Restaurant customers are dynamic not static and OliveGarden customers will welcome the shift in focus reflecting today’s evolvingfood trends. Foodservice Solutions®Grocerant Guru Steven Johnson detailed restaurant customer migration in hispresentation at MUFSO 2012 last week. Heidentified and explained how THE HDTVSYDROME is slowing top line growth within the restaurant sector.
Lacking creative insights and positioning Olive Gardenssales have been slipping. Olive Gardensnew promotion “Dinner Today & Dinner Tomorrow” is neither insightful norcreative it is simply copy-cat marketingand a sign of internal brand indifference.
Concept differentiation is not Darden branded restaurantsstrong suit. This new for Darden promotion is a duplicate of the successfulgrocerant niche promotion run by Maggiano’s Little Italy for at least 18months. Don’t get me wrong it will work, for the grocerant niche is growing andexpanding with more customers and new non-traditional points of fresh fooddistribution.
Here is how Olive Garden’s PR outlined the New DinnerToday & Dinner Tomorrow Promotion:
“Olive Garden's "Dinner Today & Dinner Tomorrow" promotion (Oct.8 through Nov. 18), gives busy families a convenient and affordable way toenjoy two meals during the week – maximizing quality time dining together andminimizing time spent preparing meals. Guests choose one of five favorite entreesfor dinner today, served with unlimited soup or salad and breadsticks, and takea second entree home for dinner tomorrow – all for only $12.95.
"Our new 'Dinner Today & Dinner Tomorrow' promotion is one way we'reincreasing the value we're providing to our guests – they can enjoy a dinnertoday and a dinner tomorrow for the price of one affordable meal,"Spenchian said.
Entrees include:Lasagna Rollatini with Meat Sauce,Mezzaluna Ravioli with FiveCheese Marinara,
Spaghetti with Four Cheese Meat Sauce,Five Cheese Ziti al Forno,FettuccineAlfredo
"Guests want value and variety, and whether they're looking to connectover a glass of wine and appetizers or they want to share a lingering meal withfamily and friends, Olive Garden now offers even more choices and ways to enjoya freshly prepared Italian meal," stated Jay Spenchian executive vicepresident of marketing for Olive Garden.
Copy-Cat Marketing is nottransformational nor is it lasting differentiation. Olive Garden needs to verticallyintegrate the 5P’s of Food Marketing (Product, Packaging, Placement,Portability, Price) into the brand while creating a platform for consumer convenientmeal participation, differentiation andindividualization. Looking forsuccess clues? We have them for thegrocerant niche. Give us a call.
StevenJohnson is Grocerant Guru at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions, withextensive experience as a multi-unit operator, consultant and brand/productpositioning. Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA hasbeen the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Steven A. Johnson andFoodservice Solutions® visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant
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