Your Digital Identity Technology & Social Media Trends for Restaurants NRN predicts digital disruptions coming in 2 016 www.nrn.com December 30, 2015 Article by Lisa Jennings

Restaurants no longer face a choice between operating as brick-and- Restaurants will recapture control of mobile ordering, mortar retailers or having a digital presence. Today, it must be both. payment and delivery And the challenge ahead for any restaurant chain will be staying true to their brand, mission and values as they evolve with the times. The industry will watch carefully as Starbucks Corp. tests delivery with third-party player Postmates. Typically, delivery through such Here are a few examples of food-focused digital innovation to come third-party players is available through the delivery firm’s website in the new year: or mobile app, but Starbucks will integrate delivery seamlessly into its own app. Restaurant companies will become tech companies Guests will be able to use their smart phones to order, pay ahead If 2015 was the year when restaurant chains realized the game- and get their meal delivered by Postmates. changing potential of their digital platforms, then 2016 will be the Some third-party players say consumers won’t want to download year operators take that game to the next level. Over the past year, so many apps from their favorite restaurants, and that the digital restaurant chains have invested heavily in recruiting serious tech market places offered by DoorDash or GrubHub, for example, offer players into top management in chief information officer or chief consumers more efficient one-stop-shopping for their next meal. technology officer roles. Others, however, contend that restaurant operators will want Starbucks Corp. hired a former Adobe executive Gerri Martin- to keep control of their customers’ digital experience within their Flickinger. Chipotle Mexican Grill hired Starbucks’ former CIO Curt own apps or websites. Garner. And countless other restaurant chains have announced the hiring of a first technology chief or vice president who will develop Digital ordering provider Olo is working on the development of and implement new digital strategies that will fundamentally restaurant apps/websites that incorporate delivery as a feature. increase customer engagement, from RAVE Restaurant Group A new service called Dispatch allows guests to order and pay to Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. through the restaurant apps, then at checkout select a delivery These new hires will enable restaurant companies to move with the option. Guests will then see a selection of delivery price quotes rapidly changing times and to better understand how restaurant from local courier providers and to track their delivery selection diners consume technology. As a result, tech innovation will seem in real time. less a hastily tacked-on prosthesis and more a vital artery that ChowNow likewise is developing online ordering platforms to allow supplies an entire operation. restaurant operators to control the ordering-to-payment-to-delivery process through their own branded apps or websites. In Chicago, Meal kits to influence delivery space San Francisco and New York, the software company is partnering with specially trained Uber drivers to offer delivery, and the service Nibbling at both the restaurant and delivery markets are is expected to expand to more markets during 2016. a growing number of meal-kit providers, which supply partially or ready-to-cook ingredients and an easy-to-follow recipe to create a chef-inspired meal at home. Blue Apron, HelloFresh, Plated and others are popping up across the country offering consumers the promise of a restaurant-quality meal they can make themselves without the fuss of shopping or the need for cooking skills. Typically meal kits are ordered online and delivered straight to consumers at a reasonable price. The trend is making players in the still-nascent delivery space nervous. Some argue that the meal-kit trend will be a flash in the pan and peter out. Others see restaurants getting into the game with their own meal-kit services delivered by the likes of Postmates or DoorDash. Holger Luedorf, Postmates’ senior vice president of business, said time will tell if the meal-kit trend will steal significant market share. “If customers want it and the business model is sustainable, it will stick around,” he said. “But these competitive pressures and other players will bring more innovation out of the overall industry. In the Clockwise from left: Postmates (founded in 2011) has expanded to deliver end, the ones that serve the best food will be the ones that survive.” food, groceries, more. Mobile ordering is emerging as the fastest way for Starbucks customers to order ahead, pay, then pick up their purchases. 2 Taco Bell launches delivery with DoorDash. Facebook Reactions, the new Like button, will roll out globally

www.mashable.com January 27, 2015 Article by Samantha Murphy Kelly

Facebook users worldwide will soon have more options than the While the report didn't detail when exactly the feature will roll out Like button to choose from when responding to posts on the site. to everyone, Facebook chief product manager Chris Cox said the team has taken measures not to rush the process. Late last year, the company announced Facebook Reactions as a Like button alternative that comes in the form of six emoji with “We roll things out very carefully,” he said. “And that comes from the following sentiments: angry, sad, wow, haha, yay and love. a lot of lessons learned.” While the effort was first tested in Spain and Ireland, and then trickled out to Chile, the Philippines, Portugal and Colombia, Although Facebook users have long wished for a Dislike button Reactions is finally headed to the U.S. and the rest of the world (in contrast to the existing Like button), Facebook CEO Mark in the "next few weeks," according to a Bloomberg report. Zuckerberg previously expressed concern that the option conveys too much negativity. The report notes that Facebook worked closely with sociologists to select images that carefully express certain emotions. In addition "Everyone feels like they can just push the Like button, and that's to offering reactions that may be more appropriate to use in certain an important way to sympathize or empathize with someone," situations — i.e. if a Facebook user's pet died, the Like button was the he said during a Q&A in 2014. "We need to figure out the right way only option to express non-verbal emotion — the company wanted to do it so it ends up being a force for good, not a force for bad." to provide images people would feel comfortable and eager to use.

By long-pressing over the bottom of a post on mobile (or hovering over it with your mouse on a desktop browser), a panel with six emoji options will pop up. A number related to how many times each emoji was selected for that specific post appears below it.

