One key commonality we share with Archway is the desire to support our clients by providing value that extends beyond our core services. We do this by generating informative content surrounding topics including local marketing, Intelligent Profiling, consumer behavior, industry trends and fulfillment best practices. Last year, Archway commissioned Forrester Research to assess the state of marketing fulfillment operations in specific key market verticals. Archway then published Forrester’s comprehensive guide titled, “Next Generation Marketing Fulfillment Study”. The five key findings revealed in the study were:

-The majority of companies are behind the times.

-Firms have different views on the value of marketing fulfillment.

-Firms use multiple vendors to support marketing fulfillment.

-Firms score themselves too generously on the quality and effectiveness of their marketing fulfillment.

-Leaders and laggards differ substantially in how they manage and measure marketing fulfillment.

In my experience, companies that don’t closely examine and carefully analyze their fulfillment processes leave staggering amounts of untapped savings on the table. Forrester’s findings certainly support this statement.

For those of you who haven’t had the opportunity to download and read the study, we highly recommend that you do. You can download it here. After you’ve had a chance to read it in its entirety, I’d be interested in hearing your reactions and thoughts on Forrester’s findings.

As always, I encourage you to join the conversation here on our blog in the comments section.

Consumer engagement with mobile and social media is continually on the rise and there is no question that the marketing brands deliver must be innovative, cost-effective and targeted. For me, the conference reaffirmed that Synq Solutions’ services can add agility to a brand’s marketing mix and help solve some of the complex business situations restaurants are faced with today.

Indra Nooyi, Chairman and CEO of Pepsico, Inc. and a headlining speaker at this year’s event, believes that companies leading with open eyes, open ears, an open mind and an open heart in this environment will survive and flourish.

What were your thoughts on RLC this year?

Restaurant Leadership Conference 2012

I attended two powerful educational sessions at the Restaurant Leadership Conference today, and I’d like to share some of the highlights with you.  “Where in the World is Business Heading?” was lead by Indra Nooyi, Chairman and CEO of Pepsico, Inc. Nooyi stressed the importance of adapting your company and services to the demands of the market.  She believes that an adaptive culture can be achieved by striving for open eyes, ears, mind and heart.  The following points offer a brief explanation of each:

1)      Open Eyes – You must be able to scan the horizon to see what is coming your way and to be brutally honest about what you see.   You must have the courage to see your company and its products and services though the unfiltered eye of the consumer.

2)      Open Ears – Adaptive leaders are, first and foremost, good listeners.  Engaging your partners and customers in an open dialogue about their needs is the first step to client satisfaction. React to feedback as quickly as possible and anticipate client needs by following consumer trends diligently.

3)      Open Mind – Be willing to question everything about your business and have the courage to act upon what you have learned.  No matter how potentially unpopular the information may be, it is critical to act. Tap into the entrepreneurial instincts and minds of your diverse team members and listen openly to their ideas.

4)      Open Heart – Lead with an open heart. Actively contribute to your community by consciously creating a shared sense of purpose.  By raising social and environmental awareness, you will not only humanize your organization, but you will also create loyalty.  Taking an active interest in sustainability and the local community is increasingly important.

In response to questions from the audience, Nooyi identified talent identification, recruitment and retention as some of the toughest challenges that companies are facing today.  She recommended developing a personnel strategy that extends further into the future than has been customary for most companies.  Ten year plans are becoming more prevalent.

Lastly, I attended a mobile marketing session lead by Raze Media CEO, Tim McCallum.  He shared some pertinent statistics with regard to the rise of mobile media.

• 38% of mobile users say their phone is more important than their wall
• 20% of homes are wireless only
• The average number of times most Americans check their cell phone in a day is 150
• Only 16% of Facebook users made a buying decision based upon an ad on Facebook
• 90% of text recipients have been motivated to make a buying decision based upon a text message

McCallum stressed that mobile marketing should be extremely specific and action oriented in order to be successful.  He also said that POP material must be fresh and relevant to achieve sustained mobile success.

Are the RLC trends mentioned above consistent with what you’re seeing in your industry?  We would love to hear what you think.

As the experts at in-store promotional marketing materials, we support the in-store signage needs for over 50,000 restaurants, including top brands such as Qdoba, Hardee’s, Jamba Juice, Burger King and more. With an industry-leading suite of services, we deliver the right elements to the right location, on time and at the lowest cost.

