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3 branding experts weigh in on QSR bond-building, mid-pandemic

Customer connection has perhaps never been as key to brand survival as it is now. Here, three experts specializing in this form of communication give their best advice for QSRs in a mid-COVID-19 world.

3 experts weigh in on the best ways brands can stay connected with customers and their communities mid-pandemic (photo: iStock).

April 14, 2020 by Martha Lucius — Restaurant Strategist, marthalucius.com

Huge challenges from COVID-19 are going to be our new normal. While grappling with finances and keeping staff engaged and motivated, all QSR leaders are also aware that they need to keep customers engaged. Simply put, your branding is — more than ever — your online presence. 

Your brand's website, emails and social media are literally as close as anyone is getting since most brands have shut down dine-in out of the pandemic's necessities for social distancing. But it's essential that brands face customers and communicate the challenges of COVID-19 as part of obligations for service and health. After all, your customers have an allegiance to you, so you owe it to them to find the right words and reach out. Let them know that you hear them. 

If you're wondering the best ways to do that in this uncertain restaurant landscape, we've culled some of the best advice from three branding experts and detailed them below. Put their ideas into action on your website, social media and email blasts and stay connected until we get to the other side of all this. 

• From national speaker, branding specialist and CEO of D.C.-based Freedom marketing and advertising, Leigh George comes the advice that crises like this one make your brand messaging more important than ever. George said that brands now need to use marketing to show customers they are understood and your brand is still there for them. 

Being responsive to your local community is critical. Local franchisees have the opportunity to respond to the immediate needs of their individual communities. 

"Independent restaurant owners and teams are even changing their business model(s) and the kinds of food they offer to meet new customer needs and stay afloat," George said.

She suggests looking at how local restaurants are adapting their website and social media messaging to communicate with customers and keep them aware of service changes. She points out that while chains are well positioned with online ordering and delivery, in many case, they need to connect to remain a top choice for consumers who are spending less and being more selective about their restaurant choices. Connecting with customers' new needs is one way to stand out.

• The owner of Manhattan Beach, California-based marketing agency, Laura Missioreck, said just before the pandemic really took hold in the U.S., her company completed a brand strategy for Highland, Calfornia Mexican restaurant, George Lopez's Chingon Kitchen. 

Now, with COVID-19 keeping customers away from dining in, she said it's more important than ever for brands to realize that "people connect with authenticity." With Chingon Kitchen, George Lopez's origin story that focuses on his grandmother is a comforting approach. After all, despite how much Lopez jokes about his family matriarch in his stand-up act, she raised him and was a source of comfort. That also is comforting to customers, along with the brand's food, regardless of customers' cultural heritage.

• New Jersey branding blogger, Billy Brophy, urges brands to take customers inside your restaurants with Instagram stories, FB live and really echoing your customers' feedback through social media sharing. He said though this was a great approach before COVID-19, the pandemic has really underscored how much customers appreciate these stories. Further this approach is what keeps your brand culture active, engaging and even comforting. 

Just to sum up some of these experts best tips, keep in mind the importance of staying true to your brand's voice amid these tumultuous times to convey your authenticity to customers, as well as how service has changed to reflect the health concern.  

Whether your business is a corporate location, or a local franchise, be creative. When you communicate, be consistent on you website, social media, and email marketing. The voice should be the same across platforms, and match the voice your customers know from years of visiting. 

Ask your team for stories from the frontline (maybe even video) that represents your new COVID-19 service habits. Let your customers know that you are right there with them, struggling with the stay-at-home orders. Simply put, bring that voice forward in your messaging and bring comfort and familiarity in a time of crisis.

About Martha Lucius

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Growing up in Africa, Asia, the U.S. and Europe, I ate from street stalls, cafes and food carts. After receiving my bachelor's degree in Economics, then 10 years as a graphic designer, I opened two cafes in Baltimore, Maryland. Now I am a restaurant strategist. My mission is to bring success to the business and its owner. My blog helps owners with articles designed to help improve customer service, culture, operations, branding and financial stability. I hope you find my point of view approachable and useful.

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