Understanding consumer perception, particularly the nuances of the decision-making process, is at the heart of successful branding. And honestly, of all branding. The idea that our minds operate on both conscious and unconscious levels isn’t new; it’s a concept dating back to 1874 when British physiologist and psychologist William Carpenter suggested that “two distinct trains of mental action are carried on simultaneously; one consciously, the other unconsciously.” Fast forward to today, and this dual-process theory remains crucial for brands aiming to connect deeply with their audience. Recognizing and leveraging these unconscious influences could be a game-changer in how your brand is perceived.

“The essence of powerful branding lies in its ability to seamlessly connect with both the conscious and subconscious mind, forging emotional bonds that transcend mere recognition.” – André Ivanchuk

These unconscious processes play a critical role in how consumers perceive and interact with brands. The adaptive unconscious helps consumers quickly categorize and respond to brands based on past experiences, while the dynamic unconscious can influence their emotional responses to branding messages.

The Conscious Mind in Branding

The conscious mind is responsible for the deliberate, rational decisions consumers make. When a consumer evaluates a brand, they consciously consider factors like product features, price, and quality. This is where traditional marketing strategies often focus their efforts, aiming to highlight the tangible benefits and unique selling points of a product or service.

Apple’s marketing campaigns often emphasize the innovative features and sleek design of their products (in great detail). These conscious appeals to logic and aesthetics help to create a strong rational justification for choosing Apple products. Although purchasing an Apple product is also an emotional decision.

A study published in the Journal of Marketing Research found that consumers are more likely to make purchase decisions based on conscious evaluations of product attributes when they are highly involved in the purchase process. This highlights the importance of clearly communicating a product’s functional benefits in marketing materials (Bettman, Luce, & Payne, 1998). In the case of Apple, there’s a certain elegance to how they communicate the benefits of their products.

The Unconscious Mind in Branding

However, the unconscious mind plays an equally, if not more, significant role in shaping consumer behavior. According to Mlodinow, much of our perception and decision-making happens below the level of conscious awareness. This includes our emotional responses, implicit biases, and the subtle cues we pick up from our environment.

Consider the color scheme and design elements of a brand’s packaging. These aspects can evoke specific emotions and associations without the consumer being fully aware of it. For instance, the color blue is often associated with trust and reliability, which is why many financial institutions use blue in their branding.

The concept of “priming” in psychology demonstrates how subtle cues can influence behavior and perception unconsciously. A classic study by Bargh, Chen, and Burrows (1996) showed that exposing participants to words related to old age caused them to walk more slowly afterward. Within a branding context, this means that seemingly minor elements, such as colors or background music, can significantly impact consumer behavior and perception without their conscious awareness.

“True brand strength emerges when we master the interplay between deliberate messaging and the subtle, unconscious cues that shape consumer perceptions.”

~ Andre Ivanchuk

Deep Dive into Unconscious Influences

Two Types of Unconscious Processes

The research article from the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) on unconscious processes distinguishes between two types of unconscious processes: the adaptive unconscious and the dynamic unconscious.

Adaptive Unconscious: This handles routine tasks and learned behaviors. In branding, understanding how consumers’ routine interactions with brands are influenced by past experiences is crucial.

Dynamic Unconscious: This deals with repressed thoughts and desires, influencing deeper emotional connections with brands.

A consumer might habitually choose a particular brand of coffee without consciously thinking about it because the brand is associated with positive past experiences.

A study by Dijksterhuis and Nordgren (2006) found that the adaptive unconscious plays a significant role in decision-making processes, often guiding choices based on prior learning and routine interactions.

Priming and Implicit Associations

Priming and implicit associations can unconsciously influence attitudes and behaviors. Brands can use this knowledge to craft marketing messages and environments that subtly prime consumers to feel positively about their products.

A retail store playing French music can increase sales of French wine without customers being aware of the influence of the background music.

North, Hargreaves, and McKendrick (1999) demonstrated that background music could prime customers to make specific purchasing decisions, highlighting the power of implicit associations in retail environments.

