Services
Food influencers are influential people in the food community with large followings and a reliable voice. Even a single, brief endorsement from them could convert into a handful of customers. Build and nurture a strong relationship with food influencers so that the sales of the restaurant increase.
This blog would have been a great eye-opener for those looking for the right way to build a great restaurant brand. Get in touch with Restaurantify for more information on digital marketing practices for restaurants.