restaurant branding Archives - Clairemont Communications

Remember Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare’s love-trodden saga? In her pivotal monologue from the balcony, Juliet proffers the query, “What’s in a name?” as she weighs the merits of pursuing Romeo.

Shakespeare and marketers share something in common. While branding entails much more than just a name, PR professionals understand the weight that words carry. For example, who would have guessed that Texas Pete hot sauce is actually made in Winston-Salem, North Carolina?

When naming a restaurant, new menu item or even a culinary event, the name matters. We put our heads together with colleague, marketing consultant and brand strategist, Ilina Ewen, to cull a few name development do’s and dont’s.

Do:

Identify your brand first.

What is the promise you are making to your customer? Develop your foundational principles (your reason for existing!) and consider the experience you envision customers enjoying. Is it an energized drive-through diner centered on southern recipes or a mellow, relaxing wine bar that celebrates comfort and conversation? The ambience will inform the next step — identifying your future diners and your brand voice.

Scope out the competition.

Before committing to a restaurant name or design, give a gander at other venues in the area. If you’re developing a fast-casual chicken joint, it might be best to steer clear of curly red font reinforced with, say, cow mascots. Take inventory of everything from colors and geometrics to verbiage and ambience to latch on to your differentiating factor.

Reinforce with visuals.

Words are powerful, yes, but they don’t function in a vacuum. This is where a strong graphic designer can help put meat on the bones of your concept through visuals that project your restaurant’s experience. Some brands will need more direct imagery than others. For example, it’s quite clear the cuisine that’s served at Noodles & Company. But Harvest 18? This culinary gem requires distinct visuals — such as the tractor in the logo — to help clarify its farm-fresh approach to southern food.

Don’t:

Name it after that random guy.

Things like Dave’s Diner or Evan’s Eatery. Unless Dave or Evan are local celebrities or culturally relevant icons, their names convey nothing of importance to the potential diner — especially if they no longer work at the restaurant. Don’t get us wrong. We love Five Guys’ hand-crafted burgers and fries — probably too much! But until you taste that heaven on a bun, prospective diners receive no clues about the restaurant’s delectable menu.

Skip your homework on cultural implications.

Research not just the words and phrases but also the cultural sensitivities surrounding your proposed name. If exploring ethnic cuisine, watch for double entendres or cultural appropriation that might spark anything from aversion to irateness in your audience.

Blabber.

Keep in mind that most restaurants or events need to establish an online presence, and lengthy or verbose names don’t translate well into social media handles. Avoid easily misconstrued characters, such as the hyphen or the number one, and use capitalization to emphasize otherwise confusing phrases.

Clairemont CEO Dana Hughens faced the challenge of naming her own agency in 2010. Check out her article published on Spin Sucks.

Raleigh’s newest culinary experiment is staging a mashup between brick-and-mortar restaurants and mobile ones. Launched in March of 2016, this pilot program allows food trucks to park curbside in designated downtown areas without the hassle of pulling a permit.

A food truck presents a conundrum and an exciting challenge for the marketer. How do you build brand credibility and customer loyalty in a product that is, well, inherently transient? Bold success stories, like Chirba Chirba and American Meltdown, prove that somethin’s workin’, and a peek under the hood unveils several best practices that can bolster any brand.

The Power of the Punch

Ever been in a food truck? Not exactly a penthouse. Limited by approximately 100 square feet, food truck owners have to make every inch count, from the logo to the lamps. They’re forced to fine tune their reason for existence to one ingredient, theme or feeling. Not just seafood. Not just lobster. Maine Lobster, thank you very much.

Oh, if only all restaurants used such specificity! Strong brands define one simple statement that then anchor all business decisions or marketing strategies. Don’t be everything to everyone or even some things to some people. Define the why, how and what of your brand and use it to guide next steps.

(For more on this, check out chapter eight of Garfield and Levy’s “Can’t Buy Me Like.”)

The Convenience of Mobility

There’s a reason Domino’s doorstep delivery is still up and running. Especially for our ever-growing millennials, convenience heavily influences spending power.

No, this doesn’t mean that your restaurant needs to break the bank creating a catering arm next week. It does, however, remind us to encourage individual attention and problem solving in our customer service, to take a second look at the physical layout of the dining room or the logistics of paying the bill. How can we smooth the customer’s path to deliver convenience that exceeds their expectations? What systems, practices or messages can we employ to personalize their dining experiences?

The Culture of Sharing

Food truck owners must have been paying attention in kindergarten. They’ve cultivated a collaborative culture — as evidenced by Raleigh’s food truck rodeo — that celebrates strength in numbers while still honoring individuality and diversity. They’re comfortable with sharing the spotlight, space or event because they understand that a rising tide lifts all ships.

Other Raleigh business owners (even other restaurants) have caught on and invite food trucks to events to boost public appeal. A common audience with converging interests is a ready made customer base for both parties!

For more fun, check out branding lessons Dana learned from her then 10-year-old son.

A special thanks to Art Sheppard, food truck expert and author of The Wandering Sheppard for his photos and insight into Raleigh’s food truck scene!