Implicit Bias and Brand Perception

Implicit biases are attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions unconsciously. These biases can significantly influence how consumers perceive brands.

A study by Greenwald and Banaji (1995) on implicit social cognition indicates that people have automatic associations that can influence their judgments and behaviors. For brands, this means that consumers might unconsciously favor brands that align with their implicit preferences or societal stereotypes.

Emotional and Cognitive Load

Emotional responses and cognitive load significantly affect decision-making. Brands can create marketing strategies that reduce cognitive load and foster positive emotional responses, making it easier for consumers to choose their brand.

Simplified messaging and clear calls to action can reduce cognitive load, making decision-making more straightforward for consumers.

A study published in the Journal of Consumer Research found that emotional responses to ads have a more significant influence on a consumer’s intent to buy than the content of the ad itself (Bagozzi, Gopinath, & Nyer, 1999). This suggests that brands should focus on creating emotional connections through their marketing efforts.

Another study by Sweller (1988) on cognitive load theory emphasizes the importance of reducing unnecessary cognitive effort in learning and decision-making processes, which can be applied to branding strategies.

Multisensory Branding

The importance of multisensory experiences in shaping perceptions is highlighted. Brands should consider how visual, auditory, and tactile elements work together to create a cohesive and memorable brand experience.

Starbucks uses a combination of visual design, ambient music, and the aroma of coffee to create a multisensory brand experience.
Hultén (2011) found that multisensory brand experiences could increase customer satisfaction and loyalty by engaging multiple senses simultaneously.

The Role of Habit in Branding

Understanding how habits are formed and maintained can help brands design interactions that encourage repeated engagement, leading to stronger brand loyalty.

Loyalty programs and consistent brand messaging can help create habitual behaviors, encouraging consumers to repeatedly choose the same brand.

Wood and Neal (2009) found that over 40% of daily actions are habitual, not actual decisions, emphasizing the importance of creating opportunities for repeated engagement in branding.

A study by Wood and Neal (2009) on the psychology of habit formation found that over 40% of the actions people perform each day are not actual decisions but habits. For brands, this means creating opportunities for repeated engagement to foster habitual use.

Integrating Conscious and Unconscious Branding Strategies

For a brand to be truly effective, it needs to address both the conscious and unconscious levels of consumer perception. This means crafting a branding strategy that not only communicates clear, rational benefits but also resonates on an emotional and subconscious level.

Leverage Visual and Sensory Elements Thoughtfully: To evoke the right emotional responses, use colors and fonts strategically—blue for trust, red for excitement. Integrate scents, sounds, and textures into your brand’s physical spaces to create a multi-sensory experience. For instance, a subtle, pleasant scent in a retail store can enhance the shopping experience and increase dwell time, leading to higher sales.

According to a study published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology, visual elements such as color and imagery can significantly influence brand perception and consumer behavior. The study found that warm colors (e.g., red, orange) tend to evoke excitement and stimulation, while cool colors (e.g., blue, green) evoke calmness and trust (Labrecque & Milne, 2012).

Craft Authentic Brand Narratives: Develop a story that not only highlights your brand’s origins and mission but also taps into the emotional and cultural zeitgeist. Share these stories consistently across various platforms—social media, blogs, videos—to build a deeper, emotional connection with your audience. For example, a brand that champions sustainability can share stories of their eco-friendly practices, resonating with environmentally conscious consumers.

A study in the Journal of Marketing demonstrated that storytelling in advertising could enhance brand recall and positively affect brand attitudes. The narrative transportation theory suggests that consumers who are absorbed in a story are more likely to be influenced by the brand message (Escalas, 2004).

Harness the Power of Unconscious Influences: Recognize and utilize the subtle cues that influence consumer behavior on an unconscious level. For example, the music played in a store or the design of a product’s packaging can prime consumers to make certain decisions. Regularly test and refine these elements to ensure they align with your brand’s desired impact.

Starbucks’ in-store experience is designed to engage multiple senses—from the aroma of freshly brewed coffee to the cozy, inviting ambiance. These sensory cues work together to create a strong, positive emotional association with the brand.

