Welcome to RB’s weekly roundup of the latest developments in restaurant marketing.
The way Darnell Reed sees it, independent restaurants are better off—especially during recent times—working with each other, rather than competing against each other.
Reed is the chef-owner of Luella’s Southern Kitchen in Chicago. He was recently talking with another restaurant owner about how to boost business during the pandemic’s ups and downs.
Rather than just focusing on their own businesses, Reed and Sarah Stegner, co-owner and chef of Prairie Grass in suburban Chicago, decided to reach out to some of their own favorite chefs for a joint marketing opportunity.
“Hey, let’s help each other out,” Reed said.
So, Reed and Stegner enlisted three other Chicago-area restaurants (Batter & Berries, Soul & Smoke and Wherewithal) to take part in a $250 gift card package in which diners can get a certificate to dine at each of the five establishments.
Reed said he is hopeful the promotion will be a good way to draw new customers to the five restaurants.
Postcards about the promo will be mailed out to diners and will be on display in each of the establishments, he said.
“What was normally happening, just worrying about our own restaurants,” Reed said. “It wasn’t working.”
Dunkin’ makes its first marketing deal with NCAA athletes
Dunkin’ on Wednesday became the latest chain to jump on the name, image and likeness (NIL) bandwagon, enlisting Deja Kelly and Matthew Boling as its first collegiate athlete brand ambassadors.
Kelly is a basketball point guard at the University of North Carolina. And Boling is a track & field standout at the University of Georgia.
The students will be “sharing their experiences across social media” and sporting exclusive Team Dunkin’ merch on and off the field, the quick-service chain said.
“Dunkin’ will continue to fill the Team Dunkin’ roster throughout the ‘season’ with collegiate athletes from across the country,” the chain said in a statement.
Last July, the NCAA changed its longstanding rule that forbade student athletes from profiting off their names and images to an interim policy that allows students from all three athletic divisions to get paid for marketing deals. Since then, a number of chains, including Walk-Ons, Raising Cane’s, Bojangles and more have singed NIL deals with student athletes.
McDonald’s teases its Shamrock Shack
McDonald’s iconic Shamrock Shake returns on Monday. And the burger giant is giving away the hex code (designer lingo for the exact shade) for the dessert’s minty green color: #CBF2AC, encouraging fans to create Shamrock Shack-inspired artwork.
But the chain teases a broader promotion:
“Starting Feb. 21, our Shamrock green hex code just might unlock another tasty secret. That is, if you know where to look,” McDonald’s said in a press release. “Be one of the first to figure out the mystery and you could get a little something from us.”
Marketing Bites
- KFC last week selected Boston-based MullenLowe as its new creative agency of record. The chicken chain said it chose the agency because of its focus on digital and social communication.
- Industry veteran Dan Sokolik joins Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken as VP of marketing. He has 20 years of quick-service restaurant marketing experience, including work with Subway, McDonald’s and Domino’s.
- Tim Hortons decision to partner with Canadian pop star Justin Bieber has been a major hit.
UPDATE: This column has been updated to better reflect Dunkin's name, image and likeness marketing partnership.
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