How can a summer salad keep your brand relevant?
Most people tend to think of (or define) a traditional salad as a bowl of leafy greens and veggies like tomatoes and cucumbers with their favorite bottled dressing drizzled on top. From leafy green garden salads, to toasted croutons in Caesar salad and juicy olives in a Mediterranean Greek salad, to creamy potato and macaroni salad; from healthy to not so healthy, salads can come in all different shapes and sizes and over the years have become a whole trend on their own.
Constructing a salad allows for creativity to run wild in any kitchen, and that’s exactly how the summer LTO Yakisoba Salad at Teriyaki Madness was created. Summer salads provide refreshing and healthy choices at all types of restaurants, whether they’re five-star sit downs or fast casual concepts, during a season that has great opportunity to add to and switch up items on the menu.
Contrary to a typical crunchy, leafy green summer salad, our summer LTO provides yakisoba noodles as the base element, yet similar to a typical salad, it’s packed with all kinds of fresh veggies. The Yakisoba noodle salad gives customers a new healthy option that fits right in with what they’re already familiar with at our shops. Just like the big Teriyaki bowls that have kept customers coming back time and time again, the Yakisoba salad is a large, protein packed bowl with a signature house-made Asian Sesame Dressing mixed in.
While the Yakisoba Salad is a brand-new item with a brand-new sauce, we strategically crafted the menu item so franchisees don’t have to order or stock their stores with any new ingredients. They already have everything in their kitchens, meaning employees and owners already have a basic familiarity with the ingredients in the salad. The Yakisoba Salad is a lower food cost option that is also profitable as an LTO item.
We also recognize that customer experience is just as important as what’s being served and how it tastes. In addition to the summer LTO, the company also launched an app and online ordering system. Technology has become a crucial part of any business or service in today’s market; bringing brands and putting products directly into the consumer’s hands is necessary to engage with customers outside of the store.
The app allows customers to order food for pickup (or delivery in available markets) and save their favorite orders and purchasing information, which makes future mobile orders super easy. The app also has a map and location information for all its restaurants, news about products, offers and promotions, a customer referral program, a link to jobs at Teriyaki Madness and even a link to buy a franchise.
Throughout the summer, customers will have access to exclusive offers and redeemables that can be used on the app and in-store. Incentives to download and use the app will be available to customers who place their first orders and refer others to the app, as well.
It’s important to try new things, such as adding a Yakisoba Salad to your menu, and stay relevant with trends and competition by launching an app, but it’s crucial to recognize your brand and maintain efforts that align with it. Part of this involves honest evaluation of what is and isn’t working, adapting to new trends and customer feedback and staying relevant.
A strong brand is succinct, memorable and consistent. It represents who you are, what you believe in and how you want to be perceived. Teriyaki Madness values bold flavors, big portions and trying new things. Summer 2018 is all about new adventures and honoring what makes the brand so unique.
