Why QSR's need to be online to reach their customers
QSR Media recently sat down with with Sam Christou, Industry Head, Consumer Goods & Entertainment, Google Australia and discussed the importance of QSR's transacting their business online. We asked him the following questions.
Why should QSRs be online?
There are two primary reasons for QSRs to be online and both stem from changing consumer behaviour.
Firstly, consumers are going online to find QSR-related information – whether that is location-specific information, details on new menu items, or the latest meal offers. Related to this is the flexibility that consumers are demanding when it comes to ordering their meals. Offering consumers the luxury of choice means you are more likely to capitalize on a sale opportunity when it arises – no matter from where or how the order is placed.
Secondly, consumers are spending more of their time online in general. According to Nielsen Online, Australians spend over 17 hours a week online and this happens more consistently throughout the day than any other form of media. For an industry like QSR that is looking to stretch across all day-parts, online is a great ‘always there’ medium to reach consumers.
So whether it be directly related to capturing the sale or where/how consumers are seeing your brand messages, the digital world is changing how QSRs connect with consumers. And this is just the beginning.
What are some examples of success or lessons that can be shared?
Mobile apps launched by Domino’s and Pizza Hut still rank in the Top 20 Lifestyle apps on the iPhone downloaded in Australia. They have done a great job tapping into the growing importance of mobile and its relevance to QSR.
In terms of communication, the best examples we’ve seen are those that integrate online with traditional media, particularly when it comes to video content. These campaigns have resulted in incremental reach and frequency and achieve these outcomes with a better ROI than simply adding more to TV spend. The impact of multi-tasking on media can’t be underestimated – Nielsen Online research shows us that 61% of people are surfing the web while watching TV…75% among the younger generation! And this will only increase as devices like tablets become more prevalent in society and provide people more opportunities to engage across multiple media platforms at the same time.
Recommendations for QSR players?
The key for QSRs is really no different than for anyone engaged in attracting consumers and building brands - understand your target consumers and effectively engaging with them – whether through the in-store experience, the product, or the communication.
In terms of communication, having clear objectives and tailoring campaigns to respective stages in the brand funnel – e.g. campaigns looking to build awareness vs campaigns looking to drive visit frequency – helps enormously. Online provides the flexibility to do this in a relatively quick and simple fashion and comes with the added benefit of detailed data to help improve and refine the next campaign.
You mentioned we are closer to the start than the end, what’s the next big thing?
Without doubt, we are seeing mobiles begin to fulfill their potential. Over the last 12 months we’ve seen mobile searches for the major QSR brands in Australia more than double. Increased smartphone penetration will continue to fuel the demand for apps and bring even closer together the two components we discussed earlier – the transaction and the brand communication. Whether instigated by search or enabled through hyper-local targeting, we will see the path-to-purchase truncated into a matter of moments – especially for consumers on the move and in the mood!