A study in the Journal of Retailing found that multi-sensory brand experiences could increase customer satisfaction and brand loyalty. Engaging multiple senses simultaneously can create a more immersive and memorable brand experience (Hultén, 2011).

Conclusion
Understanding the two-tier system of the brain offers valuable insights into how consumers perceive and interact with brands. By integrating strategies that appeal to both the conscious and unconscious mind, brands can create deeper, more meaningful connections with their audience. As Mlodinow’s exploration of subconscious influences reveals, much of what shapes our reality operates below the surface. Embracing this complexity in branding can lead to more effective and resonant brand experiences

Hey there, let’s create something impossible!

References

• Bargh, J. A., Chen, M., & Burrows, L. (1996). Automaticity of social behavior: Direct effects of trait construct and stereotype activation on action. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 71(2), 230-244.
• Bagozzi, R. P., Gopinath, M., & Nyer, P. U. (1999). The role of emotions in marketing. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 27(2), 184-206.
• Bettman, J. R., Luce, M. F., & Payne, J. W. (1998). Constructive consumer choice processes. Journal of Consumer Research, 25(3), 187-217.
• Escalas, J. E. (2004). Narrative processing: Building consumer connections to brands. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 14(1-2), 168-180.
• Greenwald, A. G., & Banaji, M. R. (1995). Implicit social cognition: Attitudes, self-esteem, and stereotypes. Psychological Review, 102(1), 4-27.
• Hultén, B. (2011). Sensory marketing: The multi-sensory brand-experience concept. European Business Review, 23(3), 256-273.
• Labrecque, L. I., & Milne, G. R. (2012). Exciting red and competent blue: The importance of color in marketing. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 40(5), 711-727.
• McClure, S. M., Li, J., Tomlin, D., Cypert, K. S., Montague, L. M., & Montague, P. R. (2004). Neural correlates of behavioral preference for culturally familiar drinks. Neuron, 44(2), 379-387.
• Mlodinow, L. (2012). Subliminal: How Your Unconscious Mind Rules Your Behavior. Pantheon.
• North, A. C., Hargreaves, D. J., & McKendrick, J. (1999). The influence of in-store music on wine selections. Journal of Applied Psychology, 84(2), 271-276.
• Wood, W., & Neal, D. T. (2009). The habitual consumer. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 19(4), 579-592.
• Sutil-Martín, D. L., & Rienda-Gómez, J. J. (2020). The Influence of Unconscious Perceptual Processing on Decision-Making: A New Perspective From Cognitive Neuroscience Applied to Generation Z. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 1728. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01728
• Albarracín, D., & Wyer, R. S. (2000). The cognitive impact of past behavior: Influences on beliefs, attitudes, and future behavioral decisions. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 79(1), 5-22.
• Zadra, J. R., & Clore, G. L. (2011). Emotion and perception: The role of affective information. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Cognitive Science, 2(6), 676-685.
• Smith, P. K., & Bargh, J. A. (2008). Nonconscious effects of power on basic approach and avoidance tendencies. Social Cognition, 26(1), 1-24.
• Pessoa, L. (2008). On the relationship between emotion and cognition. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 9(2), 148-158.
• Carretie, L. (2014). Exogenous (automatic) attention to emotional stimuli: A review. Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience, 14(4), 1228-1258.

Different techniques are used by restaurants to provide a memorable and enjoyable dining experience. How a menu is designedcan have a significant impact on a person’s perception of the restaurant and their openness to try new items on a menu, is one example.

It has become increasingly important for restaurant menu engineers to consider the emotional impact of menu item descriptions, believing that well-written descriptions can influence consumers’ decisions. Let’s explore how the psychology of emotional menu item descriptions can create more compelling menus that sell.

“Storytelling allows us to simulate intense experiences without having to live through them directly, and it activates the same neural networks that we use to navigate the real world.”

~ Cron

The Emotional Impact of Menu Item Descriptions.