3 Facebook's Live-Streaming Tool is Now Available to All U.S. iPhone Users socialmediatoday.com January 28, 2016 Article by Andrew Hutchinson

The live-streaming battle is about to heat up – Facebook, which first And while the option undoubtedly has potential, one of its key released their live-streaming tool ‘Live’ to only verified profiles is now stumbling blocks so far has been reach, and in generating enough opening the option up to all U.S. iPhone users, as of January 28. momentum to cross over into the mainstream consciousness. If live-streaming can do that, the value of the offering will increase The process is pretty straight-forward, as noted by Facebook product exponentially – and you can imagine that such a crossover could manager Vadim Lavrusik: happen. But how, exactly, that might occur is not yet clear. “To share live video, tap on Update Status then select the Live Video This is where Facebook may be holding some advantage – with the icon. You can write a quick description and choose the audience that largest network (now up to 1.59 billion users) comes the greatest you want to share with before going live. During your broadcast, capacity to deliver audience reach, and thus, the best opportunity you’ll see the number of live viewers, the names of friends who are to generate more awareness of the offering. While Periscope tuning in and a real-time stream of comments. When you end your has grown steadily over time (they reported that they’d reached broadcast, it will be saved on your Timeline like any other video, 10 million users back in August), that pales in comparison to the which you can then delete or keep for your friends to watch later.” size of Facebook’s network. Periscope’s recent announcement of increased integration with Twitter is a step in the right direction, That last point is important – currently, Periscope videos only remain but even then, Facebook’s audience potential is still much higher. viewable (within Periscope at least) for 24 hours, then they’re gone. Via Facebook Live, your content will remain on your Facebook Page, The question, at this stage, is about which platform can bring the like any other post, for all time. most attention and take live-streaming to the widest audience – because the bigger the audience, the more people (and brands) That capacity, too, may be part of the reasoning behind Facebook’s will be interested in using the offering. Periscope is currently the decision to slowly roll-out Live to all users – as with most product leader, but Facebook is circling, and they have wider plans for video launches, the biggest demand and interest will be in the initial content in the works that could change the game – including the stages, so Facebook will likely see a big influx in demand for video development of a dedicated video platform and a possible services in those first weeks, which will die down, and reduce system TV/Facebook integration. Both, or either, could deliver significant demand, over time. As it does, that might then make it easier for benefits for live-streaming, and while Periscope still has a few Facebook to roll out Live to the next country, where they’ll see options and plans up their sleeve, they may be out-matched another spike in use, before leveling off. This could, theoretically, if Facebook looks to take over. enable them to better manage the additional load and ensure smooth sailing over time. But of course, that’s ‘if’, as right now, Facebook’s still rolling out Live to the masses. And Periscope still has time to make some moves Live-streaming is the hot social media trend of the moment, to keep their audience from moving across. with a heap of industry experts identifying it as one of the key trends they expect to see dominate the sector in 2016.

4 Social Media Trends 2016 huffingtonpost.com January 5, 2016 Article by Layla Revis, Sr. VP - Global Digital & Social Strategy Director, Leo Burnett

Brands, agencies, and marketers working in digital media will tell 3. THE PASSIONATE CONSUMER IS THE NEW INFLUENCER you: innovation happens so rapidly that predicting future trends User Generated Content is the new content pipeline, creating and reviewing trends from previous years can either be illuminating, an emerging generation of influencers. Thanks to social media, or a subtle evolution, as platforms attempt to better monetize their everyday consumers have built an undeniable follower base, giving offerings from the previous year's developments. them stronger voices and the ability to impact public opinion and sales. In fact, consumers engage with 11.4 pieces of content prior For example, with the popularity of Millennials as a marketing focus, to making a purchase, making user generated content even more last year, brands became more interested in Snapchat, although powerful than before. Curated content is also more engaging. Snapchat had already launched Stories and Discover back in 2013 Posts with curated content links generate 33% more clicks than and 2014. However, as a result of Snapchat's growing popularity original content links. among this target, as well as messaging trends around the world including apps like LINE, WhatsApp, WeChat, and Kik, we saw 4. GIFS AND IMMERSIVE VIDEO ARE DRIVING FORCES a larger movement from major platforms like Facebook and OF ENGAGEMENT Instagram to develop enhanced messaging capabilities. Young consumers are obsessed with micro-video and gifs as a form of expression. The popularity of gifs and cinemagraphs has trans - In 2015, companies serving the industry like Union Metrics, lated to increased engagement. Cinemagraphs alone get 60% more Spredfast, and Sprinklr, continued to acquire, merge, and develop engagement than static images. As a result, legacy social platforms their offerings in an attempt to become all-in-one solutions more like Facebook, Google, and Twitter are all fighting for more video sophisticated in their ability to track, measure, and curate content. and integrating gif content. With Facebook and Google adding 360 Looking to 2016, we expect to see improvements when it comes to degree video capabilities and VR content on the horizon, expect the accuracy of measurement capabilities, the integration of tracking to see a deeper dive into more immersive moving content, and the paid performance, and refining clunky or overwhelming U/X issues. opportunities for social engagement within them to follow. Additionally, the following five trends will continue to drive best-in-class social media marketing. 5. MESSAGING APPS AND EMOJIS JUST KEEP GROWING Messaging Apps now have the same user-base as the top 4 social 1. SMALL(ER) DATA IS HERE platforms (Entrepreneur, 2015). Providing quicker, simpler, and more When consumers are faced with significant lifestyle events like engaging opportunities for consumers to connect with friends, having a baby, getting married, or buying a house, they are more now, users can send a friend money, send love (or Kim Kardashian's open to changing their purchasing habits. If you can determine backside) with emojis/stickers, purchase products, get 1:1 customer when consumers are going through these life events and send the help, make a call, and even host group chats within these messag - right advertisements at the right time, you have a higher chance ing apps. Due to its in-app ease, user base, integrated payment of earning their loyalty. The ability to drill down into behavioral data functionality, WeChat contributes to $1.76bn in lifestyle spending allows brands to create social media content that targets people in China. This year, Facebook Messenger also added Gif Apps with more customized content when people are more likely to to create more interactive expression. The Gif option is available purchase their products. In turn, they become more likely to to over 700 million monthly active users. advocate for a brand. In fact, companies can realize 30% greater As always, none of this is meaningful without possessing the 'test margin per eyeball when their marketing platforms are micro- and learn' mindset that the platforms themselves also possess. targeted by audience segments. Coca-Cola leveraged Twitter's Although social commerce has been a predicted trend for a few Tailored Audiences to create personalized tweets using consumers years, successful platform integration ebbs and flows, depending first name in their Share-a-Coke campaign. The campaign increased on the behavior of consumers. Websites and apps like Liketoknow.it Australia sales by 7% and U.S. sales by 3% (Twitter 2015). and Like2b.uy that integrate with Instagram appear to be taking off, particularly when it comes to fashion influencer integration, while 2. LIVE BROADCASTING IS BECOMING THE NEW REAL-TIME Twitter continues to still be in the testing phase with the Buy Now With the steady increase in popularity of streaming apps such as button. Another interesting trend to watch may be the virtual Snapchat and Periscope, and more up-to-date stories available via assistant space. Although it's nothing new when it comes to bots Twitter Moments, the importance of in-the-moment content has that help you navigate through life (e.g. Siri, Cortana, Mona), increased. Now a consumer is a reporter, a content curator, and Facebook is experimenting with "M", the human side of a "chatbot" a distribution platform of everyday or culturally relevant events. to help consumers with personalized needs, similar to a concierge. A recent Comscore report found that with 32.9% penetration, Snapchat is the third most popular social app among 18-34 year- 2016 should be an interesting year for the evolution of social and, olds. Users are actively seeking Super Live, always new content, who knows? Perhaps we'll even have a new breakout social star and brands are seeing results. iHeartRadio generated 340MM views, or offering. while Cosmopolitan Magazine received 3MM a day via their Discover.

LATE-BREAKING NEWS AND STATISTICS

Twitter introduces new hashtag ad format. These “conversational ads” can be seen as promoted tweets that will include call to action buttons with several custom hashtags an advertiser can create for their campaign. Jan. 16 – smallbiztrends.com A smartphone was shipped for 1 of every 5 people alive in 2015. Manufacturers shipped nearly 1.5 billion smartphones to the world's 7.4 billion inhabitants in 2015 as consumers opted to replace older devices with newer LTE-equipped models or those with larger displays. Jan. 28 – appleinsider.com More sharing happens on mobile. Two-times more sharing occurs on mobile than desktop. 71 percent of American social media users use mobile versions of social apps, with 76 percent of Twitter users preferring the mobile version of the network. While Facebook still attracts many desktop users, 1.1 billion users now prefer mobile. If twice as many shares occur on mobile, it makes sense that marketers should spend more time targeting mobile social media to increase their reach . Jan. 8 – socialnomics.net 5 7 Major Changes for Facebook in 2 016 www.forbes.com December 30, 2015 Article by Jayson DeMers

Google, Apple, and Amazon tend to attract the most attention 4. Advertising Changes. Facebook’s advertising platform hasn’t in terms of technological innovations. Apple’s strides in personal stopped changing since it first emerged more than a decade ago. assistant technology, Google’s self-updating search algorithm, and The platform saw a number of updates in 2015, including a “call Amazon’s drone delivery plans all made major headlines this year, now” button, carousel-style ads, and mobile ad management. but there’s another tech company—one almost everyone uses— Following in Pinterest’s successful footsteps, it’s likely that Facebook that’s pushing the limits of technology and redefining consumer will include more social/e-commerce hybrid functions for its expectations just as much: Facebook. businesses, and an even more robust ad management platform.

A decade ago, you wouldn’t have expected a social media site to be 5. Organic Visibility. Organic visibility has dropped on Facebook a leader in digital innovation, but Facebook remains one of the most consistently over the years. While Facebook’s official response to dynamic tech companies around today—and its strides are affecting this objective decrease is to improve overall user experience by only businesses and marketers everywhere. If you’re an entrepreneur, showing the most relevant content, it’s not hard to read between a marketer, or even just a social media junkie, get ready for these the lines. Lower organic reach means more pressure for businesses seven changes Facebook is bringing to the world: to use paid advertising options, which means more revenue for Facebook. Count on seeing even greater decreases in organic 1. Virtual Reality. It’s no secret that Facebook acquired Oculus, visibility, and consider refining your Facebook marketing strategy. the leading competitor in the recent resurgence of virtual reality (VR) technology, earlier this year. Oculus Rift is one of the hottest 6. Customer Service. Facebook is making a big push for its anticipated gadgets of 2016, and with Facebook backing the device Messenger app, particularly for businesses. Already, businesses (and company), you can bet the social platform will do everything can harness the power and convenience of Facebook Messenger it can to push VR on consumers. That means including more VR- to reach certain members of their audiences or respond to inbound enabled content and interactions on the Facebook platform, such inquiries, but this functionality is somewhat limited for now. as 360 panoramas, and rewarding users and businesses who With Facebook’s emphasis remaining firm, it’s almost certain that contribute such content for the masses. Will VR technology stick more functions will roll out for Messenger as a customer service around for good this time? If Oculus delivers, it probably will, and platform. For B2C businesses, this could be extremely valuable. Facebook is counting on it. 7. Greater Video Emphasis. It’s no secret that users are craving 2. Instant Articles. Facebook actually released Instant Articles earlier more and more video content. Apps like Periscope and Meerkat in 2015, but only to a limited selection of publishers. Designed to are surging in popularity, and mainstream apps like Facebook and keep users in the app for as long as possible and maximize exposure Twitter have already included auto-playing videos in news feeds. for publishers who might otherwise lose traffic to social media tire Facebook also recently announced plans to release a live streaming kickers, Instant Articles was theoretically a mutually beneficial video function, which will grant Periscope-like functionality to users feature that served as a win for everyone; readers get faster content, and businesses. It’s clear that Facebook plans to prioritize video publishers get more readers, and Facebook gets more users to stick content heavily, which means it could see a major boost in organic around. The only problem is many publishers felt Instant Articles visibility, and users and businesses alike will probably see more wasn’t robust enough, and the advertising options didn’t make up tools designed to make the video capture and upload process for the lack of inbound traffic. You can bet Facebook will be redesign - even easier. ing and modifying its Instant Articles model in 2016—possibly including an even wider circle of publishers. Some of these changes might be hits, and others might be failures. Some of them are already here and some of them might be delayed 3. Facebook M. With digital assistants like Siri and Cortana already another year. What’s important is the pace and degree to which hardened in the mainstream, Facebook is hoping to get a piece of Facebook is incorporating updates; the app is becoming far more the action with Facebook M, a Messenger-based digital assistant. than just a social media platform, and marketers who take note of There’s one major difference; while most digital assistants are this early and respond to those changes stand to benefit far more formally and completely digital (machine learning algorithms), than the latecomers. Stay up-to-date on the latest developments, Facebook M is actually a digital/human hybrid—it uses an algorithm and keep your strategy ready to change at a moment’s notice. similar to those of Siri and Cortana (but with a blend of features unique to Facebook), but also relies on a team of human assistants operating in the background to handle more complex or ambiguous tasks. Whether it’s a massive success or colossal failure, Facebook is bringing variety to the digital assistant scene.

