Do you want to establish a strong presence for your restaurant within the local community, resulting in a surge of loyal customers? If so, we have the solution you’ve been looking for. Get ready to discover the key to building widespread brand recognition and customer loyalty in your area. In this discussion, our guest, Eric Knott, the Chief Operating Officer of PDQ Restaurants, will reveal the strategies and tactics that will help you achieve this desired outcome. Prepare to unlock the secret to fostering a thriving community and reaping the benefits of increased customer engagement — be the mayor of your local area.Here are some topics discussed in the episode:Give your team autonomy to try new things and empower them to “be the mayor”Get involved with local schools, churches, and colleges to build relationshipsIt takes consistency to stay top of mind in your communityCreate a contact heatmap of local organizations you want to build relationships withHiring people connected to the local community leads to better marketing engagementResourcesConnect with Eric Knott on LinkedIn.Find a PDQ Restaurant near you.Follow PDQ on Instagram or TikTok.Other shout-outsOutback SteakhouseArnold’s Restaurants for being super ingrained in their community.Chick-Fil-A for their great example of getting involved in the community.Glory Days Grill

In this episode of The Local Marketing Lab, we have an illuminating discussion with Carl Orsbourn, co-founder and COO of Juicer and author of the “Delivering the Digital Restaurant” book series. With over 25 years of experience crunching data and driving optimizations for restaurants, Carl provides invaluable insights on data-driven decisions for boosting your local marketing, fostering digital hospitality, and developing thoughtful digital strategies.Here are some topics discussed in the episode related to data-driven decisions:Analyze transaction data patterns at each location to uncover opportunitiesOptimize your Google presence for local SEO through contentRespond quickly and authentically to online reviews and messagesDevelop social content that highlights your teams and processesTake an incremental approach to major digital initiativesResourcesConnect with Carl Orsbourn on LinkedIn.Learn more about Juicer and how they help with dynamic pricing.Check out Carl’s Digital Restaurant book series.Subscribe to Carl’s newsletter on LinkedIn — The Digital Restaurant.Listen to an episode of The Digital Restaurant podcast.Other shout-outsFind a Rock and Brews burger location near you.Meredith Sandland — Co-author of the Digital Restaurant series.Connect with Troy Hooper on LinkedIn.Follow Shawn Walchef on LinkedIn.Learn more about the hype of Slutty Vegan.

In this episode of The Local Marketing Lab, Justin Ulrich has an insightful conversation with Kyle Inserra, a restaurant industry veteran turned commercial real estate expert. With over 20 years of experience spanning from high-end kitchens to real estate, Kyle shares his unique perspective building advocacy through authenticity and engaging local marketing.Here are key takeaways listeners can expect to learn from this episode:How to create authentic marketing contentWays to showcase behind-the-scenes business processesTips for understanding your niche target audienceWhy consistency and persistence matter for local outreachThe importance of investing in branding and designResourcesFollow and connect with Kyle Inserra on LinkedIn.Watch some of Kyle’s videos on TikTok for great examples of building advocacy through authenticity.Check out the Closed Monday podcast and the Commercial Real Estate School podcast.Learn more about Zelnik & Company.Other shout-outsListen or watch our episode with Shawn Walchef.Check out another episode referenced with Jeremy Julian.Learn more about Kyle’s shout-outs to these restaurants: O’Bagel, Frank Pepe, Fry the Coop, and Tony and Pete’s.

In this episode of The Local Marketing Lab, Justin Ulrich has an engaging discussion with Geoff Alexander, President and CEO of Wow Bao and Managing Partner at Lettuce Entertain You. With over 30 years of experience in the restaurant industry, Geoff provides powerful insights on how to surprise and delight your customers and why that’s the key to local marketing.Geoff Alexander focuses on the key to local marketing: surprise and delight. Here are some topics discussed in the episode:Local marketing is all about community engagement – make your brand a positive part of the neighborhood.Focus on “touchpoints” – interactions that foster personal connections with customers.Getting your product directly into people’s hands is powerful marketing.Create delightful surprises that drive word-of-mouth.Actively listen and adapt to customer feedback.ResourcesConnect with Geoff Alexander on LinkedIn.Check out Wow Bao, find a location near you, or buy some at Walmart!Learn more about Lettuce Entertain You.Listen to Geoff Alexander’s episode on the Turning the Table podcast.Learn more about the Lynn Sage Breast Cancer Foundation and how you can get involved.Find a sweetgreen location near you.