Research has shown that the way in which menu items are described can have a significant impact on a person’s perception of that item. Emotional language is particularly effective in creating a positive perception of menu items, as it engages the brain’s emotional centers, making the dish more appealing and desirable. When we read an emotionally-charged description of a dish, the brain responds by releasing chemicals such as dopamine and oxytocin, which create a positive feeling and encourage us to want to try the dish.

“Emotions are not a luxury, they are essential to rational thinking and normal social behavior.”

~ Damasio

The Role of Emotion in Perception

There’s a strong relationship between emotion and perception. Our brains need to feel something in order to understand or comprehend it. And this is especially true when it comes to food. Our perception of food is not just based on its taste, but rather on a complex interplay between our sensory experiences, memories, and emotions. Emotions play an important part in our decision-making when it comes to food. They can influence how we decide between foods, our willingness to try something new, and even our enjoyment of the overall dining experience.

The Power of Storytelling in Menu Descriptions

As Lisa Cron points out in her book “Wired for Story: The Writer’s Guide to Using Brain Science to Hook Readers from the Very First Sentence,” all story is emotion-based. The same is true for menu item descriptions. By incorporating storytelling techniques into menu descriptions, restaurants can create an emotional connection with diners that goes beyond mere words on a page. Describing the history or cultural significance of a dish, for example, can create a sense of familiarity and comfort that makes the dish more appealing.

“Humans tend to avoid foods that are unfamiliar or unappealing, and to prefer foods that are associated with positive experiences or emotions.”

~ Rozin

Conclusion

The psychology of emotional menu item descriptions is a powerful tool for restaurants looking to create a more compelling and memorable dining experience. By incorporating emotional language, storytelling, sensory language, and authenticity into their menu descriptions, restaurants can engage diners on a deeper level and create a connection that goes beyond mere words on a page. In today’s competitive restaurant industry, creating a menu that sells is essential, and understanding the psychology of emotional menu item descriptions is an important step in achieving that goal.

“Menu design can have a significant impact on customers’ perception of food and drink, leading to increased sales and customer satisfaction.”

~ Ballester & Hughes

Sources:

• Wansink, B., & Sobal, J. (2007). Menu labeling is ineffective for changing food choices in restaurants. Journal of nutrition education and behavior, 39(5), 216-221.
• Khan, U., & Dhar, R. (2006). Licensing effect in consumer choice. Journal of marketing research, 43(2), 259-266.
• Piqueras-Fiszman, B., & Spence, C. (2014). The influence of the color of the cup on consumers’ perception of a hot beverage. Journal of Sensory Studies, 29(3), 238-245.
• Ballester, J., & Hughes, G. M. (2018). How to design a menu: the effect of menu design on customer perceptions of food and drink. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 75, 47-55.
• Damasio, A. (2006). Descartes’ error: Emotion, reason, and the human brain. Penguin.
• Cron, L. (2012). Wired for story: The writer’s guide to using brain science to hook readers from the very first sentence. Ten Speed Press.
• Kim, Y. G., Eves, A., & Scarles, C. (2009). Building a model of local food consumption on trips and holidays: A grounded theory approach. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 28(3), 423-431.
• Pliner, P., & Hobden, K. (1992). Development of a scale to measure the trait of food neophobia in humans. Appetite, 19(2), 105-120.
• Rozin, P. (1996). Sociocultural influences on human food selection. In Food selection and preparation (pp. 37-58). Springer, Boston, MA.
• Wansink, B., & van Ittersum, K. (2013). Bottoms up! The influence of elongation on pouring and consumption volume. Journal of Consumer Research, 39(5), 983-995.

Food Photography Statistics

Vision trumps all other senses. Our brain sees words as pictures

“Pictures beat text as well, in part because reading is so inefficient for us. Our brain sees words as lots of tiny pictures, and we have to identify certain features in the letters to be able to read them. That takes time.”

John Medina, Brain Rules

When buying, the quality of photo matters!

Etsy’s findings concluded that the quality of photos and Image is the most important deciding factor in sales for 90% of its users!!!