Social Media Predictions momentology.com

I think paid social is pretty much a must-do at this point, especially for Facebook. You won’t get much visibility otherwise. And I think experimenting with what paid social campaigns work best for your specific products and services will make all the difference. If you haven’t considered Instagram and Pinterest in your paid campaigns, and you do Brand-to-Consumer or ecommerce, I would strongly suggest checking them out.

Kelsey Jones Experiment with native video. SEJ did a study that found that native video in Facebook gets more views and Exec. Editor engagement than simply posting a YouTube link. I would experiment with Facebook video, as well as other Search Engine Journal video capabilities on Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter (Vine) to see if something sticks for your brand. 6 7 eye-opening stats that’ll make you www.socialmediatoday.com better at video marketing January 28, 2016 Article by Sarah Quinn

When it comes to video marketing, we know that it's the coolest kid #5. 72% of businesses say video has improved their on the block. Countless studies show that people prefer to view conversion rate videos than read text because it's visually engaging, and really easy Do you have a video on your website? If you don't, you could be to consume. losing out on a huge opportunity to increase your conversion rates. The Crazy Egg video is the perfect example of this. The reason they But as with everything else in content marketing, the world of video wanted to create an explainer video was because they discovered is changing. Take a look at these 7 eye-opening stats from this 2016 that their customers found it difficult to justify paying so much for video marketing research by Wyzowl, to see what you can learn. their service. By creating an animated explainer video and featuring it on their homepage, they grew their conversions by 363%. #1. 77% of consumers have been convinced to buy The reason it worked so well is because not only does it use a fun a product after watching a video character to keep it super engaging, it drills right down to the core Product videos are the very best way to educate your customers and shows viewers the benefits of how they can actually use their on what your product can do for them, which will ultimately product to increase their own web conversions. increase your ROI. #6. 53% of businesses struggle to promote their And the great thing about a product video is that you can create video content any kind that you like. Promoting any content can be tricky, let alone a video. But if you want it to be a success then you need to ensure that you have For example, you could hold a webinar and educate people about a promotion strategy in place. So where do you start? Once you've your product in-depth, create an animated video to show the created your video and sourced a hosting platform, first step is benefits of a service in a fun and engaging way, or produce to put it on your website -- so that could be your blog, your product a screen-recorded walk through instructing a user on how to use pages, or your homepage. Next, share it on social and pay to your product. The choices are endless! promote it so that you can attract your target audience. Once you've got that covered, email your database, leverage #2. 70% of consumers say that they have shared influencers and set up an ad campaign so that you can drive a brand's video plenty of viewers to your video. So the good news is, those videos that you create for social don't go to waste! You've probably already noticed more and more videos #7. 91% of businesses say they plan to increase or popping up in your social feeds, and most of them are from brands. maintain their spending on video in 2016 But the key to a shareable video somewhat differs to that of If there's one thing we can say for certain it's that video isn't going a product video. You should aim to see this as a brand awareness anywhere anytime soon. We learnt that in 2015 on average, goal, rather than trying to hit your conversion goals. That's not marketers intended to spend up to $5,000 on video, and this looks to say that you won't increase your conversions, but it's important set to increase for 2016. After looking at the stats, it's clear to see to understand that videos on social should be more focused that the future is bright for video marketing. With more and more towards the initial attraction stage of the buyer's journey. So what businesses using it to educate their audience, raise their brand does it take to get a person to share your video on social? awareness, and increase their ROI, isn't it about time you jumped on the video bandwagon?

#3. 76% of consumers would share a brand's video if it was entertaining When it comes to social media, the aim of the game is to get people to hit that share button. But if you're struggling to see many shares then it could be to do with the type of content you're trying to promote. Does it keep your audience entertained? Getting weighed down in trying to push your product onto your viewers is why most people will switch off. Think about what you can do to make it fun, interesting and entertaining.

#4. 61% of consumers were put off buying a product after watching a bad explainer video Yikes! This is an important statistic to take note of. If you're going to create a video to explain what your prod uct or service does then you need to make sure that it's done right. And by right, we mean quality scriptwriting, illustrations and animation -- the whole pack - age. Interestingly, many respondents told us that they were put off buying a product because the messaging was so unclear. Rather than trying to squeeze in every single feature that your product does, think about using the video as the hook rather than the manual. The very best explainer videos follow a very similar formula in that they connect with the problems of the viewer, they then go on to show how that business solves those problems by highlight - ing the product benefits, and they close with a killer call-to-action. 7 www.hotschedules.com/blog December 31, 2015

It would be an understatement to say that a lot happened in the THE INTERNET OF THINGS WILL BE ON THE MINDS restaurant and hospitality industry in 2015. Between changes in OF EVERY CIO. wages, the intense discussion around tipping policies, implications of the Affordable Care Act, and the massive shift in the war for talent, If you follow Nation’s Restaurant News or any other industry news we had plenty on our plates. Perhaps most of all, we saw a continued outlet, you’ve noticed the number of restaurants recruiting top shift in how restaurants view and use technology to power every minds in technology to their teams. The goal: successfully lead aspect of their businesses. their company into the next generation, where technology is interconnected and ultimately powers predictable success across 2016 will surely have its own set of obstacles. But restaurants are every department, every store and each employee. getting better at understanding today’s competitive landscape and how to use technology to fuel their success. And that’s a very good Thanks to cloud platforms, the POS is no longer going to be the thing. Because the more complex the playing field gets, the harder center of the restaurant’s operations. Instead, integrations across it’s going to be to succeed amidst massive shifts in workforce and a restaurant’s third party vendors will become easier and data will be consumer preferences. pulled in through the the cloud platform. Not only that, these big data platforms are democratizing the data and the systems so that So what can you expect in 2016? There’s a lot to get excited about. even smaller restaurant organizations can benefit from Big Data.

RESTAURANTS WILL BE IN THE TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS AS MUCH AS THEY ARE IN THE FOOD BUSINESS. BIG DATA AND PREDICTABILITY WILL BE THE NECTAR FOR BETTER PERFORMANCE. Scheduling, training, inventory, recruiting, loss prevention, ordering, loyalty programs, reporting – many restaurants are already using Speaking of Big Data, it may be a new term to some restaurant technology to manage some of these processes. In 2016, technology owners, but the actual information behind the term has been will start to take over even more of them and operators will welcome used by restaurants for years on both a small and large scale. the automation and accountability. In 2016 and beyond, restaurants will find new applications (built The next challenge, of course, will be finding ways to standardize the quickly and cheaply on cloud platforms) and new ways to map data across these systems so that decision makers can make sense data from hardware, software, sensors and devices and use it of the information in a meaningful way that affects the bottom line to automate operations and better predict business outcomes. and improves overall productivity. For example, HotSchedules Reveal, an analytics application built on our Internet of Things platform, delivers immediate, as-it’s-happening visibility into store operations with real-time Key Performance Indicators – on a mobile device. So if you’re trying to figure out if it’s worth opening the patio this evening, you can easily see how the extra labor, inventory, weather and social media reviews will affect your decision. RECRUITING WILL BECOME EVEN MORE SOCIAL. THE GREAT TIPPING DEBATE WILL WAGE ON. The battle for talent hasn’t slowed down and companies across Restaurateurs like Danny Meyer and CEO Ray Blanchette of Ignite every segment and size will continue to look for alternative ways Restaurant group as well as large corporate organizations like to source talent. Problem is, those traditional methods, like job Joe’s Crab Shack deserve, at a minimum, a clap on the back for boards, aren’t working. They may get candidates through the door, trailblazing a new idea to compensate their staff. but a whopping 80% of job board hires turn over within a year. Which is why human resource departments are looking at new At the same time, there’s no telling whether that trail will continue angles to get the right people in the door and keep them there. to blaze or if it will fizzle out in favor of traditional tipping methods or something else altogether. Their restaurants have already In the same way LinkedIn changed the playing field for candidates garnered the attention of the industry and consumers alike, and recruiters in the traditional corporate world; network-based but it will take time to understand the implications on recruiting, referral and social apps will help managers and corporate franchises retention, performance, revenue and growth. use their already engaged network of employees to find other candidates that fit company culture and want to stick around. Our takeaway? It’s a new model worth exploring and our hats go off to anyone able to keep their business growing and improve the work lives of their employees. RESTAURANTS WILL COME UP WITH NEW BENEFITS TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN HARD WORKING EMPLOYEES. WAGES WILL CONTINUE TO BE A HOT TOPIC. The big guys – aka Starbucks and Chipotle – are already working hard to improve employee benefits in a bid to attract and retain Wages will continue to be the most hotly debated topic facing the top talent. In 2014, Starbucks announced it would offer full tuition industry and, to some extent, the U.S. economy today. On one side coverage to employees who work toward an online undergraduate is the workforce seeking better compensation. And then there are degree from Arizona State University. Recently, they expanded that the operators, who continue to deal with shrinking profit margins program to offer free tuition to a veteran or active-duty member of thanks to many factors including increasing food costs. the military, their spouse or one of their children. Chipotle expanded The National Restaurant Association has taken an official stance benefits like tuition reimbursement, paid vacation and sick pay – on the topic (and on tipping policies too) in favor of operators. to all employees, not just salaried. But a lot remains to be seen. The bottom line is that as State Over the next year, others will follow suit with improved benefits legislatures vote and minimum wages rise, operators will have for those employees looking for long-term opportunities. to find alternative ways to protect their profit margins. That could mean better scheduling systems that help managers keep overtime While some of these benefits will be rolled out to every employee, within a predictable threshold. Or reducing food waste and human others will be awarded based on performance – which will need error with better inventory applications. Even avoiding penalties to be managed and tracked through online training or e-learning related to the Affordable Care Act could put thousands of dollars software systems. back in an operator’s pocket every year. And this is really what you can start to expect from technology GAMIFIED TRAINING WON’T JUST BE TRENDY. in 2016. Scheduling software will be used to balance out wage Nearly 89% of learners said they would be more engaged in an increases. Training software will help managers sell more of the e-learning application if it had a point or badge system. Not too right menu items and keep great employees engaged. Increases surprising when you consider the Millennial workforce’s main mode in food costs won’t hurt so much because there’s less food waste of media consumption and communication is their smartphone. in the kitchen thanks to better inventory apps. “Building self-esteem and reinforcing it with peer recognition is This next year is going to bring about a lot of good change in the a powerful means of unlocking motivation,” says Gartner consultant way restaurants use technology and as a software company built Brian Burke. Restaurants are already tapping into the social, e-learn - by restaurateurs, for restaurateurs – we couldn’t be more excited ing trend with tools. What they’ll get even better at in 2016 is using to be a part of this continued transformation. these systems – which can span across one, two, or 20,000 locations – to engage their employees in some healthy competition. Imagine, instead of having to force feed incentives to servers to sell a flatlined menu item, a couple managers decided to hold a contest across stores with a prize at the end of the month? Not only are you engaging employees to go out and learn about the menu item (hello better test scores!) you’re making what would normally be a hard-to-sell message, dare we say it, fun!

