New challenges via digital disruptions make traditional strategies "less effective": Simon-Kucher senior director Jason Carley
He joins the upcoming QSR Media Sandhurst Fine Foods Conference and Awards for a speaking session on pricing.
Jason Carley is a Senior Director in Simon-Kucher & Partners’ Sydney office. Simon-Kucher helps businesses from across industries to measure and monetise the value they deliver to customers through smarter pricing and sales. Carley has spent over a decade with Simon-Kucher & Partners, leading projects across Europe, Asia, the USA, and in Australia and New Zealand since 2011.
Currently, he leads Simon-Kucher & Partners’ Leisure, Tourism and Hospitality Practice in Australia and New Zealand. His clients include restaurant chains, hotels, ferry operators and airlines, as well as consumer goods and retailers. Jason’s work with restaurants includes menu design, price optimisation and business model transformation, all with a focus of growing revenue and increasing profitability.
QSR Media: How did you get involved in the multi-site restaurant industry?
Carley: I have been helping industry leaders to understand what their customers value and how to monetise that value for over a decade. I started supporting airlines, hotels and consumer brands to optimise their offering, but over the last several years have worked alongside restaurant chains to engineer better menus (e.g. how to select and present products), optimise price differentiation (e.g. between time and locations) and to develop new service models (e.g. new formats or delivery options). We’ve helped them maximise guest counts, revenue and profit, as well as ensure the long-term satisfaction and loyalty of their guests.
What particular industry issues or developments are you currently thinking about?
Customer behaviour has become increasingly dynamic and diverse. For example, more people are opting for home delivery instead of eating in a restaurant. Competition has intensified, with a multitude of new chains taking the guest experience to the next level. The restaurant industry is also no exception to the digital disruption - with potential customers reading online restaurant reviews, comparing quality and prices before they head out to eat or using apps to order in. These new challenges make traditional strategies and processes less effective.
What are you most excited to do during the QSR Media Conference and Awards in Sydney?
There is so much innovation in the industry, with value to customer improving like never before. I’m particularly interested to share how restauranteurs positively influencing guests’ perception and behaviour along the customer journey. Based on a detailed understanding of customer segments and their current attitudes and demands, sharing how restaurants can optimise their assortment/menu, pricing and promotions, service strategies and communication.
