“Memorable Marketing Restaurants Is A Big Key To Success,” says Restaurant Expert, Howard Cannon

July 15, 2012 - PRLog -- “Eat Here!” blinking in neon atop a roadside diner is certainly marketing, and so is Ronald McDonald. From a blinking neon sign, to a clown, to a rock n’ roll jingle, to a 2-for-1 coupon, to passing out your business card -- marketing is a big part of the formula for success in the restaurant business.

The successful competition really knows how to market itself. McDonald’s spends more in marketing dollars than most restaurant chains receive in sales. All the big chains spend many, many millions of dollars in marketing per month. Can you compete with that? You can in your neighborhood. You just need to understand how to make marketing work for you so that you can be seen and heard amidst all these marketing Goliaths. If nobody knows about your restaurant, chances are you won’t have very many customers.

Howard Cannon, CEO of Restaurant Consultants of America, says, "Be memorable. McDonald’s and other restaurants aren’t giving away even one sale without some advertisement to argue the customer away from you. A ton of competition is reaching the consumer with a message a minute. To stand out from the crowd, you need to be different, unique, strange, funny, noticeable, bright, crazy, and more, if necessary. But mostly, be memorable.

Ideas are great, dreams are wonderful, and reality is reality. Imagine . . . then dream; and then, see the Super Bowl. Last I heard, the average 30-second Super Bowl commercial cost $2.2 million. I’m only guessing, but I’m betting you aren’t made of money. So a couple of spots on the Super Bowl may not be the most realistic marketing idea you will develop. But you will need to market your restaurant, and you will need to spend money.”

Howard Cannon is a highly-recognized restaurant expert witness, consultant, analyst, and speaker. He is the author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Starting a Restaurant© - found in 76 countries around the globe. Mr. Cannon is the CEO of Restaurant Consultants of America and Restaurant Expert Witness, and can be reached at 800-300-5764 or via the web at RestaurantConsultantsOfAmerica.com or RestaurantExpertWitness.com.