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  • Writer's pictureFelipe Antunes

Branding for restaurants: what is it and how you can apply that strategy

Have you ever heard of branding for restaurants? This is all the work that can be done to make the establishment's brand better known and positive to the target audiences it wants to reach.


Branding involves all the work of developing the brand's visual identity, the way it interacts with the clientele on social networks, the service standard adopted by the restaurant's employees and others.


In this post, we explain what branding is and how it can be applied in an establishment in the food industry, what are its advantages and what are the main types of strategies that can be adopted in the business.


Interested in this information? So stay here with us and check out the topics below. Good reading!


What is branding and how can it be applied in restaurants?


The word branding refers to brand management. To understand how to develop such a strategy, it is necessary to understand what a brand is. It is not just the name or logo of the company, although these components are very important.


So it is very important to choose a good name for the brand. It cannot be a complicated name. Ideally, do keyword research to come up with ideas that drive choice.


This way, you know exactly what the consumer searches for on the internet and, consequently, you have a great chance of success. Check out some general rules for choosing a good name:


  • choose something that makes sense;

  • choose a short name;

  • it must be easy to write and pronounce;

  • prefer something different, remarkable and familiar.


Thus, everything that refers to the company is part of the brand concept: the name chosen, the logo and colours used in the visual identity, the way team members interact with customers, the type of speech adopted in the communication channels (including on social media pages) are, among others, elements that make up the brand.


To develop branding, it is necessary to align all of this and adopt the same language and the same precepts in all items that involve the concept. That's what allows you to create your own identity, which conveys a positive attitude to the public.


What are the main advantages of branding for restaurants?


Among other aspects, one of the main advantages that a restaurant has when investing in branding is its differentiation from the competition. Consider, for example, McDonald's: what makes it so popular and popular with the public? The answer lies in branding.


The fast-food giant uses its colours both on shopfronts and on advertising materials. With this, whenever anyone sees your logo, anywhere in the world, they know that there is a franchise cafeteria.


In addition, all employees wear the same uniform and are instructed to adopt the same attitude in customer service. What's more, the physical structure of the restaurants follows a pattern, so the layout of the cafeterias is always familiar in any location.


This is all branding: McDonald's brand managers do an excellent job of marketing in this regard. This creates a similar feeling for the consumer in any company cafeteria he visits.


Difference between brand and product


Have you ever stopped to think about the difference between these two concepts? Both have a great weight in the final sales result. Often, when well worked, they can even result in one thing (who goes to the market to buy steel wool, chewing gum or a razor blade?). But, to draw an efficient strategy, it is necessary to understand the concept of each one.


Every product has a function, whatever its segment or niche. We look for products that satisfy our needs. If we think rationally, when we go to a restaurant, we want to satisfy our hunger.


But what are our criteria for choosing one restaurant over another? If the two have the same items on the menu, the same prices, and are located on the same street, how can they be differentiated?


That's where the brand comes in. Customers don't just choose a restaurant for the product, they also choose the brand. It involves desire, values ​​and emotion. They make promises and are willing to fulfil them through the experience they offer (which includes the product). You go to a restaurant because you need to eat, but you go to restaurant X because you want the experience it offers. In short, we can differentiate product and brand as follows: product is what customers need, and brand is what customers want.


How to establish branding?


Earlier we talked about some points that permeate the branding for restaurants, such as visual identity, strategies and content. In this way, we can think carefully about each of these topics:


Visual identity


To convey visual values, it is necessary to establish the brand manual very clearly. How your brand will present itself in the market, through the logo, typography, style of photos, font and cuts, will help to position an identity that is easy for the consumer to recognize.


Strategy


How are you going to show the audience your purpose? What are the channels that your audience is present? What is the frequency? To talk about purpose, we have to create a strategy thinking about the audience that will be reached. This will certainly happen through language to convey your brand's values ​​and purpose clearly and objectively.


Social networks


Your customer is on the social network, are you? Your mistake in imagining that people don't follow brands. Although friends are present, the vast majority of users are companies that have been creating a connection with the consumer. All of this is conveyed through good photography, videos and visual identity.


Promotions


This is a very easy way to create a connection with your customer through the distribution of gifts, product samples, free shipping, a flyer with more intimate communication, discount coupons and even a loyalty program. It is important to understand if your brand fits into promotional actions. It will all depend on the proposal you want to convey. If it makes sense with your brand.


Finally, for the public to recognize your brand in the market, it is necessary to fulfil these efforts. Your product can and should be of quality, but if it's not allied with an admired brand, maybe few will give confidence!


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