The Local Marketing Lab

Do you want to establish a strong presence for your restaurant within the local community, resulting in a surge of loyal customers? If so, we have the solution you’ve been looking for. Get ready to discover the key to building widespread brand recognition and customer loyalty in your area. In this discussion, our guest, Eric Knott, the Chief Operating Officer of PDQ Restaurants, will reveal the strategies and tactics that will help you achieve this desired outcome. Prepare to unlock the secret to fostering a thriving community and reaping the benefits of increased customer engagement — be the mayor of your local area.Here are some topics discussed in the episode:Give your team autonomy to try new things and empower them to “be the mayor”Get involved with local schools, churches, and colleges to build relationshipsIt takes consistency to stay top of mind in your communityCreate a contact heatmap of local organizations you want to build relationships withHiring people connected to the local community leads to better marketing engagementResourcesConnect with Eric Knott on LinkedIn.Find a PDQ Restaurant near you.Follow PDQ on Instagram or TikTok.Other shout-outsOutback SteakhouseArnold’s Restaurants for being super ingrained in their community.Chick-Fil-A for their great example of getting involved in the community.Glory Days Grill

In this episode of The Local Marketing Lab, we have an illuminating discussion with Carl Orsbourn, co-founder and COO of Juicer and author of the “Delivering the Digital Restaurant” book series. With over 25 years of experience crunching data and driving optimizations for restaurants, Carl provides invaluable insights on data-driven decisions for boosting your local marketing, fostering digital hospitality, and developing thoughtful digital strategies.Here are some topics discussed in the episode related to data-driven decisions:Analyze transaction data patterns at each location to uncover opportunitiesOptimize your Google presence for local SEO through contentRespond quickly and authentically to online reviews and messagesDevelop social content that highlights your teams and processesTake an incremental approach to major digital initiativesResourcesConnect with Carl Orsbourn on LinkedIn.Learn more about Juicer and how they help with dynamic pricing.Check out Carl’s Digital Restaurant book series.Subscribe to Carl’s newsletter on LinkedIn — The Digital Restaurant.Listen to an episode of The Digital Restaurant podcast.Other shout-outsFind a Rock and Brews burger location near you.Meredith Sandland — Co-author of the Digital Restaurant series.Connect with Troy Hooper on LinkedIn.Follow Shawn Walchef on LinkedIn.Learn more about the hype of Slutty Vegan.

In this episode of The Local Marketing Lab, Justin Ulrich has an insightful conversation with Kyle Inserra, a restaurant industry veteran turned commercial real estate expert. With over 20 years of experience spanning from high-end kitchens to real estate, Kyle shares his unique perspective building advocacy through authenticity and engaging local marketing.Here are key takeaways listeners can expect to learn from this episode:How to create authentic marketing contentWays to showcase behind-the-scenes business processesTips for understanding your niche target audienceWhy consistency and persistence matter for local outreachThe importance of investing in branding and designResourcesFollow and connect with Kyle Inserra on LinkedIn.Watch some of Kyle’s videos on TikTok for great examples of building advocacy through authenticity.Check out the Closed Monday podcast and the Commercial Real Estate School podcast.Learn more about Zelnik & Company.Other shout-outsListen or watch our episode with Shawn Walchef.Check out another episode referenced with Jeremy Julian.Learn more about Kyle’s shout-outs to these restaurants: O’Bagel, Frank Pepe, Fry the Coop, and Tony and Pete’s.

In this episode of The Local Marketing Lab, Justin Ulrich has an engaging discussion with Geoff Alexander, President and CEO of Wow Bao and Managing Partner at Lettuce Entertain You. With over 30 years of experience in the restaurant industry, Geoff provides powerful insights on how to surprise and delight your customers and why that’s the key to local marketing.Geoff Alexander focuses on the key to local marketing: surprise and delight. Here are some topics discussed in the episode:Local marketing is all about community engagement – make your brand a positive part of the neighborhood.Focus on “touchpoints” – interactions that foster personal connections with customers.Getting your product directly into people’s hands is powerful marketing.Create delightful surprises that drive word-of-mouth.Actively listen and adapt to customer feedback.ResourcesConnect with Geoff Alexander on LinkedIn.Check out Wow Bao, find a location near you, or buy some at Walmart!Learn more about Lettuce Entertain You.Listen to Geoff Alexander’s episode on the Turning the Table podcast.Learn more about the Lynn Sage Breast Cancer Foundation and how you can get involved.Find a sweetgreen location near you.

