2017 – the year operators took the influencer seriously by Ann Elliott
27th October 2017
2017 – the year operators took the influencer seriously by Ann Elliott
As an operator, what’s your main aim? To increase footfall? Spend-per-head? All of the above and more? Welcome to the world of influencer marketing. This year, more than ever, I’ve heard various clients and colleagues talking about “influencers” and how to successfully work with them. Brands are fascinated by them, consumers are obsessed with them and, no matter what, you cannot escape how they are shaping the food and drink industry.
While consumers are becoming wiser about (and increasingly annoyed with) paid-for content, using an influencer is an effective way to reach demographics that have been traditionally difficult to engage with, such as millennials or Generation Z. What’s more, it’s working. According to research carried out by Zizzi, 18 to 35-year olds spend five days a year browsing food images on Instagram.
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Kitchen concept is a game Changer
13th October 2017
Kitchen concept is a game changer by Glynn Davis
Sitting in the reception of Deliveroo’s headquarters in the City of London recently, most people signing in seemed to be starting their first day at the food delivery company.
This is not particularly unusual for rapidly expanding businesses of this ilk, but what made it interesting was these new starters were all heading to work in Deliveroo’s new Editions division.
This is the delivery-only kitchen sector of the business, which used to be casually called “Roobox” until it was renamed something that sounds a little smarter following Deliveroo’s realisation the concept could be a game changer.
It seems the company’s investors also recognised the same potential in this fledgling part of the business, and it was noticeable in the statement accompanying its recent $385m fund-raise that Editions was top of the page and is clearly a big focus.
Personally, I’ve had a bit of a downer on home food delivery because I’ve heard far too many stories of how it can cause bottlenecks front-of-house in busy restaurants and clogs kitchens with orders that are often generating little margin even if genuinely good incremental business. Also, don’t forget every order heading out to someone’s home doesn’t have the valuable alcohol component that would be accrued from typical restaurant sales.
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