Want actionable ways to step up your restaurant’s local marketing game? Tune into this episode of The Local Marketing Lab featuring chef and marketing expert Adam Lamb.With over 30 years of experience, Adam provides authentic, engaging marketing advice to help restaurants better connect locally. Whether you’re a chef, restaurant operator, or marketer, you’ll come away with creative ideas to boost your local presence, attract talent and customers, and ultimately drive growth by better connecting with your neighborhood.Adam Lamb focuses on 7+ ways to step up your restaurant’s local game. Topics discussed during this episode include:Highly engaging video content for marketingAdapt your restaurant’s marketing strategies post-COVIDNiche down and do one thing extremely well rather than trying to be everything to everyoneFocus on creating authentic, high-quality contentSpice up your marketing with humor; don’t take yourself too seriously.

In this episode of The Local Marketing Lab, you’ll hear an engaging conversation between host Justin Ulrich and Betsy Hamm, the CEO of Duck Donuts. With over 22 years of experience in hospitality and restaurant marketing, Betsy shares insights on driving restaurant growth leveraging user-generated content, community partnerships, and consistent local outreach.Learn how to:Apply effective marketing strategies that attract and engage your community.Develop meaningful connections with your community.Leverage the power of local influencers and opinion leaders.Harness the power of word-of-mouth marketing.Focus on delivering exceptional experiences and personalized interactions.

In this episode of The Local Marketing Lab, you’ll join host Justin Ulrich as he sits down with Wade Allen, EVP of Strategic Growth at Costa Vida. Wade shares his insights and experiences on the power of local marketing. He provides 5 impactful community engagement tips businesses can use to effectively connect with their target audience.Learn how to:Stay relevant to your target audience’s interests and needsPersonalize your marketing messages and offers through CRM programsUse digital channels to communicate and engage with your customersSegment messaging and tailor offers to reach different segments of your audienceBuild brand presence through grassroots marketing and community engagement

Are you looking for effective ways to nurture potential customers, get more leads, and spread brand awareness? Learn how to use social media video to get more business!In this episode of the Local Marketing Lab, James Duncan, director of marketing at Thrive Mortgage, shares how to use social media video to get more business and help you achieve exponential growth. Everyone in the organization can play a part by sharing their own stories and creating videos. With authentic, engaging videos you can educate your audience and naturally drive social media engagement.In this episode, you’ll learn:The importance of establishing yourself as an expert on social mediaHow to create authentic and educational social media video to get more businessTips to boost social media engagement and drive business growthThe power of storytelling in your video content and social media posts to captivate your audienceInsights to stay ahead of the competition by embracing innovation and experimentation with new marketing techniques

Joining us on the Local Marketing Lab is the “godfather of restaurant marketing” and expert, Rev Ciancio — founder of Handcraft Burgers and Brews, Head of Revenue Marketing at Branded Hospitality Ventures, and founder of Yeah! Management. In this episode, Rev shares his innovative local marketing strategies to help drive ROI by focusing on the customer experience.Rev shares examples around 5 local marketing tips to drive growth for your business to thrive, including:Optimizing your online presenceCapturing customer emailsCrafting targeted promotionsBuilding customer personasCreating consistent valuable content

In the competitive world of real estate and mortgage marketing, building trust and engaging with customers is crucial. Join Justin Ulrich on the Local Marketing Lab podcast with Krish Dhokia, SVP of Marketing and Business Development at Kind Lending, as he reveals the secrets to local marketing success, the power of authenticity, and the importance of a strong online presence.In this episode, you'll learn: Tools for local marketing — specifically in the world of real estate and mortgageHow to add personal branding in local marketing to increase your marketing effectivenessThe balanced blend of traditional and digital marketing to boost local growthWhy incorporating strategy and consistent branding influences marketing successResourcesConnect with Krish Dhokia on LinkedInCheck out Kind Lending to explore their mortgage services and fun branding (also on TikTok)Listen to the Grit Happens podcast — hosted by Glenn and Mindy StearnsListen to the Del Talk podcast — hosted by Delfino AguilarListen to the OG Talk podcast — hosted by Orlando Gutierrez

Scot Turner, the Chief Ambassador at The Burnt Chef Project and the founder of Auden Hospitality, draws from his 20 years of experience in the food and beverage industry within the hotel space to share insights on local marketing strategies to create raving fans in your local community.In this episode, you'll learn: Why tailoring marketing strategies to specific locations can revolutionize your outreach.The art of building and maintaining loyal fans in your local community.The potential of LinkedIn in your B2B marketing endeavors.Tips for using TikTok in personal branding and boosting audience interaction.How to take user-created content in your local marketing campaigns.Resources:Follow Scot Turner on LinkedIn or TikTok.Learn more about Auden Hospitality and how they help food and beverage entrepreneurs succeed.Check out The Burnt Chef Project — a community to burn away the stigma surrounding mental health within hospitality.Zack Oates from Ovation: check out his webinar “Leveraging the power of a local growth flywheel“.Shawn Walchef: Follow him on LinkedIn and watch his recent podcast episode.Follow Troy Hooper on LinkedIn.Consider following Rev Ciancio on LinkedIn.Follow all the great content of Dominique Ansel.

Nicky Lewenson, the Chief Revenue Officer at Final Offer, discusses three levers to build trust and local marketing success: transparency, education, and adding value. In this episode, you will be able to: Build trust and local marketing success.Learn how education can optimize your local marketing tactics.Get a clearer understanding of transparency’s benefits in the real estate market and other industries.Grasp how successful local marketing strategies are implemented with Final Offer.Understand the vital role of community engagement in local marketing initiatives.Discover how Atomic Habits can catalyze both personal and marketing growth.

In this episode of The Local Marketing Lab, Troy Hooper, CEO of Pepper Lunch USA, explores the marketing strategies that have contributed to the success of Pepper Lunch. He shares valuable insights on how building buzz can be accomplished through unforgettable customer experiences.In this episode, you will be able to: Learn about Troy Hooper’s path to success, highlighting his passion for the restaurant industry.Understand the strategy and vision behind Pepper Lunch’s focused expansion into North America, ensuring its seat in an uptrend growth trajectory.Attain valuable knowledge from triumphant Asian brands that influenced the strategic branding and messaging of Pepper Lunch for a US audience.Unravel the allure of Pepper Lunch’s DIY Teppanyaki model, building buzz by creating an unforgettable brand experience as the primary value proposition.Delve into the multi-channel marketing strategies of Pepper Lunch, incorporating direct email, social media, and user-generated content to foster audience engagement and a “building buzz” mindset.

In this episode of The Local Marketing Lab podcast, Justin Ulrich interviews Jeremy Julian, an expert in restaurant technology, who shares valuable insights on improving marketing strategies and targeting the right audience. Jeremy emphasizes three key things to implement for meaningful customer engagement and business growth. 1. The importance of understanding and segmenting customers. By tailoring marketing messages to specific customer groups, businesses can effectively resonate with their target audience and drive more traffic and engagement. He emphasizes the need to speak directly to customers' specific needs, whether it's offering a free kids meal on Tuesdays or promoting a new kids' menu for families with children.2. Leverage data to gain insights into customer behavior and preferences. By analyzing data from point-of-sale systems and marketing databases, businesses can identify trends and patterns, such as slow days or times, and find ways to make meaningful customer engagement during those periods, enhancing their overall experience.3. Be present digitally and in physical stores. Whether a business is a single or multi-location, being actively engaged with staff and customers allows for a better understanding of their needs. He gives an example of a restaurant owner named Sean who excels in digital engagement through platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. Sean's consistent online presence has helped him stay top of mind for customers and add value to his business.This episode provides valuable insights and practical tips for restaurant owners and operators looking to improve their marketing and target their audience effectively. By implementing these three key strategies, businesses can enhance their brand perception, drive meaningful customer engagement, and ultimately achieve business growth.

Jim Taylor, the founder of BenchmarkSixty and host of the Turning the Table podcast, joined Justin Ulrich for an insightful conversation on the Local Marketing Lab podcast. They discussed effective local marketing strategies for the restaurant industry, with a focus on how to increase restaurant traffic as a key performance indicator.Jim’s expertise in the restaurant industry and his emphasis on grassroots marketing and exceptional customer experiences made this episode a must-listen for restaurant owners and operators in the local market. Jim shared valuable insights, such as the importance of providing great service to encourage repeat business and the concept of creating lookalike audiences and increasing loyalty to drive growth.He also highlighted the significance of adapting to change and exploring new strategies. This conversation offered actionable tips and inspiration for restaurant owners looking to increase foot traffic and drive growth in their local communities.Key TakeawaysIn this episode, you will be able to:Delve into the intricacies of restaurant consulting and learn strategies to turbocharge productivity and profitability.Decipher the potential of wine list promotions as a way to increase restaurant traffic and revitalize your profit margins.Understand the significance of top-notch customer experience in crafting memorable dining experiences and creating brand loyalty.Gain powerful insights into the transformative effect of savvy marketing tactics on the restaurant industry, emphasizing driving customer traffic.Be inspired by Jim Taylor’s vast restaurant industry knowledge and fervor, offering an innovative angle to the business.

Join us on Evocalize's first episode of the Local Marketing Labs podcast!Listen to our guest, Shawn Walchef, founder of Cali BBQ and Cali BBQ Media, as he reveals the transformative power of digital platforms for storytelling and brand promotion.Here's a glimpse of what you'll learn:1️⃣ Uncover the transformative potential of digital mediums for advertising your narrative and your brand.2️⃣ Learn the ways that videos, especially those that are succinct, captivate and hold the viewer's attention.3️⃣ Overcome anxiety and target creation pace, quantity, and steadiness in your output.4️⃣ Find out how the internet and social media have made storytelling accessible to everyone.5️⃣ Grasp how to take advantage of the creator economy, harnessing digital platforms for your benefit