Etsy, Why Product Photography Is Important

When a person sees themselves in the photo, consuming the food or drink – it greatly impacts their decision to buy!

According to a study by BigCommerce, nearly 80% of online shoppers want photos to bring products to life – they want to see the product as if it’s part of their own daily lives.

BigCommerce, BigCommerce Survey Shows Americans Consider Online Shopping Essential 

“The average diner now considers more than 4 restaurants before deciding where to eat.”

“Story is what makes us human, not just metaphorically but literally. Breakthroughs in neuroscience reveal that our brain is hardwired to respond to story; the pleasure we derive from a tale well-told is nature’s way of seducing us into paying attention to it.”¹

The idea of storytelling is largely applicable, and often makes most sense, in a broader branding context. In hospitality. In retail. In the restaurant space.

However, I do believe elements of storytelling could play a small role in contributing to engineering a menu. Or at least having some sort of impact.

And who could resist a bit of philosophical, menu-engineering practicality?

“A powerful story can have a hand in rewiring the reader’s brain—helping instill empathy, for instance—which is why writers are, and have always been, among the most powerful people in the world.” ²

Before we Frankenstein and cross-apply contexts, let’s look at the basics.

“We talk a lot about content, but we often forget that story is the root of what makes content memorable. You have to think about stories pervading everything you do.”

~ Shane Snow

Storytelling.

Oxford defines storytelling as “the activity of telling or writing stories.” The success of a great story, I believe, is evidenced in the audience’s engagement. How captivated they are by the plot. How much they feel for the characters. And most importantly, whether they stick around for the ending.

A book, a film, a Youtube video, a TikTok, an Instagram reel. They’re all stories. And they fall, rise and often suffer from audience engagement – or the lack thereof. Generally speaking.

“There isn’t any significant difference between the various brands of whiskey, or cigarettes or beer. They are all about the same. And so are the cake mixes and the detergents, and the margarines. The manufacturer who dedicates his advertising to building the most sharply defined personality for his brand will get the largest share of the market at the highest profit.”

~ David Ogilvy

Now, generally speaking, there are a few key elements (or principles) of storytelling – or a good story.

Not my own. Borrowed the 4 P’s of Storytelling from Muse University.

• People are the characters in our story who give our audience someone to relate to. People connect with people. Therefore, we can use the notion of empathy to help move our audience.
• My note: for the sake of context, we’ll split people into people-people, and characters (as in the menu items). Since they are kind of the main act.
• Place is where your story happens. It grounds the story in reality. Place is more than just a backdrop—it’s a way to let your story speak for itself, display your character’s authenticity, and foster trust with the audience.
• Purpose is what your story says to the audience. It’s what you want your viewer to take away from the story. By having a well-defined Purpose, you take on one clear vision that resonates throughout your team.
• Plot is the structure of your story. It allows you to maximize the impact of your story by creating an emotional arc. That emotional arc is defined by a beginning, middle, and ending.

There are, however, other opinions and arguments around potentially a few missing and overlooked gospels of storytelling; context, conflict, creation, the storyteller, the medium, the listener. I do believe that when looking at storytelling within a different space, say marketing vs film – will often yield its own pillar of suspects. So, since we’re fans of generalizing – let’s keep it simple.

The listener (or the audience), is more of a function of marketing (the delivery of the message to the ideal customer, audience, user). 

Although the purpose of a story does account for the audience. A great story doesn’t mold itself to please the audience. Rather, it focuses on delivering the message.

Sure, there may be some value in peeling each one apart. Maybe to help see it from a different angle. Looking closer, they tend to fall into one of the 4 P buckets.

“Marketing is no longer about the stuff that you make, but about the stories you tell.”

~ Seth Godin

Storytelling within the branding context is for a different time. A different story. 

So what does this mean for menu engineering? Might be a stretch. But I think there’s some application.

Conditioning The Customer Journey

I know, it’s not menu-engineering per se. However, I do believe it serves a vital role in pre-conditioning a restaurant-goer’s journey from awareness to the moment they’re in your restaurant, with the menu in hand. And choices. Hopefully, lots of good choices.

