So did anyone miss the whole David Letterman fiasco? Of course not, but did you miss what I wrote about last calling your team….STAFF. David Letterman in the many interviews continued to refer to his people, his team, the very people that make it possible for him to be a Successful entertainer, as his STAFF. It was terrible and it truly sounded demeaning. read more >
It’s a team, not a staff
Dress For Success!
What is your restaurant team wearing……. Front and Back of the House? Is your team proud of what they are wearing? If you represent a large chain, you are likely to think about the associated costs, but smaller companies can really have fun with their attire. You should seriously think about your staff’s attire as “Wardrobe” because every time they hit the floor it is a performance. You want them standing tall, looking good and ready to rock n’ roll. read more >
Is Your Restaurant Staff Really Happy?
I never really intended to discuss the wait staff as much as I am, but it appears there is a real need to revisit this topic.
Have you ever walked into an office or a meeting and the atmosphere was thick and unpleasant and you just wanted to leave? Make sure that doesn’t happen in your restaurant! If the staff is tense and not happy for whatever reason, your customers will feel it and it will become a part of their experience and that doesn’t help you get them back into your restaurant. No one likes “negative energy”. Yes, there are times when you have to give the staff, of any organization, a very direct and sometimes uncomfortable conversation about your business and what is happening within your four walls. Just make sure your timing is correct and not before your team hits the floor to take care of your most prized possession…Your Customer.
The Restaurant Brand Marketer
I’m a restaurant person. I love restaurants, the fun and the experience. The people, the music, you name it…I’m hooked. My profession is Marketing and Advertising. I build and evolve Brands. But over the years, I have become an astute business person and an excellent listener. I think that happened because I spent half of my professional life on the Agency side of the business and the other half as a client.
Now as a “Brand Helper,” I work in the world of “Brand Space” and help people fill it with perspective that can grow their business. I go to every type of restaurant from fast food establishments, to biker bars, to casual dining spots (which are losing their way) to posh eateries.
Best Marketing Practices
There is so much hype today about the overarching concept of Internet marketing and how to best position your company on the web for success. What is the best solution and how can you take advantage of this virtual universe?
At Zelen Communications, we don’t think there is a single silver-bullet solution to this question. The reality is that the whole process is far more complex than just creating a web presence that will cure your ills. There needs to be a well thought out strategic plan that fits your company’s needs. From our experience, a 10,000-foot view perspective should be implemented first. What we mean by that is take a giant step back and take a more global view of a business before planning out the minute details.
The Human Factor
To follow up on my previous post about Social Marketing, I have some additional insights for you. How important is the human-factor in relating and communicating with other people whether it’s clients, acquaintances, friends or family? I recently attended a Social Marketing seminar to keep up on the latest trends in the industry. There was a panel of speakers and they all had a central focus to their businesses, such as a Blogger, a Vlogger, an online PR person, etc. The format was set up so that each of the speakers was given questions that directly related to their expertise and allowed a set amount of time to offer their viewpoint.
Everything went along swimmingly in that each of the speakers were competent and confident about their subject matter, until it got to one individual. This particular person was a Twitter expert and had a large following of her Tweets. Her credentials in the program were solid and she had a list of very respectable clients to boot. However, when it came her turn to speak, things went south and quickly. She froze on stage and wilted like a fresh cut flower in the desert!
Social Marketing: the Network of Networking
As a progressive-thinking agency, we are doing our due diligence by thoroughly immersing ourselves in the burgeoning realm of “Social Marketing”. We have now built our own little network of networking on the web so we can intelligently assist our clients should they decide to take the plunge as well.
Our footprint is not as large as it could be, but we feel confident that we have established enough of a presence that we can judge the relevance of this new frontier. We have set up two blogs, the one you are currently reading is for promoting ourselves as well as a concept blog that we are testing as more of a social experiment if you will. In addition, we have set up camps on LinkedIn, Plaxo, FaceBook, Twitter, Digg, Flickr, Whrrl and soon, MySpace. We regularly Tweet and our blogs are just getting under way. We have had Plaxo and LinkedIn accounts for some time and see the value in these sites as a business network, but the vote is still out on some of the others.
The Lost Art of Design?
As an owner of a design firm and web development company, I have recently been awakened by an alarming trend that I can no longer ignore. My humble beginnings sprouted up through the trenches of advertising by starting my career as a mechanical artist. Ah, the days of hot melted wax and drafting boards are still fresh in my mind, all be it not as nimble as it used to be. Well, that was a long 20 odd years ago, yet as I fondly recall those days of yore, I can’t help but remember the golden rule of achieving perfection.
Yes, back in the “old days” we had only one drumbeat to follow: perfecting our craft. Whether you were a grunt in the pit and pasting up mechanicals, or you were in the lofty tower as a Creative Director, the goal was to create a masterpiece of personal triumph. The type had to be perfectly spaced, the copy must be eloquent and thought-provoking and the design was king. Stop the consumer with simplicity and brilliance, but master the art of persuasion with deft skills.
