An emma study tries to show the difference in performance of brands from one state to the next.

A few weeks ago we examined people who considered a QSR brand but didn’t partake, how were they different attitudinally to those who did use the brand in question. Previously we’ve also looked at differences that come through geographically.

Let’s examine the two together, are QSR consumers that don’t use your brand the same state to state?

With good store distribution and national marketing campaigns there’s no immediate reason a brand should perform any better in one location than another. It’s not the case though, using the emma dataset to examine QSR visitation by state over the last four weeks we can see significant differences, the chart below that quantifies the percentage of the population aged 14+ that have gone through the brands doors in the last four weeks.

Looking through the brands we can see that Dominos has some work to do in VIC, a sizeable market. KFC has some problems in WA. Subway is doing well but the bigger states of NSW & VIC lag behind the others. 

Picking the Subway brand, are there attitudinal differences between the states for the people who didn’t go to the stores, will a blanket campaign help remedy the problem assuming quality of service and ingredients is similar across the regions? Probably not, Chart #2 covers attitudinal indexing between the states NSW, VIC & QLD and those who considered the Subway brand but didn’t buy anything from the store in the last four weeks.  

The VIC consumers over-index for wanting food to fill up, they’re not concerned about nutrition as much as others and they don’t consider themselves confident cooks. We can guess the majority of them are males. The other two states are more mixed but with further work of the data we can find out who they are and generate the best messaging and marketing avenues to get them in-store.

For more information about Ipsos and the emma survey please contact [email protected]

We focus so much on who our frequent customers are instead of who they aren’t and if the latter are worth chasing. Who are the people that consider your products but don’t go through the door?

The emma survey asks respondents which QSRs they’re most likely to consider and these people can be filtered by those who didn’t buy from the brands they initially favoured. We can then compare this group with those who did make a purchase to see if we can be a more attractive proposition.

Let’s consider a brand that makes burgers with chicken in them with an extensive store network and examine the differences in attitude:

The attitudes are mostly similar but there are some disparities. Those who didn’t purchase are partial to higher quality ingredients, getting nutrition right and they prefer a bit more of a routine than those who did go through the door suggesting if this brand does get it right with this group they’ll keep coming back.

For the brand in question we’re talking about 1.6m Australians aged 14+, just getting a tenth of this group in the store on a more regular basis would yield significant revenue results if the mechanism used to get them in doesn’t work against your other customers.

To find out about the emma survey and how to identify your potential customers and best target them, get in touch with Ipsos: [email protected]
 

If you’re considering opening a franchise and you’re open to moving around.

The emma survey suggests that relocating to Queensland is the best idea and to avoid South Australia & Tasmania. The banana-benders on average spend more per week in QSRs than the other states. To be fair the average spend per person by state is a close race but every dollar counts. QLD also punches above weight for QSR visitation relative to the other states and it doesn’t matter if this is through the perspective of Healthy, Taste or Price choice segments.

The Northern Territory performs well above the states but with a smaller population.

Within QLD the highest average spend was in Cairns ($32). Townsville was down the list but with an average spend of $26.60 came ahead of the other states and both have healthy tourism to supplement the income received from locals. 

The emma survey covers not only the QSR category but also carries geographic distribution and segmentation capabilities which are covered in the recent emma food trends and insights 2015 report (emma.com.au/emma-food-report).

If you’d like to speak with the Ipsos emma team on where the market gaps are for your QSR brand contact [email protected]
 
  

Everyone is well aware of the pulling power that McDonalds has. An emma study shows how powerful the international brand really is.

Putting numbers next to this phenomenon can still surprise as to just how strong the brand is. The emma survey asks both consideration and any usage over the last four weeks and we can also look at the percentage differential between the two to find out who is best converting their opportunity with consumers.

Looking at the numbers, the differential for McDonalds is negative (a good thing) and they’re the only brand that has accomplished this. 29.7% of people aged 14+ who were aware of the brand indicated they would most likely consider McDonalds when buying something to eat or drink. However - during the last four weeks 36% of people had purchased from McDonalds.

