Price biggest driver for consumers choosing a QSR, latest emma data shows
Ipsos’ Enhanced Media Metrics Australia (emma) study shows the biggest drivers for consumers in choosing which brand to patronise.
In the past four weeks, 11.8 million Australians adults have visited a QSR - that’s 69% of the population. With endless choices available at meal times, these hungry consumers can be divided into three distinct segments; those who choose a restaurant predominantly looking for something tasty, those who choose on the basis of health or those who are concerned first and foremost about price.
The majority of consumers are choosing on the basis of price (43%). Their restaurant of choice is McDonald’s, with 31% citing it as their main QSR. On average they’ve spent $27.72 on QSR restaurants in the last week, and 47% said they are most likely to enjoy QSR convenience around dinnertime.
Those prioritising the healthiness of the menu options account for 16%, with 32% of that group patronising Subway. They have spent a total of $23.98 on average in the last week eating out at a QSR. They are 10% more likely to get peckish in the afternoon and seek out a QSR.
Consumers who made their choice based on taste only account for 5% of this group, with 16% of them nominating The Coffee Club as their venue of choice. They are spending the most on QSRs, with an average of $30.85 in the last week. They are 39% more likely to grab a late-night snack in a QSR than the rest of the Australian population. This group, being the smallest, is the most polarising when it comes to advocating for a brand online.
Taste seekers are 61% more likely than the total population to write a review for brands, products or services on a regular basis. They are also 21% more likely to read reviews for brands, products and services, and to encourage others to buy based on their own experiences. They are 19% more likely to post or share positive comments about products/services and experiences online.
When seeking what they value as quality, 63% of the choice based on taste segment believe that Grilld offers good quality food, followed by Salsas Fresh Mex Grill (57%), Mad Mex (52%) and Guzman Y Gomez (52%), demonstrating some preference for Mexican cuisine.
Additionally, 64% of decisions about where to eat by those choosing on taste are based on advice from family, friends or colleagues. They also are likely to perform their own online searches, with 29% of them seeking information on eating out on search engines, reinforcing the growing need for a strong SEM and SEO strategy. In great news for socially savvy QSRs, 21% of those individuals are influenced by their social media channels. They are 51% more likely than the total population to be influenced by cinema advertising, a medium most effective in engaging the audience and creating stronger emotional connections. We can speculate those choosing on the basis of taste are more likely to be motivated to purchase based on emotions – true pleasure seekers.
Source: emma (May 2015-Apr 2016) n=43,608