Let’s call it menu-priming.

So that begins to bring up a few questions. Which item do you want to stand out the most? Whether it’s the seasonal produce needing consumption at its peak, catch of the morning, or the highest profit item, a local favorite, top rated, so on and so forth.

“If something is top of mind, it’s much more likely to be tip of tongue.”

~ Jonah Berger

Decide. And that is your goal. Now outline a compelling narrative (per the handy storytelling principles):

• Where ingredients are sources (people, place)
• A unique preparation method (the plot)
• An unusually clever (and tasteful) ingredient pairing approach (the plot, characters)
• (also related to previous comment), the flavor palette (the plot, the characters, maybe purpose)
• Inspiration (the origin story) behind the dish (purpose, plot)
• Human-centered attributes; reviews, feedback, accolades (purpose, people)

“By definition, remarkable things get remarked upon.”

~ Seth Godin

And then, create a compelling story. Toss it into your marketing engine. And communicate through the restaurant’s public channels. Email, social, digital, in-store. And measure. Track whether or not there’s a noticeable purchase uptick following the item communication. Celebrate, adjust, and do it again.

Remember the Gambling Number 55 scene from the 2015 movie Focus starring Will Smith and Margot Robbie?

That’s priming. How did they do it? Making sure suggestions were everywhere.

Fact or fiction? Ethical or not? That’s for another story.

“Nobody counts the number of ads you run; they just remember the impression you make.”

~ Bill Bernbach

Sources:

• 1. Excerpt From: Cron, Lisa. “Wired for Story: The Writer’s Guide to Using Brain Science to Hook Readers from the Very First Sentence.” Adapted from “Does Beauty Build Adapted Minds? Toward an Evolutionary Theory of Aesthetics, Fiction and the Arts,” J. Tooby and L. Cosmides, 2001. SubStance 30, no. 1 (2001): 6–27, Document Link [PDF]
• 2. Excerpt From: Cron, Lisa. “Wired for Story: The Writer’s Guide to Using Brain Science to Hook Readers from the Very First Sentence,” Adapted from “On Being Moved by Art: How Reading Fiction Transforms the Self,” M. Djikic, K. Oatley, S. Zoeterman, and J. B. Peterson, Creativity Research Journal 21, no. 1 (2009): 24–29.
• https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/us/definition/english/storytelling
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• Photo by Emanuel Ekström on Unsplash
• Photo by Johnathan Macedo on Unsplash
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The experience of something is personal. Often filtered through one’s beliefs, expectations, memories and opinions. The experience of something is not the creation or curation of space, time and sensory stimuli – done so by a restaurant, a venue, an organization. The experience of something is what the goer, attendee or participant experiences as a result of being in (and have gone through) a designated space, over time, having at least one of their senses stimulated.

“Who gets to tell the stories?” asked Tony on the Kenya episode of Parts Unknown, which he made with his CNN colleague W. Kamau Bell. It was the last episode for which he recorded narration, and the winner, in 2019, of an Emmy Award for television writing. “This is a question asked often. The answer, in this case, for better or for worse, is, ‘I do.’ At least this time out. I do my best. I look. I listen. But in the end, I know: it’s my story, not Kamau’s, not Kenya’s, or Kenyans’. Those stories are yet to be heard.” As shared in World Traveler by the late Anthony Bourdain, authored by  Laurie Woolever

Experience is the opinion of one. One out of many. Often vastly different from one another.

Experience can be influenced. Managed.

Ultimately, the result of that experience is what someone, an individual, feels, thinks, and remembers.

And eventually, and hopefully – retells others.

The journey is part of the experience – an expression of the seriousness of one’s intent. One doesn’t take the A train to Mecca.

