RESTAURANT STRATEGY

#66 - Treading Water vs. Swimming to Shore When it comes to water safety, the data is clear: there are two skills children need to master before they get into a pool. The first is how to swim, obviously. And the other is how to tread water. Those are the two things that can substantially increase their chance of surviving in the off chance that they fall in.  But when it comes to business, too many people focus on the latter at the expense of the former. If you're on a boat and you fall overboard, it makes sense to stay put, tread water, and wait for the boat to loop back around and return for you. But in almost every other instance it makes sense to just swim to shore.  The metaphor works for restaurants -- especially now as we're in the throes of this global health crisis -- because too many of us are waiting to be saved. Just treading water until some comes to our rescue. On this week's epside we're talking all about changing your mindset... how to go from "treading water" to "swimming to shore." Tim Ferriss -- Interview #1 with Nick Kokonas (10/18/18) Tim Ferriss - Interview #2 with Nick Kokonas (5/6/20)

#65 - 10 New Marketing Books for Your Nightstand Back on Episode #15 I shared my original Top Ten List, and it went so well that I'm going to share ten more. Below you'll find links to all 20 titles so you can purchase them for yourself on Amazon... most (if not all) of the titles are available in book form, as well as on Kindle and Audible. Happy Reading!!! THE ORIGINAL LIST Purple Cow by Seth Godin All Marketers Are Liars by Seth Godin Permission Marketing by Seth Godin Setting the Table by Danny Meyer Start With Why by Simon Sinek Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook by Gary Vaynerchuk The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday To Sell Is Human by Daniel Pink This is Water by David Foster Wallace THE NEW LIST Contagious by Jonah Berger Everybody Writes by Anne Handley Building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing by Al Ries and Jack Trout Positioning by Al Ries and Jack Trout The Four Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki Tribes by Seth Godin Primal Branding by Patrick Hanlon Ego is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday

#64 - Run the Numbers! In theory, running a business is a somewhat simple affair. You make a thing and then charge people more for that thing than it cost you to produce it. This is what it means to run a profitable business. And of course, that’s what all of us want, right? To build a business that is inherently profitable…  And yet, for years now in the restaurant industry, it’s been death by a thousand cuts. As all costs go up, profitability goes down. And still, as an industry, we’ve just held on tight… determined to maintain the status quo. And yet the numbers don’t lie. They never do. In fact, the numbers tell us what is and is not possible. And that's why this is the perfect time to be talking about this. Best of all, I'm sharing my budget template... the one I built more than a decade ago, and use with all of my clients. It is available now on the Restaurant Strategy website.  CLICK HERE to get The ONLY Restaurant Budget You'll Ever Need

#63 - INTERVIEW: Richard Jones, CMO of Cheetah Digital This week, I’m thrilled to be speaking with Richard Jones, CMO of Cheetah Digital. The company describes itself as a cross-channel customer engagement solution provider. They offer everything from acquisition to loyalty and have worked with some of the world’s biggest brands including American Express, Hilton, Walgreens, and Williams-Sonoma. Over the past two months he’s been working tirelessly to help brands navigate this crisis, and on this week's episode we talk all about what restaurant owners can be doing now to SURVIVE... and what they should be planning to THRIVE.  Check out the Cheetah Digital Website Facebook Twitter YouTube

#62 - The Problem with "Better" Why should I eat at your restaurant instead of the one down the street?  Because you’re "better"?  Better in what way? And says who? And when did they decide that? And what criteria did they use to make their decision? Using "better" as an argument to attract customers is a trap that a lot of marketers fall into and I want to show you specific ways to avoid it. This week's episode is the third and final installment of the Positioning Trilogy... three episodes all about how you can successfully position your product in the minds of your customers.

#61 - First, Last, Best, Most, Only On last week's episode we began discussing the idea of Positioning... a key concept that marketers use to introduce consumers to a new idea or product. On today's episode we're going to build on that by exploring these 5 words: First, Last, Best, Most, Only. What do they have in common? They're words used to position a brand at the edges. It's about going to the extremes, and the key to its success is that only one brand can claim a given word. In many ways, it's about exclusivity. There can be only one Harvard, only one Corvette, only one Alinea. It immediately sets a company apart within their particular category. Think of how marketers use these words either explicitly or implicitly in their communications. The iPhone was the FIRST device of its kind, ushering in a new era for devices we came to refer to as smartphones. 2018 was the LAST time you could see Elton John play live, as he traveled the world on his farewell tour. Southwest Airlines is consistently rated BEST in customer service.  Facebook has the MOST users of any social network. HBO is the ONLY place where you can see "Game of Thrones." By identifying which of these positions you can adopt (or which ones you already own), you can identify key ways to attract new audiences.

#60 - The Power of Positioning Humans are remarkably bad at remembering new information. It's why eyewitness testimony is so unreliable. Usually repetition is required to make an impression. In an attempt to shortcut the system, marketers have used a concept called "positioning" to embed themselves into the minds of prospective consumers. And companies use it on you every single day, all day long...  On this week's episode I share a bunch of examples to help hammer home this idea: Coke, Standford, Chevrolet, Apple, Mast Brother's Chocolate, and more.  ** CLICK HERE to download the Marketing Pillars Workbook **

#59 - The Future of Restaurants in Three Phases What does the future of our industry look like? This is something I'm been thinking about a lot uring this crisis, and I'm sure I'm not alone. The way I see it, there are three distinct phases:  Our immediate future -- meaning today, tomorrow, next week -- and the question is how do we continue to get creative during the shutdown? The near future -- meaning the next 6-9 months. How do we reopen our restaurants, welcome patrons back in, and put them at ease? Especially if the government is still imposing strict social distancing guidelines? The after -- meaning the years to come. When the restrictions all get lifted, what are we going to do to make our businesses more successful than ever before? What will we have learned from all of this, and how will that knowledge shape our industry? Join me for a look at what could be...  Also remember, I'm launching two summer workshops and admission is still half price anytime this month!!!  ~ CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ~

#58 - The Four P's of Marketing If you go to school to study Marketing, you’ll likely learn about this in your very first lecture on your very first day. The Four P’s of Marketing are the foundation for just about everything we do… and that’s true for every kind of business out there. Often referred to as the Marketing Mix, it’s a crucial tool to help us understand how best to serve our audience. In reality we’ve talked AROUND this subject before, but have never tackled it HEAD ON. What are the Four P’s?  - Product- Price- Promotion- Place Also remember, I'm launching two summer workshops and admission is still half price anytime this month!!!  ~ CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ~

#57 - How to Find, Hire, and Work With a GREAT Food Photographer On this week's episode we're talking all about ways to up your content game. One key way to do that is by hiring a professional to come in and shoot your food. I've been a food photographer here in NYC for the past 8 years and so I'm using everything I've learned to help you find a great creative to help you promote your restaurant. Topics covered:  #1 - How do you go about finding a good food photographer? #2 - How to negotiate with a food photographer? #3 - How to prepare for the shoot? #4 - Tips for capturing the very best images possible.  Also remember, I'm launching two summer workshops and admission is still half price anytime this month!!!  ~ CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ~