Marketing Bites

The weekly column from Managing Editor Heather Lalley, looking at the restaurant industry's latest marketing gimmicks, trends and campaigns.

Marketing

Love returns at restaurants this Valentine’s Day

By Heather Lalley on Feb. 05, 2025

Marketing Bites: Last year, restaurants played up the holiday’s heartbreak. This year, it’s all about the romance.

Marketing

How Panda Express crafts an authentic Lunar New Year campaign

By Heather Lalley on Jan. 29, 2025

Marketing Bites: The country’s largest Asian dining chain says it has a duty to mark the event each year. This year, that includes outreach to homesick college kids, a short film and more.

Marketing

Restaurants try to cash in on Super Bowl LIX

By Heather Lalley on Jan. 24, 2025

Marketing Bites: With the big game just a couple of weeks away, the biggest chains are prepping their TV ads while smaller concepts are getting creative. One has even come up with a THC-spiked wing sauce.

Marketing

Restaurants ring in the New Year with realism

By Heather Lalley on Jan. 09, 2025

Marketing Bites: Operators are appealing to resolution-makers with healthy LTOs, but marketers are also having some fun with the human tendency to ditch those resolutions before the calendar flips to February.

Marketing

Habit Burger to In-N-Out: It's OK to be No. 2

By Heather Lalley on Sep. 26, 2024

Marketing Bites: The Yum Brands’ burger chain is engaging in a cheeky war of words against the Double-Double slinger.

Marketing

Pizza Hut's new marketing gimmick solves an age-old problem

By Heather Lalley on Aug. 27, 2024

Marketing Bites: The chain is offering up a free Moving Box Table, providing a dining spot for those in the midst of a move.

Marketing

Is Paris ready for Wingstop?

By Heather Lalley on Jul. 24, 2024

Marketing Bites: Piggybacking on the Olympics, the fast-casual chicken chain is opening a pop-up restaurant in the French capital, a teaser to what could become 200 restaurants in the country.

Marketing

Pack your bags for the Taco Bell retirement community

By Heather Lalley on Jul. 10, 2024

Marketing Bites: The quick-service chain is opening The Cantinas for just one weekend next month, promising a “leisure lifestyle” for all ages. Plus, French Fry Day is near.

Marketing