While one can say McDonalds need to do more to gain a favourable impression and have more people willing to say they’d consider buying from McDonalds, the brand ranked 2nd after Subway for consideration and 1st for any usage last-four-weeks.

People who don’t outright declare that they’d consider the brand still walk through the doors.

“The brands at the bottom of the list had a differential of over 80% which means they’ve potentially got a lot of upside but they still have to make it happen,” the survey noted.

“McDonalds and the other large brands that rank up front have a distinct advantage through a massive store network but smaller chains such as Zambrero demonstrate that could do good things and convert a good proportion of the people who are aware of the products.”

For more information of how brands perform in the emma survey contact [email protected]
 

An Emma survey.

In January, Emma found Grill’d to be the most trustworthy QSR brand. As it turns out Grill’d also wins the competition for the friendliest staff. In the emma survey respondents can pick from 18 statements as to which apply best to a QSR brand. For the response Has friendly staff Grill’d was ranked first with a score of 43.8%, Subway came in second at 34.9% and McDonalds third with 31.7%.

The positive customer perceptions of Grill’d don’t appear to be a fluke, they also came out ahead for the statements Offers good quality food, Has personality & character and came in 2nd for Offers a healthy alternative, Offers a wide range of menu choices (slim lead to Subway) and third for The menu is easy to order from. "All these attributes must have the competition looking over their shoulders but there are a few areas where the bigger brands come out in front such as offers good promotions but tactically these are few areas that Grill’d can work on to further increase the brand value and advocacy as they’ve already got consumers onside," the survey noted.

For information as to how the all the QSR brands rank against the statements enquire at emma.com.au or [email protected]

According to an Ipsos’ Enhanced Media Metrics Australia (emma) study, four brands in the health choice category earn the distinction of having a female customer base of 60% or more.

The study shows that customers of Healthy Habits are predominantly female, almost three-quarters; Pure & Natural has 70% of its customer base female; while female customers of Boost Juice and Sumo Salad comprise 61.3% and 67.7% of the brands’ respective customer bases.

It suggests that while these brands may be successful in getting females through the door, more strategy should be taken to attract males and reach more people.

Subway, the biggest brand that uses dominant healthy messaging through the Eat Fresh catch-cry actually leans the other way, men make up 55% of their consumers, a higher percentage than KFC or McDonalds.

More information on emma is available from emma.com.au or contact [email protected]

According to an Ipsos’ Enhanced Media Metrics Australia (emma) study, there is a vast difference in the attitude of male and female customers when ordering in the mobile space.

The survey showed that more females order food with the intention of caring for other people, while males typically eat food to fill themselves up. Women are also more likely to think of food as a sort of comfort, and while men also think of comfort, they also see food as a chance to experience new tastes, cuisines and sensations.

Other popular reasons why women eat food are because they are passionate about it, and it presents an opportunity to share with other people. Men consider food to be a passion as well, and hold it as a reason for ordering.

The emma survey exposes different QSR spending habits and attitudes for various age groups, those with heavy consumption of social media, when it’s best to target them and how the marketing platforms available work together.

More information on emma available at emma.com.au or [email protected].

According to an Ipsos’ Enhanced Media Metrics Australia (emma) study, consumer attitudes for the ‘Big Two’ of McDonalds and Subway varies heavily depending on the particular brand attribute in question.

65% of consumers agree that McDonalds in a popular brand compared to 56% for Subway, whilst a further 47% find it ‘convenient to use’, with Subway at 43% for convenience despite having 400+ (source: QSR Media's TOP 150 QSR list) more locations Australia-wide. McDonalds also beats Subway on competitiveness of pricing (40% vs. 33%), and is perceived to have better promotions (32% vs. 28%).

Subway will be happy to see their brand do very strongly on ‘has fresh ingredients’ and ‘offers a healthy alternative’ easily beating Maccas on both these metrics. Consumers also believe that Subway is more ‘trustworthy’ than the Golden Arches which aligns with the perception from 44% of consumers that believe Subway offers good quality food, compared to 11% who believe this to be to true for Maccas.

Looking at the easy to order menu and friendly staff, the brands are pretty close on both these measures, as they are on personality and character too.