LATE-BREAKING NEWS AND STATISTICS

Twitter introduces new hashtag ad format. These “conversational ads” can be seen as promoted tweets that will include call to action buttons with several custom hashtags the advertiser has created for their campaign. Jan. 16 – smallbiztrends.com

A smartphone was shipped for 1 of every 5 people alive in 2015. Manufacturers shipped nearly 1.5 billion smartphones to the world's 7.4 billion inhabitants in 2015 as consumers opted to replace older devices with newer LTE-equipped models or those with larger displays. Jan. 28 – Appleinsider.com More sharing happens on mobile. Two-times more sharing occurs on mobile than desktop. Interestingly, 71 percent of American social media users use mobile versions of social apps, with 76 percent of Twitter users preferring the mobile version of the network. While Facebook still attracts many desktop users, 1.1 billion users now prefer mobile. If twice as many shares occur on mobile, it makes sense that marketers should spend more time targeting mobile social media. Jan. 8 – socialnomics.net 9 Facebook Makes News Feed Relevant Again With Organic Audience Optimization www.marketingland.com January 21, 2016 Article by Tamar Weinberg

Facebook is helping publishers improve their organic reach and relevancy by offering a tool for targeting posts to interests, demographics and geography.

Recently, organic reach on Facebook has been making very little impact, with marketers arguing that visibility is more of a “pay to play” phenomenon. Today, there’s promise for change on the horizon. Until now, publishers on Facebook have had quite a tough time being the signal through the noise, finding that social posts have had very little reach (around 6% to 7% of the audience who have LIKED your page). The reason, many argue, quite simply comes down to Facebook’s algorithm. There are more interesting stories that are of interest to a visitor at any given time. With Facebook’s Audience Optimization tool, launched on January 21, Facebook is rolling out an organic targeting feature that will help all publishers reach specific subsets of audiences to better understand post engagement. Relevancy is increased when posts are tailored for a target audience. For example, post updates can be targeted to interests, such as “U2” or “basketball.” As Facebook’s announcement states, “… these tags prioritize, uniquely for each person, the topics that are most likely to interest them.” Similarly, posts can be restricted from being viewed by other demographics. Got a product catering to the 21+ crowd? Make sure your 13–20 year old audience cannot see it. Have an offer that is not valid in the state of Maine? Block it from that update. Both options are not mutually exclusive. Targeting and restrictions can be added for each post. After a post is live, publishers can tell how well their content has performed. The example illustration at right was targeted to several interests, and it is evident which ones performed best. This information can support marketers’ activity by showing them how well — or how poorly — their content is performing across the board.

10 5 tech innovations changing the restaurant business

www.nrn.com November 4, 2015 Article by Lisa Jennings

The restaurant hostess of the future may be visiting tables via AMBIENT ATTENDANTS. Restaurant operators have long tried to “telepresence robot” like the Beam, which can walk and talk, anticipate customer needs even before they know what they need. but has no hands — sort of like Skype on wheels. Now, virtual technology is increasingly incorporating that responsive function into features with tools that give users notifications that Or a sleek, voice-activated, cylindrical computer, like Amazon Echo’s are actionable even before they know to ask. Alexis, could sit on a tabletop and give advice about wine pairings or the day’s specials. It would be like dining with Hal from the movie Google Now, for example, will send an alert to you to leave your “2001: A Space Odyssey,” but hopefully without the malevolent house earlier if there’s traffic along your usual commuter route. streak. And, of course, there may be drones delivering dinner. The restaurant chatbot Luka is being designed to give advice on dining out, but in a way that feels more like a conversation, These and other innovations exist now and could change the face sifting through reviews that would fit your specific tastes. of the hospitality industry in the future as restaurants increasingly become technology companies. Webb called it the “autocomplete for our intentions,” a trend that will likely be invisible, but eventually ubiquitous. This was a running theme at a National Restaurant Association Restaurant Innovation Summit in San Diego, where attendees also “It’s still far off,” she said, “but it’s time to start thinking about how witnessed IBM Watson’s latest iteration as ‘Chef Watson, ’ applying to incorporate these tools now.” its cognitive superpowers to recipe development. RECOGNITION. Facial recognition technology can increasingly pick Josh Halpern, Anheuser-Busch vice president of national retail sales, a stranger out of a crowd, identify them, then tap public databases demonstrated self-service beer tap technology that checks IDs and to find out all sorts of things about their lives. allows customers to pay by the ounce. Next up: Smart vending machines in hotels that will serve beer on draft, eliminating the Some apps can now also identify people by the way they type, like need for those exhausting trips to the lobby bar. identifying handwriting. “Thermal fingerprinting” uses heat map - ping to identify people, even if their face is covered, Webb said. Whether consumer-facing or behind the scenes, technology is increasingly become a tool for disruption within the hospitality Creepy? Maybe. But Webb contends it’s a tool restaurant operators industry. Such change, however, brings with it a new way of thinking, could harness. Compliance officers may be concerned about privacy, said Amy Webb, founder and CEO of the digital strategy consulting but the information available is public and legally accessible. firm Webbmedia Group. COGNITIVE COMPUTING. IBM in particular is doing a lot of work Webb outlined five digital trends that will help restaurant operators in this space, Webb said. Computers are increasingly able to develop think about tech innovations in a new light: “personality insights” on someone based on a snippet of text they write.