~ Anthony Bourdain

Sources:

• Anthony Bourdain, Laurie Woolever. World Travel: An Irreverent Guide. Ecco, April 20, 2021
• Photo by Timo Stern on Unsplash
• Photo by Liz Red on Unsplash
• Photo by kayleigh harrington on Unsplash

The past several years have shaken every industry, challenged all imaginable processes, exposed all hidden weaknesses – especially in the hospitality and food-and-beverage space. What we’re seeing today was only a matter of time before we would find restaurants in a similar predicament – pandemic or not.

Now, restaurants have no other option but to adapt or join the graves of those who did not.

Chaos wreaks havoc.

But chaos also creates opportunities.

Those that are weathering the storm are finding themselves glaring at paper napkins; rewriting rules of the industry. 

The times are nothing short of exciting!

BurgerFi Leads with Innovation and Creativity

BurgerFi, is among the nation’s fastest-growing better burger concepts with 116 BurgerFi restaurants domestically and internationally including 23 corporate-owned restaurants and 93 franchised restaurants, in addition to 24 ghost kitchens as of September 30, 2021. The concept has seen tremendously healthy growth. Now a publicly traded company has felt the impact of the pandemic, especially with labor shortages.

In a recent press release, BurgerFi announced its initiative to re-evaluate the customer experience by “testing and expanding five new technologies and creative strategies to stay ahead of evolving consumer preferences and combat widespread labor shortages that have plagued the restaurant industry since the onset of the pandemic.”

“While the entire restaurant industry faces macro headwinds, BurgerFi is determined to be resilient and forward-thinking,” said Karl Goodhew, Chief Technology Officer at BurgerFi. “Leveraging technology is a key factor in delivering guest and employee happiness.”

Part of the forward-thinking, the restaurant chain will be the very first to integrate into in-car ordering technologies in vehicles starting mid 2022. “Through a partnership with Mavi.io—an in-car retail marketplace that brings safe, easy, curated shopping to the dashboard of consumers’ favorite cars”. The restaurant will be notified as the vehicle gets closer, ensuring the pickup transaction is seamless.

According  to a statement from Mavi.io’s CEO and co-founder Cynthia Hollen, “Mavi.io’s in-car retail marketplace is driving OnMyWay CommerceTM by doing all the work when drivers need to pick up something while on the road—whether that’s a meal, a phone charger, a coffee or a few groceries—so they can make the most of every trip,” continues Hollen, “[a] driver can just tell their car that they’re hungry, for example, and the technology does the rest, identifying the best location for them to order from based on their destination, helping them order and pay, and timing their curbside pickup perfectly, so their meal is fresh and ready right when they swing by.”

Additionally, BurgerFi will experiment with in-restaurant robotis to assist with routine on-site customer service, ordering technologies, and hybrid food halls – in a commuted effort to place technology and innovation central in creating an integrated customer experience.

Smokey Bones’ Drive-Thru

A growing and surprisingly promising  opportunity is quickly emerging for full-service and casual-dining restaurants. Following the pandemic, off-premises sales are gaining a significant share of total sales. In fact, the Cheesecake Factory brings in approximately $60,000 additionally in off-premises sales – per location, per week! According to Cheesecake, nearly 70% of the off-premises regulars are new customers. A phenomena quick-service restaurants are not seeing.

Smokey Bones CEO James O’Reilly the industry is seeing massive shifts in off-premises and the on-premises dynamic. “And not only are more people engaging with the casual-dining brands off-premises than ever before, the on-premises customer even thinks of their experience being a little bit different,” he says. “A little bit more special, which underpins how consumers are spending in on-premises occasions. But all of this led us to ask, how do we support that and keep growing the company and growing the value and becoming more relevant to consumers?”

The solution: a full-scale, quick-service style, in function, drive-thru system on one of its restaurants. “With a view to it becoming a part of how we do business going forward,” O’Reilly says.

To deliver speed and allow the drive-thru to function properly, the restaurant will prioritize convenience, freshness and favorites. “We want guests to be able to order many, many of the menu items that they can get very, very quickly,” said O’Reilly. “Like sandwich combos and wing combs and things like that. And if the guest wants to order a family meal or something that might take a few minutes longer, we’ll have designated spots where they can wait for their order to be brought up to them.”