Want actionable ways to step up your restaurant’s local marketing game? Tune into this episode of The Local Marketing Lab featuring chef and marketing expert Adam Lamb.With over 30 years of experience, Adam provides authentic, engaging marketing advice to help restaurants better connect locally. Whether you’re a chef, restaurant operator, or marketer, you’ll come away with creative ideas to boost your local presence, attract talent and customers, and ultimately drive growth by better connecting with your neighborhood.Adam Lamb focuses on 7+ ways to step up your restaurant’s local game. Topics discussed during this episode include:Highly engaging video content for marketingAdapt your restaurant’s marketing strategies post-COVIDNiche down and do one thing extremely well rather than trying to be everything to everyoneFocus on creating authentic, high-quality contentSpice up your marketing with humor; don’t take yourself too seriously.

In this episode of The Local Marketing Lab, you’ll hear an engaging conversation between host Justin Ulrich and Betsy Hamm, the CEO of Duck Donuts. With over 22 years of experience in hospitality and restaurant marketing, Betsy shares insights on driving restaurant growth leveraging user-generated content, community partnerships, and consistent local outreach.Learn how to:Apply effective marketing strategies that attract and engage your community.Develop meaningful connections with your community.Leverage the power of local influencers and opinion leaders.Harness the power of word-of-mouth marketing.Focus on delivering exceptional experiences and personalized interactions.

In this episode of The Local Marketing Lab, you’ll join host Justin Ulrich as he sits down with Wade Allen, EVP of Strategic Growth at Costa Vida. Wade shares his insights and experiences on the power of local marketing. He provides 5 impactful community engagement tips businesses can use to effectively connect with their target audience.Learn how to:Stay relevant to your target audience’s interests and needsPersonalize your marketing messages and offers through CRM programsUse digital channels to communicate and engage with your customersSegment messaging and tailor offers to reach different segments of your audienceBuild brand presence through grassroots marketing and community engagement

Are you looking for effective ways to nurture potential customers, get more leads, and spread brand awareness? Learn how to use social media video to get more business!In this episode of the Local Marketing Lab, James Duncan, director of marketing at Thrive Mortgage, shares how to use social media video to get more business and help you achieve exponential growth. Everyone in the organization can play a part by sharing their own stories and creating videos. With authentic, engaging videos you can educate your audience and naturally drive social media engagement.In this episode, you’ll learn:The importance of establishing yourself as an expert on social mediaHow to create authentic and educational social media video to get more businessTips to boost social media engagement and drive business growthThe power of storytelling in your video content and social media posts to captivate your audienceInsights to stay ahead of the competition by embracing innovation and experimentation with new marketing techniques

Joining us on the Local Marketing Lab is the “godfather of restaurant marketing” and expert, Rev Ciancio — founder of Handcraft Burgers and Brews, Head of Revenue Marketing at Branded Hospitality Ventures, and founder of Yeah! Management. In this episode, Rev shares his innovative local marketing strategies to help drive ROI by focusing on the customer experience.Rev shares examples around 5 local marketing tips to drive growth for your business to thrive, including:Optimizing your online presenceCapturing customer emailsCrafting targeted promotionsBuilding customer personasCreating consistent valuable content

In the competitive world of real estate and mortgage marketing, building trust and engaging with customers is crucial. Join Justin Ulrich on the Local Marketing Lab podcast with Krish Dhokia, SVP of Marketing and Business Development at Kind Lending, as he reveals the secrets to local marketing success, the power of authenticity, and the importance of a strong online presence.In this episode, you'll learn: Tools for local marketing — specifically in the world of real estate and mortgageHow to add personal branding in local marketing to increase your marketing effectivenessThe balanced blend of traditional and digital marketing to boost local growthWhy incorporating strategy and consistent branding influences marketing successResourcesConnect with Krish Dhokia on LinkedInCheck out Kind Lending to explore their mortgage services and fun branding (also on TikTok)Listen to the Grit Happens podcast — hosted by Glenn and Mindy StearnsListen to the Del Talk podcast — hosted by Delfino AguilarListen to the OG Talk podcast — hosted by Orlando Gutierrez