DIGITAL TIME ZONES. We tend to think of time chronologically, If a restaurant operator gets an angry email, for example, that text but Webb sees consumers using their digital tools and playthings could be run through the system to create a profile of the writer, in three new “zones”: “me time,” “our time,” and “real time.” which would give the restaurant operator a better idea of how to respond effectively. “Me time” is when consumers are interacting with their device as a personal experience. That’s when it’s just a person and his “It’s like a spell check, but for personality,” Webb said. “It could or her smartphone in a “Calgon, take me away!” moment, playing review your response and tell you how to tweak it to make sure a game or watching a cat video. it’s positively received.” That’s different from “our time,” when consumers use their devices PARTICIPATORY DINING. In the old days, people went out because with other people to solve a problem, play or work. The device of FOMO, Fear Of Missing Out. Today, Millennials have FOGO, isn’t a wall, but actually facilitates conversation, Webb said. or Fear Of Going Out, because they’re afraid to miss out on In “real time,” devices do something immediate for consumers, something happening online. like pagers that let them know their table is ready, or apps that Increasingly, consumers are being pulled into collective Internet allow them to remotely get in line at their favorite restaurant. events that must be watched live, and live-streaming apps like As they develop technology, restaurant operators should think Periscope are growing in acceptance. about how they can accommodate more than one digital time Such events create a sense of intimacy or special access among zone. For example, could tabletop tablets offer “me time” viewers, Webb said. Restaurants could harness that to take entertainments in addition to “our time” ordering? customers on kitchen tours, for example, or use telepresence “Start thinking about digital time zones, focusing on your robots like Beam to have celebrities remotely visit customers customers’ needs and behaviors, rather than just their devices in the dining room. and your organization’s workflow,” she said. Webb predicted telepresence, like the Beam, to be a big part of the “robot-assisted restaurant” in the future. “A lot of people think this is a gimmick,” she said. “I’m telling you that it’s not.” 11 201 6 Restaurant Marketing Trends www.brokaw.com January 6, 2016

So long 2015, the year of crazy menu Get social. Get visual. Restaurants of all sizes leverage social channels mash-ups like Pizza Hut’s hot dog like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to use mouth-watering visuals stuffed pizza crust, Dunkin Donut’s that instantly engage. But maybe it’s time to branch out to something Croissant Donut, and Olive Garden’s new, like videos, animated GIFs or even Snapchat—which we believe Breadstick Meatball Sandwich. isn’t the next Twitter or Instagram, but the new TV. It’s an untapped way to raise awareness and form an emotional connection with your It was also the year we saw McDonald’s audience to surprise, delight, and tell a quick visual brand story. make a comeback by serving breakfast all day (I’m lovin’ it), while fast-casual Video killed the print media star. Last year we saw Twitter launch king Chipotle got fire-grilled by the video autoplay, Facebook give marketers the option to buy video media for E. coli and norovirus ads, and the rise of live streaming video via Meerkat and Periscope. outbreaks (definitely not lovin’ it). According to business leader Andrew Angus, the play button is becoming “the most compelling call-to-action on the web.” We also saw the kale and the bacon obsession start to fade (finally). No wonder more and more restaurant advertisers are ditching And the country’s first USDA certified organic fast food restaurant. their Sunday paper Free-Standing Inserts for online MOVs and GIFs. And yes, we saw Domino’s continue to reach consumers in innovative new ways, so they could return the favor and reach Domino’s in innovative new ways.

So what do we expect to see this year? And more importantly, what can you do to prepare for it? Simple. Address the four T’s below: Tech, Taste, Target, and Tactics. Like... TODAY!

TECH

Location-based! Location-based! Location-based! We believe location isn’t everything; location-based marketing is. According to eMarketer, only 27 percent of restaurants in the U.S. use location-based marketing, but 71 percent of consumers say they’d be receptive to location-based marketing. (NOTE: this makes 100 percent of digital TASTE agencies scratch their heads.) Don’t fear the rooster. Over the past couple years, we’ve seen the rise Get smart about digital (like smart-phone smart) . Sixty-eight of rooster sauce on menus (aka Sriracha). Expect to see the rise of more percent of U.S. adults own smartphones today compared to only 35 ethnic condiments and menu items and hot, flavorful seasonings, percent in 2011. This might sound like digital marketing 101, but if your dressings, and sauces. Maybe it’s time to spice things up a bit in 2016. site isn’t mobile-friendly, or if it has a menu that takes forever to load, After all, it is the year of the... Red Fire Monkey?! (Woah, that might be or is difficult to read with amateur-hour food photography, you could a little too spicy.) be losing customers fast (like “freaky fast”). “Local,” “fresh,” and “natural” still matter. These magic buzzwords aren’t going away, either. In fact, according to the National Restaurant Association, 69 percent of consumers said they are more likely to visit a restaurant that offers locally-sourced items and 76 percent said they are more likely to visit a restaurant that offers healthful options. Truth is, more and more consumers demand food that is “fresh,” “local,” and free of artificial ingredients, additives, and, of course, food-borne illnesses. (Sorry, Chipotle.) To-Go isn’t to-going away. Speaking of fast, expect to see more online ordering services like GrubHub, UberEATS, Amazon Prime Now, Postmates, etc. popping up all over town and country. Partnering with them could help raise awareness, putting your brand in front of new But taste matters more, Mom! While Millennials still search for customers in a convenient, more home-y dining experience. more premium, organic and healthier menu options, Generation Z (consumers 21 and younger) crave taste and convenience over quality. Time to feed the foodie bloggers? According to a recent infographic, According to a recent study by Technomic, 33 percent of consumers offers shared by trusted influencers convert at rates 3-10 times higher 21 and younger care more about taste than fresh, locally-produced, than offers sent by brands themselves. So maybe it’s time to shift the natural, non-processed foods. (Good news, Cheetos.) conversation away from Brand-to-Consumer to Peer-to-Peer, and develop a content marketing influencer strategy. If nothing else, engage the foodie influencers currently following your social platforms. Trust us, they are following you. #NomNom TARGET

If you’re targeting Millennial customers, give them authentic stories, not cheap discounts. According to a recent Ad Age article, “What separates Millennials from other generations is that they care more about the value, the quality of the products and the story behind it than just the cost.” The best way to engage them is to be authentic, real, and unique in your storytelling. Which is no easy task, especially considering the #1 challenge top marketers have identified going into 2016 is “Telling our story and standing out against competitors.”

