A person holdign up their phone looking at a restaurant app

Major Trends Affecting the Restaurant Industry

New developments in technology have been impacting consumer preferences and attitudes toward the restaurant industry. These changes have left consumers wanting faster and more convenient ways to purchase food from restaurants. Companies like UberEats and GrubHub have capitalized on these emerging trends. The millennial generation is also known for being more mobile than previous generations, meaning they are constantly busy and have an “on the go” mindset. Millennials are also willing to spend more on experiences rather than services and products, with 72% of millennial spending going towards experiential-based activities. The restaurant industry will need to be making some dramatic changes in order to appeal to these new trends. Some ideas we have are:

Online and Mobile Ordering

Consumers are spending more time on their phones now than ever before. Smartphones and other smart devices make it easy for consumers to place orders on their mobile devices. Having a mobile-friendly ordering platform will ensure that consumers can conveniently order food from your restaurant.

Mobile Payment Options

Continuing with the habit of increased mobile device usage, mobile payment options are starting to slowly replace traditional cash or credit cards. Platforms like ApplePay and PayPal can encrypt consumers’ payment data so all they have to do is scan a barcode on their phone. Having a POS system that supports this method of payment can speed up line waits as well as ensure that your restaurant caters to the needs of every consumer.

Personalized Experiences

One of the most influential factors that consumers now look for when choosing a restaurant is an establishment that can offer them personal experiences. Consumers are looking for experiences that document and share with their friends on social media. Restaurants can capitalize on this by offering specialized dishes, extra service features, and branded hashtags.
These adaptations may sound overwhelming at first, however, adopting these tactics will allow your restaurant to become differentiated amongst the growing restaurant industry.

ON Advertising is One of Phoenix’s Top Advertising Agencies

Contact us today to learn more about our services and how we can help your business grow to the next level. It took hard work, long hours, and determination to do excellent work for our clients.

Our brand strategists work synergistically to develop and support successful market influence. Our full-scale consideration of each facet of marketing and advertising operates with clear goals and objectives laid out for each client and their unique needs.

Our team of thinkers, creatives, and researchers blend their talents to develop a brand that works for you. Whether you are seeking additional advertising advice for your Gen Z audience or any other marketing project, we can make it happen!

Advertising for Your Restaurant

Let’s face it, the restaurant industry is a highly competitive market with more than 616,000 restaurants for consumers to choose from. The industry is continuing to expand with a 3.5% growth rate over recent years. With stiff competition, strategic advertising and marketing is the key differentiator to make your business stand out in the crowd.
Here at ON Advertising, we have a team of marketing experts to help your restaurant through the digital marketing age. We use various tactics to target and reach out to customers in a unique way that will increase interaction through social media. Building a virtual relationship is critical to connect with your regulars and to attract new potential customers.
Keeping a positive image for your business’ reputation is important because of customers’ reliance on online reviews. Nowadays restaurants have less control of content that users put out on the internet; it is vital to manage your brand’s reputation through digital marketing. Our team of experts diligently monitors your restaurant’s image and makes certain it is consistently favorable.
Having a personalized campaign that is tailored to your needs and strengths is crucial when advertising. We provide a hands-on team approach that recommends personalized campaigns, which actually meet the needs of your current and potential customers. Along with a personalized campaign, we also provide marketing recommendations that include analytical data reports. They show how your company is benefiting from the newly implemented strategies as well as present areas for improvement.
Don’t wait any longer, improve your business’ traffic by implementing a strategic plan of action. Your restaurant has unlimited potential, with assistance from our expert team here at ON Advertising, you can achieve the goals you have always envisioned.
Don’t hesitate to reach out to learn more about how we can help your restaurant thrive!

The Theory Behind Soylent and Other “Food 2.0” Branding

As I started to read a packaging design article titled “Why Do So Many Food 2.0 Companies Look Alike?” by Margaret Andersen for the AIGA Eye on Design blog – I was immediately captured by the subject, design theories and product backgrounds.
First of all, I love the term Food 2.0. There’s a futuristic quality to this term that lends to the theory that food has been redeveloped, or at least it’s packaged better.
I have a bit of personal history with these products, having tried a few different ones myself. This is one reason I was drawn to this article in the first place. Of the 3 different products that I have first-hand experience with, two of them are packaged with this new simplistic, modern look. Devoid of color, ornamentation and stylistic fonts, the packaging has a futuristic, utopian, almost homogenized look to it.

Food 2.0 Branding

The original article shared some direct quotes from the designers/design teams that were involved with developing and personalizing these different brands. Their design references ranged from religious iconography in Pisa to the minimalist labeling of NASA’s space equipment. I like to examine a similarly broad array of inspirational designs when I do research for a new brand identity project. I like to hear how other designers work to achieve their design solutions.
However, with all the “less is more” and “getting back to basics” identity system theories presented, I think they are forgetting that this brand look has been tried before by generic/store brands. Initially, these brands featured white packaging, with minimal text: some might say no design, no personality… no brand. Consumer’s often felt that these products were inferior, or made with inferior ingredients, which resulted in mistrust and lost sales. Today, generic brand companies have mostly dropped the all-white, minimal packaging, usually replacing it with packaging that mimics major brands.
Don’t get me wrong, I personally like the Minimalist Modern look for complete food systems, but I wonder if their resemblance to the generic brands of years ago will prevent them from gaining market share as fast as they otherwise would.
I have seen other design solutions and have brainstormed some of my own that fit the Minimalist Modern aesthetic while staying clear of features that can make a brand feel generic. There is a lot of room to be more expressive, but still keeping to the principals of the Food 2.0 movement.
We’re eager to dive into this arena, so if you’re a complete food system company looking to take your products to the top then shoot us a note today!