The definition of the phrase “best-kept secret” is “something very good that not many people know about.” While being able to walk into a world-class restaurant on Friday night with no reservation might sound great to you (the customer), being the “best-kept secret” can be catastrophic for the business.
That’s why it is so important to always maintain some kind of media presence in the public’s eye.
Many businesses cut back or completely cut out their advertising and suffered market share losses as a consequence. They thought that with limited resources and widespread lockdowns, they couldn’t gain any traction by simply reminding people that their store was still in business or their product was better than their competitors’. They were wrong. Case in point: chicken sandwiches.
In 2019, Chick-fil-A held, on average, a 41% share of the chicken sandwich market. That held steady until January of 2020, after Popeyes had launched their new chicken sandwich in late 2019. The result? Chick-fil-A’s market share dropped from 41% to 29% … while Popeyes grew from a 1% share to 30% in just one quarter, taking share from Burger King, Wendy’s and McDonald’s … all because they promoted the launch publicly. They told people about it. They didn’t leave it up to word of mouth.
Fast-forward to January of 2021 when McDonald’s achieved a similar share steal with their chicken sandwich promotion, going from a 20% share to 30%, taking from both Popeyes and Chick-fil-A. The loser in all of this? Wendy’s, because they were not only behind the curve, but unwilling to invest in media. Their sandwich share fell 20%, down to less than 7% in a year. Out of sight … out of mind.
This example illustrates the power of using a strong, consistent brand ad campaign and leveraging mass media awareness to keep your brand top of mind. Both Popeyes and McDonald’s relied on heavy brand awareness campaigns to drive sales via delivery apps. Nobody knew about their sandwiches until they told us. This principle applies to automobiles and dealerships as well. Nobody will know about your historic high trade offers, after-sale customer perks package or fresh shipments of your newest models if you don’t tell them.
Stay the course. Keep a continuous voice and presence. Why? Because most adults still spend a lot of time in front of their TV. In fact, they spend around 4 hours a day on live and in-demand programs, followed by 3.5 hours online and mobile, and an hour on radio for commuters.
The bottom line is, brand awareness drives digital conversion, from TV to mobile and desktop. Don’t neglect to remind your customer you exist.
Contact us today and let us help you navigate your media mix with a free digital ROI analysis.
Learn more about Brand Strategy
Learn more about Marketing Psychology
Learn more about Social Media and Reputation Management
Learn more about Digital Marketing
Learn more about Media Planning and Placement