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Saturday, 14 September 2013

Green Marketing Best Practices for Restaurants

Updated September 14th 2013
Going green is currently one of the fastest growing trends for restaurants. But it is important that going green or promoting green practices goes along with the overall restaurant concept. This is why it is important to be consistent and most of the time is not adequate and applicable for all restaurants. It is for a good cause so make sure no customer ever doubts your green intentions and credibility of your overall concept is ensured. It is very popular as it has a lot of potential and also helps to promote eco-friendly qualities. For your green restaurant to be successful and profitable you have to employ effective marketing strategies.
Nowadays, the majority of customers prefer eating in an eco-friendly restaurant and as such going green is beneficial to a restaurant owner. For this to be successful you have to create awareness about your green qualities. This way more customers will get to know about your green restaurant and in time you would build a loyal customer base in the community.
One effective marketing strategy is launching Eco-Friendly Promotions. You can reward customers for leading eco-friendly lifestyles. For instance you can give discounts to all customers who arrive on bikes rather than vehicles. This will go a long way in attracting eco-friendly customers.
Your restaurant should also feature green/organic foods in the menu as a way of showing your commitment to environmental sustainability. This is a sure way of attracting eco-conscious customers. For instance you can decide to only offer local organic dishes. Ensure that the green/organic foods in your menu can clearly be differentiated from other foods. You can also place special menu inserts with details about the benefits of these foods.
Online Marketing and social media can also come in handy when marketing your green restaurant. You can display your menu and eco-friendly efforts on the restaurant website and social media accounts. Provide all the information on offers and promotions to green customers. This strategy is important as it reaches a wider audience.
Another effective method of marketing your green restaurant is getting your green efforts to the press. This is the cheapest way of marketing your restaurant to a larger audience and also creating a positive image for your establishment. Getting the attention of the press is not difficult. Here are a number of tactics that you may find beneficial.
  1. First you can organize and host a major green event: Most green events are organized and hosted in eco-friendly venues. You should contact organizations supporting eco-friendly activities and offer to host their next major events. Alternatively you can organize and host a local green event that is sure to capture the attention of the press. For instance you can organize a fundraiser, or a tasting featuring organic foods. Ensure that you notify all the local news stations, newspapers, and magazines so that they can cover it.
  2. You can also help support local green community programs: You need to get involved in activities of the local community. Participate and host local events as a way of attracting community members to your restaurant. You can organize environmental educational classes for the community and local schools to encourage people on the importance of conserving the environment. The local press is always interested in local activities and the more you participate the more interested they will be with your initiatives.
  3. Finally you can develop local partnerships with other businesses: Try to partner with other local businesses and cooperation’s in implementing eco-friendly initiatives. Together you can start a recycling program and offer rewards to community members who participate. Such initiatives attract the press and goodwill from the community in general.
 
Going green is not a bad idea at all.  Besides the numerous financial benefits you will receive, it also shows that you care about the environment. Additionally, it also saves money.
Written by Daniel Grossmann

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