We understand the fast-paced and responsive needs of restaurant marketing, as well as each restaurant location’s unique needs for customized print fulfillment. Our Intelligent Profiling system ensures that each restaurant receives a unique kit tailored to its physical layout, product mix, local attributes, and zoning ordinances. Thus, only the required quantities and sizes of POP elements are produced, kitted, and distributed. Because we’re experts in efficiency, our clients reap tremendous savings in both time and costs, including up to 30% on shipping alone.

If you’re attending this year’s conference, I would be honored to meet with you to discuss how Synq Solutions can serve your brand. Find us at booth #22 as you enter the conference area from the resort lobby.

Attendees, which presentations are you most interested in seeing? Let us know in the comments below.

As you can imagine, 2012 has already proven to be an incredibly exciting year for Synq Solutions. On February 21^st, we announced that Synq would officially become part of Archway, a leading provider of marketing logistics and fulfillment services.

What does this mean? Well, for starters, it means the combined forces of Synq and Archway will support the in-store marketing and prepaid card logistics needs for over 400,000 retail and fast casual dining locations. It also means that we’ll expand and deepen our resources, greatly benefiting our existing and prospective clients.

We’re looking forward to providing the same high level of customer service to all of our clients as we venture into this relationship with Archway. For more information on our news, be sure to read our press release announcement here.

Do you have any questions regarding Synq Solutions and Archway combining forces? If so, be sure to let us know in the comments.

While we were thrilled to hear that Forbes named our client, Smashburger, one of “America’s Most Promising Companies”, we can’t say that we were surprised. Smashburger not only made the list—they topped it.

According to Forbes, much of Smashburger’s success can be attributed to its innovative approach to menu items, focus on customer service, and investment in its employees. This winning combination catapulted the Smashburger brand, enabling it to compete with QSR giants such as McDonald’s and Wendy’s.

We’d like to congratulate Smashburger on this incredible achievement. We look forward to supporting their continued growth as a valued business partner.

You can read the Forbes article on Smashburger in its entirety here.

While overall food spending is still down from pre-recession years, consumers are more likely to eat out at lower-priced restaurants rather than not eating out at all. According to QSR Magazine, many quick-serves feel prepared to handle the potential threat of a second recession with a continued focus on value-added offerings.

QSR Magazine also points out that the current state of the economy has generated two camps of consumers: free spenders and controlled spenders. Quick serves are now challenged to appeal to both groups through their marketing initiatives.

With continuing changes in consumer spending, marketers are compelled to be more creative in their efforts to reach customers. We’ve seen our customers evolve their marketing strategies to address these changes, and the following three approaches have been successful:

Market the value of your offering, rather than the price alone.

As conscientious spending has increased, consumers are seeking the best value for their money. Businesses increasing prices in our recovering economy should be especially cognizant of the perceived value of their offering. As Leslie Kerr of Intellaprice LLC recommends, remind your customers that your product’s value is not intrinsically connected to price.

In a similar vein, tailor your marketing efforts to your consumers’ current priorities. As NAWBO explains in this article, images of connectedness with family and friends now resonate with consumers more than the individualistic focus of campaigns characteristic of previous decades.

Build a relationship with your local community.

We can’t emphasize the value of Local Marketing enough. Particularly during this time of changing spending patterns, it is critical that brands build a foundation of loyal customers within their communities.

We’ve seen a substantial increase of Local Marketing efforts within our client base—including a large increase in the quantity and volume of localized promotional signage.

Marketers are also taking advantage of new strategies to attract and retain local customers, including social couponing sites, such as Groupon. Despite recent debates about the impact of daily deals on sustaining return customers, a survey recently released by Cornell University’s Center for Hospitality Research shows that daily couponing sites are effective in generating new customers that are likely to return. For more information about the survey results, read the full article from FastCasual.com here.

Integrate all of your messaging and marketing tactics.

With ever-increasing options for digital marketing and a sense of information overload on the rise, it’s increasingly important to communicate a consistent message across all of your marketing platforms. If you rely on only one vehicle to deliver your promotional messaging you may be missing an opportunity to solidify your brand with your consumer.  For example, communicating your social media presence and current offers via in-store print pieces that display your social media handles, along with any messaging around existing campaigns is an effective means to reinforce your messaging and appeal to a broader demographic.

Combining the above practices will bolster your marketing efforts and allow you to effectively respond to consumers’ changing needs.

What are your thoughts on responding to economic changes and shifts in consumer behavior? Would you add any suggestions to my list?