Additionally, the drive-thru will also allow Smokey Bones to showcase and sell their virtual brands – quick-service concepts the company has been developing.

TikTok Tackling Virtual Dining, 1,000 Virtual Restaurants Expected!

It makes total sense! The dining service, TitTok Kitchen, in partnership with Virtual Dining Concepts will make foodie trends a reality; a delivery-only experience across the county. That’s 1,000 expected locations by the end of 2022. The menu will be solely based on viral food trends, and is planned to change quarterly.

Virtual Dining Concepts is most notably known for fueling MrBeast Burger, which now has 1,500 locations in the USA, Canada and UK.

Sources:

• BurgerFi IR Press Release, 12/16/21
• FSR – Smokey Bones to Build a Drive-Thru Casual-Dining Restaurant
• Bloomberg – TikTok Is Getting Into the Restaurant Business
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It is nearly a 100% certainty (as long as a table is available) when someone comes into a restaurant they will purchase something. The question then becomes ‘what will they order, and how much will they spend?’. From an operational perspective, what impact will their purchase make on the restaurant’s profitability.

The extent of what they purchase largely depends on two on-site factors:

• Menu
• Waitstaff (if a Quick Service Restaurant, the menu has full responsibility)

Before waitstaff have a chance to share drink and entree specials, there is a window of opportunity that is solely dependent on the menu. And it is the full responsibility of the menu to educate and influence a purchasing decision.

As a caveat, the menu’s ability to influence and educate is also closely impacted by pre-purchase events that may significantly ease the menu’s sole burden to guide a patron to a decision.

The presence of social media, online reviews, and user generated content as product awareness and consideration events may play a significant role when a customer is at a table browsing the menu. The quality of the awareness and consideration events (quality of food photography, the ideal rating, reviews, and overall ease of content access and discovery) directly impacts not only consideration (when someone is planning mealtime, e.i. where to go), but also when they are on-site looking at the menu.

The menu is not a trivial document to be used as a vehicle to cram as much information as possible into. But rather, an advertisement, a billboard, a social media feed engineered (if done correctly) to help educate and influence a customer’s purchasing experience.

Sources

• Photo by Izz R on Unsplash
• Photo by Simon Karemann on Unsplash

According to a recent study published by regie.ai that analyzed nearly 150,000 inbound, outbound and follow-up sales emails, short and sweet wins.

Subject lines with 2 words were clear winners. Outperforming all others. Averaging a 34% open rate. Compared to an overall average of 25% – the 9% increase may translate to a substantial impact to email marketing goals – Ultimately, impact on sales, repeat customers, loyalty and overall brand lift.

Reply Rate on a two-word subject line came in at 8%. . Compared to an overall average of 4%.

Interestingly enough, subject lines with a single word came in at a strong 6% Reply Rate. Still well above the overall average.

Even more interestingly, seven-word subject lines also came in at a 6% Reply Rate and an average open rate of 34%. Exact same open rate as 2-word subject lines.

Additionally, all cap subjeclines and excessive punctuations can trigger emails to be marked as spam. In fact, 85% of recipients prefer the subject line in all-lowercase.

From an alternative perspective, keeping the subject line down to no more than 50 characters, which is about 6-7 words, in addition to getting to point, clear and simple – will further add to the subject line’s effectiveness.

Quick and Easy | Do-it-today Takeaways

• When sending your restaurant’s promotion, 2-word and 7-word subject lines were clear winners.
• Experiment and A/B test with single word subject lines, track Open Rate and Reply Rate
• Experiment and A/B test  7-word subject lines. However, approach crafting the 7-word subject line with more intentionality. Deliver value, be clear with the receiver’s potential problem, offer exclusivity, clarify scarcity.

• Regie.ai The Sales Email Benchmarks Report
• Klaviyo – Understanding Deliverability Best Practices, December 08, 2021
• Sendinblue – What Is Email Marketing and How Does It Work? Definition, Tools, & Best Practices
• Photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash