This paper aims at analyzing different advertisement strategies and mistakes made by businesses that lead to losses or closure. A food restaurant in the United States has been struggling to pay workers and make a profit. The business is among the poorly rated with an average daily income of less than $100. The research was conducted to assess the situation and have conclusive advice that can help the firm grow and restore its reputation.
Marketing Research
Companies depend on a reliable marketing strategy to meet their customers’ needs. Marketing involves the identification of clients’ desires and working towards fulfilling the requirements. The entire process of presenting products and services attracts customers, hence having sales growth, new clients, and efficient communication. Marketing also helps in creating demand and increasing profits. Advertisement strategies vary depending on the business level, with some using paid advertising, internet, relationship and diversity marketing, and word of mouth. However, there are challenges that companies face, such as inexperience of understaffing in the marketing sector, poor communication, new marketing strengths that most firms have little information about, and inability to interpret advertisement data.
Long John Silver’s is a business in the United States struggling to make sales with poor reviews. The company is a fast-food restaurant making losses due to marketing problems. Most of the staff are undertrained hence have little knowledge of customer relations. As the food industry is growing tremendously, the business may soon collapse under the circumstances. There may be different solutions to the marketing challenge, including hiring professional employees and changing their marketing strategy. The restaurant may also need to introduce a new concept and product, preferably a signature meal that will attract a new wave of clients.
Research Method and Procedures
The marketing research was conducted to assess the challenges and make conclusive remarks with solutions that may enable the business to increase sales and grow. The analysis involved collecting information and having a comprehensive interpretation. A survey was conducted with the major data collecting method using questionnaires to former customers and employees. The questionnaire was close-ended, involving qualitative, primary data. The participants helped collect descriptive details to have insight on experiences in the restaurant. First, a criterion was made to recruit participants, with most qualified ones having grown near the business premises and witnessing the food joint’s rise and fall. The second group involved former employees who resigned or had worked in the eatery for more than three years. 50 participants were allowed to fill a quantitative questionnaire with both open-ended and close-ended questions. As a result, the qualitative data analysis method was used to assess the data collected and interpret it.
Data Analysis and Findings
The qualitative data analysis method was used to analyze words and open-ended questions allowing the researcher to make individual judgments (Morgan et al., 2018). The results indicated that 87 percent of the participants encountered poor services and were not compensated. Moreover, 70 percent complained of poor-quality food, either too greasy or cold with a few complaining about undercooked meals. Notwithstanding, the staff complained of underpayment and lack of unity as the management did not listen to grievances; 40 percent of the staff complained of working long shifts, with some claiming that the manager practiced favoritism. Lastly, 92 percent of former staff had little or no training in marketing and customer relations.
In summary, the majority of the staff had no motivation from the management, with most working with inconveniences. Customers were poorly treated, with the products sold being substandard. Moreover, the grievances presented were not utilized to improve customer service, and the staff had little or no information on marketing. The business needs a marketing strategy that can help improve reviews and increase sales reducing the losses made (Houghtaling et al., 2019). The management should review their staff and train them for quality service delivery with most of the menu revised to give the business a new beginning.
Conclusion and Recommendations
Under those circumstances, the business should create a market strategy to help improve sales and reputation. The management should introduce an expert dealing with marketing to train staff on customer service and quality product delivery. New marketing techniques with the use of technology such as social media should be utilized to help change the potential customer’s bad perspective of the business. Moreover, the new food should be introduced to the menu with improved cooking techniques and garnishing to attract potential clients (Hair et al., 2017). Food should also remain fresh, emphasizing timely delivery to reduce the time clients have to wait for their meals.
Equally, another method that will help the firm increase sales is the use of special offers and hosting events in the joint on specific days. For instance, having karaoke Wednesday each week will attract clients interested in music, or having fun Sundays where people are provided with special meals will attract more customers according to Hair et al. (2017). However, overpricing products will narrow the number of clients; hence the management should ensure that the price range is affordable (Morgan, 2020). In the same manner, there should be a delivery service for clients unable to visit the store (Hair et al., 2017). Most individuals are currently opting to order meals and have deliveries with transport costs included (Morgan, 2020). Deliveries will enable the company to increase their clients’ number, ensuring that as most enterprises have a transition to online transactions, the eatery is not declared redundant.
Different marketing strategies can be utilized to improve the eatery’s sales, as mentioned. Tactful approaches are vital in ensuring that sales increase with more clients and a good reputation. However, having inexperienced staff and poor management techniques that discourage potential clients leads to the ultimate closure of businesses. Growth in businesses is determined by the sales, profits, and number of clients. Lastly, the motivation of employees helps create a conducive environment for good performance.
Limitations
The limitations of this research were the unwillingness of some qualified individuals to give information. Additionally, the data authenticity was not assessed hence the interpretation relied on the researchers’ views. Covid-19 limited the researcher’s access to credible data due to the restrictive measures established for personal safety.
References
Hair, J. F., Bush, M. W., & Ortinau, D. (2017). Essentials of marketing research (4th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.
Houghtaling, B., Serrano, E. L., Kraak, V. I., Harden, S. M., Davis, G. C., & Misyak, S. A. (2019). A systematic review of factors that influence food store owner and manager decision making and ability or willingness to use choice architecture and marketing mix strategies to encourage healthy consumer purchases in the United States, 2005–2017. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 16(1), 5. Web.
Morgan, N. A., Whitler, K. A., Feng, H., & Chari, S. (2018). Research in marketing strategy. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 47(1), 4-29.
Morgan, R. M. (2020). Relationship marketing and marketing strategy: The evolution of relationship marketing strategy within the organization. In J. N. Sheth & A. Parvatiyar (Eds.), Handbook of relationship marketing (pp. 481−504). SAGE.