Commentary

Typically a QSR marketing team receives pressure from the top, from board and management and from the franchisee community or both individually or via advisory councils. With a role that covers everything from working up the overall strategy to following up on every little implementation detail, QSR marketing teams have their own complexity, from managing menu rollouts to product nutritional information and seasonal produce only available in some areas. It isn’t hard to see why things can rapidly get out of control, potentially overwhelming even the best resourced and most skilled teams.

Today, communicating with our friends, family and work colleagues has never been easier. We can communicate literally at any time from almost any place simply by pushing a “touch screen” button on our latest mobile phone or tablet, or by sitting at our computer.

From my observations of a number of businesses over the past 6-9 months it is very apparent that most businesses are very good in some areas of their business and not so good in areas that could make major differences to their actual operating basis and their profitability.

Many Chief Marketing Officers (CMO’s) are struggling to know where to begin with social media; What channels (Twitter, Facebook etc.,) will work for them? How will they engage their audience? What budget should be set? How will they effectively build a trusting relationship with the consumer?

With Federal Government Industrial Relations policy coming increasingly under the spotlight, QSR Media asked regular contributor, Steve Champion, Director of employee relations consultancy ER Strategies, to explain what opportunities and limitations existed in relation to enterprise agreements under the Fair Work Act. Champion replied that, in his view, there was little logical scope for QSR operators to want to enter into enterprise agreements. “The first and biggest hurdle is that an enterprise agreement must leave every employee ‘better-off-overall’ than the award. This BOOT test is primarily a financial test. So any agreement is most likely going to cost the operator more than the award.

As the GFC started to impact businesses in Australia towards the end of 2008, the Australian foodservice market, like most around the world, was one of the first market sectors to feel the impact of the economic downturn. Although consumer spending on eating out is discretionary, Australians still wanted to go out for a meal. However, they have traded down in their choice of outlet, they don’t go out as often and they spend less each time. This has made QSR chains one of the winners in current market conditions as they represent value for money as well as entertainment for the entire family.

As the GFC started to impact businesses in Australia towards the end of 2008, the Australian foodservice market, like most around the world, was one of the first market sectors to feel the impact of the economic downturn. Although consumer spending on eating out is discretionary, Australians still wanted to go out for a meal. However, they have traded down in their choice of outlet, they don’t go out as often and they spend less each time. This has made QSR chains one of the winners in current market conditions as they represent value for money as well as entertainment for the entire family.

Innovation in the Fast Food Industry – Greening the Supply Chain

The undeniable – but often ignored – link between training and service excellence.

Nobody can deny that the Mexican wave has swept across Australia over the past few years and we have been part of the conversation since the first fast casual Mexican outlet opened in Australia. Whether you like the cuisine itself or not, there’s no ignoring the fact that it has become a rapidly expanding sector of the dining scene in this country and its fast becoming a favourite choice for many Australians. In the BRW Fast 100 list published in late 2011, only three food businesses were listed, two of which were Mexican brands and one being #12 on the list, Mad Mex our client. In an increasingly competitive market it becomes even more crucial for any brand to stand apart from its competitors both with potential franchisees and consumers which is where the public relations message can be a very cost effective way to influence conversations. Integrated into a strategic marketing plan, a targeted and tailored public relations campaign is essential to remain ahead of the curve.

Never before have we seen the huge disparity in consumer spending habits that we are currently experiencing.

Expert Steve Champion, whose specialist employee relations consulting firm ER Strategies has a number of Fast Food clients on board, is very worried that the industry will fluff the fast approaching chances to impact its industrial relations environment.

The face of retail advertising and promotion has completely changed in two short years. For the first time in advertising history, advertisers are chasing consumers and are desperately trying to keep up when traditionally, consumers have followed the trends set by advertisers. Strong and confident consumers, spoilt for choice, are now demanding much more from their traditional retail encounters.

I’ve recently returned from the Murtec (Multi Unit Restaurant Technology) conference in Las Vegas. For those of you who haven’t heard of Murtec, it is the coming together of company Presidents, CEO’s, CTO’s, COO’s and IT Directors prepared to share their own personal knowledge of wins and failures across many workshops and networking events.

I saw an article recently in the Sydney Morning Herald entitled, “Service, where the bloody hell is it?” Gave me a chuckle I must admit. The article https://www.smh.com.au/travel/service-where-the-bloody-hell-is-it-20110414-1deuo.html (also published in the Melbourne Age) by Jane Fraser suggested that Australian hospitality businesses display endless examples of poor training and poor service standards, and that the industry needs “some lessons how to be hospitable.”