Emma data enables brand and marketing managers to do brand health checks and measure performance against the competitive set.

More information on emma available at emma.com.au or [email protected]
 

Schnitz reported to have the biggest growth.

Ipsos’ Enhanced Media Metrics Australia (emma) study shows the biggest growth H1 2014 vs. H2 in 2014 came from the expanding Melbourne-based brand Schnitz, with over double the number of survey respondents dining at a Schnitz restaurant in H2 2014 compared to H1 2014.

Schnitz, as reported in the SMH on Friday 9 Feb, have expanded rapidly since 2009 and adding new stores to the NSW market in 2015 with locations at Bondi Junction, Ryde and Merrylands. emma trend data will record how the Schnitz footprint expands in Australia’s most populous state as restaurants open and consumers sample their schnitzel-based fayres.

emma trend data shows that the biggest percentage growth has come from the expanding fast casual sector and the Mexican based franchises. Family favourite Hogs Breath also recorded an impressive H2 increase of 8%, bucking the trend for the more established chains.

The Mexican based restaurants showed impressive growth, especially Zambrero and Mad Mex, both well into double digit growth (H1 vs H2 2014), Guzman Y Gomez also there with a 7% increase in past 4 week customers. emma trend data will record how these brands perform going forward and will give an indication of if or when, the popularity of Mexican abates with the Aussie consumer.

More information on emma available at emma.com.au or [email protected]
 

Ipsos’ Enhanced Media Metrics Australia (emma) study shows the biggest loser in the last year has been the trusty takeaways.

Takeaways from restaurants and fast food / quick service restaurants are both down 5%+ year on year according to the latest emma data (December 2012-November 2013 vs. December 2013-November 2014). There are certainly some challenges for the QSR sector as a whole with in-restaurant patronage down by 3.69% YOY too.

This could be evidence of consumers tightening their belts in more uncertain economic times, or just a preference to cook at home rather than hitting the drive thru or waiting for the delivery to arrive. The supermarkets are also diversifying their range, offering a wider choice in ready meals and opening stores with sushi bars and fresh pizzas in some locations.

The big winner of the 12 months to November 2014 looks to be the license restaurant sector, and might explain why KFC are looking to gain a liquor licence for their new Church Street, Parramatta restaurant and following in the footsteps of the likes of Mad Mex, Nando's, Guzman y Gomez and Grill'd who already offer beers as part of their menu.

More information on emma available at emma.com.au or [email protected]
 

emma reports that Guzman Y Gomez is leading in the competitive Mexican market.

Ipsos’ Enhanced Media Metrics Australia (emma) study shows that Guzman Y Gomez is still the most popular Mexican brand in the category, with an estimated annual customer based of just over 300,000.

The Mexican market is extremely competitive with some very strong players; both Max Mex and Salsa Fresh Mex Grill are neck and neck with Zambrero not far behind. Taco Bill is exclusively based in Victoria (plus Albury, NSW) so their footprint is affected accordingly.

Mexican casual dining has boomed in the last 5 years and we have seen pub bistros and independents join in the taco craze as well as food trucks in metros as well as at events and festivals.

4.6% of all QSR past month consumers are now from one of these 5 brands and over time we can track this change in emma as well as at a brand level for each within this exciting space.

More information on emma available at emma.com.au.
 

Highlights Perth and its household spend on fastfood and takeaways.

Ipsos’ Enhanced Media Metrics Australia (emma) study’s new geoemma capabilities show where the high and low category spenders can be located down to SA1, or roughly 150 households.

The map here shows the Freemantle area of Perth, overlayed with data based on the Household Expenditure Survey (HES) looking at household spend on ‘fastfood and takeaways’. The average per annum spend is $1,582.11 which is at 100 on the index. Any location with a population spending more than the median is in orange to red depending on how much they over index. Areas turning increasing blue, show a lower than average spend level from their populations.

Emma data on attitudes, behaviours and readership, as well as HES data can be viewed in geoemma, along with geotribes segments and ABS Census data; clients can also add in proprietary data sources such as retail locations, trade areas and transactional data.

This tool is utilised primarily for local area marketing campaigns and can assist in strategy, channel planning, messaging, special offers/deals and prizes relevant to a local area.

