Marketing Forecast from Ad-ology

Restaurant operators are still struggling to lure consumers to spend money on dining out. Statistics are so grim that research concerns like Technomic are pointing out that while sales are still declining in sectors like full service, they appear to be declining at a slower rate as we close out 2009. It’s little wonder that operators are looking to everything from menu overhauls to special pricing deals to increase traffic.

According to a new Technomic study, many consumers – particularly women – wish restaurants would offer breakfast items all day rather than just as a morning meal. In its Breakfast Consumer Trend Report, Technomic found that 46% of consumers say they would like breakfast to be served all day at full-service restaurants, while 32% said they would like all-day breakfast options at limited-service restaurants. “Operators looking to expand breakfast into other dayparts should be mindful of their customer base and develop new offerings accordingly,” said Darren Tristano, executive vice president at Chicago-based Technomic.

Traditional media influenced more than 30% of recently surveyed pizza consumers, while online media like restaurant Web sites were the most influential for restaurant-goers. The Ad-ology Research study also found 61 percent of U.S. consumers surveyed said they had visited “a restaurant they had not visited before” in the last year. Online media influenced 40% of recent restaurant visitors, with restaurant Web sites having the most influence. Traditional media proved more effective than social media for these consumers. Twenty-seven percent were influenced by newspaper, and 25.4% said the same for direct mail.

Are U.S. consumers bored with what they’re finding on the dinner plate? The results of the 2009 Flavor Consumer Trend Report from Technomic indicates that consumers want something new and different to eat. This study comes at a perfect time for restaurants that are seeking new ways to attract consumers.

During the recent recession, if consumers went out to eat at all they often traded down to quick service establishments. This change in behavior benefited operators like McDonald’s which last week reported a revenue increase of 3.8% at restaurants open for over a year. But as the news of economic improvement continues, some industry watchers believe the family dining segment is a strong competitor.

As restaurants continue to search for ways to increase traffic during the recession, they are trying a variety of strategies. In the past couple of months I have highlighted reports that noted the growing healthy menu trends as well as improved offerings on the kids’ menus. Now it seems that restaurants are trying to lure customers with extended ‘happy hours’.