Growing a Midwest restaurant chain
Tavern Grill Restaurants, a popular Midwestern chain, faced the challenge of launching a new location in Des Moines and relaunching another in Minnetonka. The goal was to introduce these unique locations to local visitors and highlight the distinctive Tavern Grillexperience. Potential customers needed to know they would enjoy excellent service, great food at reasonable prices, and the convenience of a nearby meal. Linnihan Foy (LFA) was tasked with making these new locations known in a fun, engaging way that would resonate with locals.
The Actions
LFA developed a comprehensive marketing strategy to connect with Tavern Grill’s Next Biggest Superfans. The target demographic was defined as adults aged 35-54 who regularly dine out, have established families, seek value in food, and are routine-oriented. They preferred tap beer over cocktails and lived within a few miles of the new locations, likely frequenting local malls.
To reach this audience, LFA implemented the following tactics:
Creative Campaigns: Developed engaging and visually appealing advertisements to highlight the unique aspects of Tavern Grill, emphasizing the “build your own” dining experience.
Digital Advertising: Utilized targeted digital ads to reach the defined demographic, focusing on platforms and channels frequented by the target audience. This included social media ads, search engine marketing, and email campaigns.
Public Relations: Executed a robust PR strategy, crafting and distributing press releases to generate buzz and media coverage for the new locations. Engaged with local media to secure stories and features about Tavern Grill.
Traditional Advertising: Implemented traditional advertising methods, including radio spots and digital billboards, to reach a broad audience. The radio campaign targeted the Des Moines DMA, reaching 40% of the A35-54 audience an average of 3.6 times. Digital billboards on high-traffic highways provided over 1 million impressions.
On-site Advertising: Leveraged on-site advertising at the Jordan Creek Mall, including impressions from the large screen in the center rotunda, to enhance visibility and drive foot traffic to the new Des Moines location.
The Results
The marketing campaign was highly successful, leading to significant increases in traffic and visibility for the new Tavern Grill locations. Key results included:
Traffic Surge: During the campaign dates (Nov 21-Dec 30), the two locations saw 87% of total Q4 traffic, with 97K of 112K overall visits occurring during this period.
High Engagement: The Minnetonka and Des Moines pages were among the top four visited landing pages, following the homepage and menus.
Holiday Blitz Success: The Holiday Blitz campaign for the Jordan Creek Mall location achieved substantial reach and impressions. The radio schedule reached 40% of the target audience in the Des Moines DMA, and digital billboards garnered over 1 million impressions. On-site advertising at the mall further boosted visibility and engagement.
Overall, Linnihan Foy’s strategic and creative efforts effectively introduced the new Tavern Grill locations to the local communities, driving significant traffic and engagement, and setting the stage for continued success.