More information on emma available at emma.com.au.
 

emma data shows that consumers view Subway staff as the friendliest in the industry.

Ipsos’ Enhanced Media Metrics Australia (emma) study’s data on QSR brand perception shows that for the statement ‘has friendly staff’, Subway comes out on top with 37.8% of consumers agreeing with this statement, ahead of rivals McDonalds at 34.8%.

Brands also doing well on this metric include Boost Juice in 3rd and Hogs Breath Café in 4th, some way ahead of KFC, Healthy Habits, Hungry Jacks, Red Rooster, Sizzler and Dominos.

For the lowest ranked brand only 10% of consumers agreed with the statement ‘has friendly staff’, however we’re here to focus on best practice rather than to name and shame poor performers.

To gain access to the full QSR category and brand level data including responses to 16 brand statements get in touch with the emma team at Ipsos.

More information on emma available at emma.com.au.

New emma data shows that traditional dinner time is the most popular for fast food too.

Ipsos’ Enhanced Media Metrics Australia (emma) study’s new data on time of day fast food consumption shows that over 40% of the fast food consuming public will do so between 5-8pm, this could typically be whilst out socialising, after work and with friends & family, with the 2nd most popular time between 11:30am and 2pm during the working day.

Looking at the generations, Gen Y and Gen Z over index vs. 14+ population at large on consumption in the afternoon and late evening reflecting different lifestyle patterns, a lower percentage in 9-5 roles and more socialising in the late evening.

Fast food consumers in New South Wales and Queensland are both over 20% more likely to consumer fast food between 5am – 9.30am, whilst Victorians are the night owls with a 35% increase in late night consumption compared to the Australian average.

More information on emma available at emma.com.au. 

Big spenders but not necessarily big eaters.

Ipsos’ Enhanced Media Metrics Australia (emma) study’s new data on weekly QSR spend shows that Males 30-44 are the highest weekly spenders of all demographic groups with an average weekly QSR spend of $32.57.

The findings aren’t necessarily saying that Males 30-44 eat the most, they may well be feeding the family at the weekend or paying for a partners meal too. People with kids also spend more than those without, especially those with children 0-4 as they may well be time poor and looking to fill those hungry mouths.

At a State-level, Queensland wins the comp with an average weekly spend of $26.97 compared to an Australia average of $24.53 per week, trouncing NSW/ACT with $23.11, Victorians at $25.06 and WA at $24.90 respectively.

More information on emma available at emma.com.au.
 

Big spenders but not necessarily big eaters.

Ipsos’ Enhanced Media Metrics Australia (emma) study’s new data on weekly QSR spend shows that Males 30-44 are the highest weekly spenders of all demographic groups with an average weekly QSR spend of $32.57.

The findings aren’t necessarily saying that Males 30-44 eat the most, they may well be feeding the family at the weekend or paying for a partners meal too. People with kids also spend more than those without, especially those with children 0-4 as they may well be time poor and looking to fill those hungry mouths.

At a State-level, Queensland wins the comp with an average weekly spend of $26.97 compared to an Australia average of $24.53 per week, trouncing NSW/ACT with $23.11, Victorians at $25.06 and WA at $24.90 respectively.

More information on emma available at emma.com.au.
 

Young people love to be healthy.

Ipsos’ Enhanced Media Metrics Australia (emma) study shows that although the heavy hitters of Maccas, Subway, KFC and Hungry Jacks dominate the 14-29 market, the brand who over indexes the most with this audience is Boost Juice.

Boost Juice doubles it share from 7% of all Australians, to 14% of 14-29yr olds. The Boost Juice brand is clearly in the ‘healthy choice’ segment, which claims nearly a third of its custom from the 14-29s, whilst almost 50% of the past 4 week Boost Juice consumers are in this 14-29 age group.
At the other end of the spectrum, Red Rooster sees the smallest increase amongst this age group followed by Noodle Box. Red Roosters’ strategy is to move closer to the ‘healthy choice’ segment which could attract some more 14-29s in future – year on year emma data will monitor these trends.

More information on emma available at emma.com.au.