TACTICS

Don’t underestimate the power of old-school tactics. Yes, you need a rock-solid geo-targeted digital media plan, content marketing strategy and great content to engage your audiences and drive traffic. But don’t overlook your local marketing efforts (a.k.a. the original social media). Nothing beats the personal touch of getting out in the community, shaking hands, handing out flyers, giving away a smart car, supporting local schools and charities, dressing up in that giant tomato mascot costume and literally driving traffic to your store. It may be old school, but it works. And it just might be the easiest, most cost-effective way to raise awareness, especially as every major social platform becomes more pay-to-play, and ad-blocking software continues to rise.

Don’t let BOGOs bury your brand. Long-term brand building and Don’t blame tactics, tech platforms, or the media. Why do we get short-term sales promotions can coexist. In fact, the Harvard Business a nervous twitch anytime we hear CEOs and CMOs say things like, Review article “Don’t let Big Data Bury Your Brand” makes the case that “Radio doesn’t work for us, neither does Twitter or email marketing”? your restaurant marketing efforts need to simultaneously accomplish brand building & short term ROI. Subway is a good example of Why? Because it puts all the blame on the media, rather than the a restaurant that has done both very well for a very long time—that is, message, or the quality of the content you’re pumping out there. until their pitchman PR nightmare unfolded. Apparently, post-Jared Or a few other variables that may impact guest counts and comp sales. days will be ditching the discounts, celebrities, and $5 footlong jingle. Like operations, distribution, reviews, PR, perceived value, photography, retouching, pitchman, product features, word-of-mouth, third-party endorsements, trial/experience, values/lifestyle match, ease of use, brand inertia, weather, gas prices, time of day, time of month, consumer moodiness and fan depression due to another losing season, etc.

Obviously, you can’t simply tie sales results to your media mix. Instead, analyze all factors surrounding your communication—starting with two questions every marketer needs to ask himself or herself before launching a new campaign or posting content:

1. Why would anyone care about this? Your target craves great content. You can’t buy your consumer’s attention; you have to earn it. And the only way to connect to today’s 2. Why would anyone share this? audiences is to create content that is informing, entertaining, and engaging. We know it takes courage to pursue bold ideas. Simple, right? Keep it that way this year. And keep evolving. Stay agile. But then again, these are exactly the kind of ideas needed to stand Scrappy. Stick to the four T’s. And make this one T-riffic year! out in today’s world. Like the brilliant idea of staying #HomeOnNYE with Domino’s and making the “underrated choice on the most overrated night of the year.”

13 www.sproutsocial.com/insights January 4, 2016 Article by Jennifer Beese For social marketers, 2015 was an exciting year. New platforms, software and consumer preferences brought about a host of changes and opportunities. As a result, social media — and subsequently your strategy — has evolved, and will continue to. It’s impossible to predict how the social media landscape will change over the course of a year, but here are six social media trends marketers should keep an eye on in 2016:

14 15 6 ways to attract Millennials to your restaurant www.fastcasual.com January 7, 2016 Article by Alison Leon, BFS Capital

You got to get ‘em while they’re young. The often-fickle, job-hopping 4. Social media hashtags Millennial generation is no less frenetic with their choices in restau - The quickest way to make sure your Millennial customers are rants as they are in their choices in careers. So getting them to try promoting your restaurant on social media is by making it easy for your restaurant isn’t hard, but getting them to come back might be. them. Put your Twitter, Instagram and other social media handles clearly on every menu, along with any creative hashtags you might And as a recent Forbes article showed, Millennials have over want to include. $200 billion in buying power, and will make up 75 percent of the workforce by 2025. The point is, attracting this picky generation now — before the stubbornness of old age sets in — is crucial. 5. Camera-ready food The rise of technology has literally allowed us to share anything So how do you do it? Here are 6 ways to attract Millennials with anyone in the world at any given time. And what do most to your restaurant: people choose to share? A picture of their lunch. But only if it looks good with an Instagram filter. So while presentation has always 1. A creative menu been important, you may want to take some shots yourself when You don’t necessarily have to put unheard-of combinations of ingre - preparing dishes to make sure they’re the kind of thing that’ll get dients on your menu. But you do need to use more interesting at least, like, 50 likes. vocabulary in how you describe things. So instead of a “Burger with cheese, tomato, onion and mustard,” describe it as “flame-broiled beef chuck/sirloin blend with fresh American cheese, local tomatoes 6. Tell a story and onions, and Dijon mustard.” For better or for worse, to Millennials, a restaurant isn’t just a place to eat. It’s like a friend you go and visit. And who wants a boring 2. High-quality ingredients friend? Even if you’re a former club DJ who’s decided his life’s passion Millennials have shown they’re willing to pay for quality ingredients. is making donuts (like Mojo Donuts in Pembroke Pines, Florida), So if you are describing your menu with the verbiage above, make let your customers know that. Your brand distinguishes your sure that’s the true story. Put organic veggies and hormone-free restaurant from its competitors, so make brand building a priority and antibiotic-free meats on your menu, and stress the origins and a strength of your business. The more they have to say about so Millennials know they’re buying local. your restaurant, the more they’ll talk about it to their friends, and the more they will drive people to eat with you. 3. Customization You know why every fast casual joint with franchising aspirations You want your restaurant to stay ahead of your competition, right? calls themselves “The Chipotle of Whatever?” Because that model Well, keeping the preferences of the next generation of customers works. Millennials love creativity, and nothing is more creative than in mind is a great place to start. Depending on the type of restaurant being able to craft your own food. Chains like Counter Burger and business you run, some of these ideas may be a better fit than others. Blaze Pizza have successfully banked on this, adding literally millions The most important thing is to show that you understand your of combinations of proteins, veggies, cheeses and sauces to their customers and cater to their wants and needs. If you can do that, then own creations so Millennials can be fully involved in the culinary the Millennials that visit your restaurant will eat, drink and be merry. process. Keep an eye on food trends to consider for your restaurant.