While going through the news, I came across an article on afaqs.com, regarding the falling sales in fast food chains or quick service restaurants (QSR) as they are called. The Same Store Sales Growth (SSSG) has been on the decline for majority of the players in this segment in India.
As per the afaqs article
“Jubilant FoodWorks, master franchisee of Domino’s and Dunkin Donuts in India, saw its same-store sales growth (SSSG) decline consecutively and sharply from minus 2.4 per cent in the June quarter to minus 5.3 per cent in the three months ended September. SSSG measures sales growth in stores a year and more in existence.”
Continuing with the brand background from Economic Times–
“There is a slowdown in the food retail business in the country with consumers controlling their discretionary spends due to economic slowdown. Another problem it (Dunkin Donuts) faces is that unlike pizzas , donuts are not familiar to consumers in India………Our learning is that even though the market is down, products with a brand proposition can do well,”
So with this problem on hand,
If I were marketing @ Dunkin Donuts & More, India…
My TG: All adults in the catchment areas of each store
My Marketing Objectives:
Get people to enter the store in their neighborhood so that SSSG can be built without relying solely on discounts.
Unusual marketing ideas:
1. Airport baggage carousel branding
Put enticing food stickers on the baggage carousel- depicting each product offering of Dunkin..
- Air travellers are a good audience fit, people who are more likely to know and/or try doughnuts as a category.
- People in the arrival area are more likely to be hungry after the flight and seeing delicious images of food one after the other is bound to entice them to try.
- It will have stickiness because of repetitive movement of carousel.
- For certain stores like the BKC and Bandra stores in Mumbai, airport is almost in the catchment area.
- A medium like carousel is perfect for driving home the point that Dunkin India’s menu is comprehensive and covers everything from doughnuts to burgers to sandwiches to coffee to other beverages.
2. Airport baggage carousel 3D Coffee cups
Make a 3 ft 3D Dunkin Donut coffee cup and insert a very small piece of dry ice to create the fake steam and place it on the carousel with the message- Dunkin Donuts & MORE. Similarly create 3 ft 3D cutouts of each of the coffees/beverages and place them on the carousel along with other bags. Let a promoter stand nearby to give out Dunkin Donuts cards/leaflets with addresses.
3. Dunkin carry bag and/or box
Hand out free Dunkin Carry bag/ box to people either via insertion in newspaper or hand out at mall entrance (if it is in a mall) with a leaflet mentioning the 6 deals currently being offered. The bag should have the message- Come fill this up with Dunkin Goodies today. Carry bag will have added advantage of being used even later resulting in prolonged shelf life and branding.
4. Mix and Match workshop
Dunkin launch in Mumbai involved a blogger workshop to create online word of mouth and generate content. Build on that with a biannual workshop, inviting influential bloggers to the store to taste each product. And they can suggest the ideal pairing of the products (sort of like wine pairing). Share videos of the tasting on the FaceBook page and the blogger’s page. The management or CMO can then judge and choose some good combos and offer them on the menu. It will encourage detailed product reviews and descriptions from the bloggers while explaining why they suggested those combos.
5. Delivery bike parade
On the yearly anniversary of each store, do a parade of the Dunkin Donut delivery bikes thrice a day (check on permissions needed) in the store’s neighborhood. This way, the brand can cover each city over the course of the year. Also it will drive home the point that Dunkin Donuts home delivery is available.
6. Make Dunkin Donuts a part of your party
To tap bulk orders, Dunkin Donuts stores near office complexes or industrial areas can offer party plans comprising different combinations like Doughnuts and Coffee only or Doughnuts + sandwiches + Coffee, etc alongwith Dunkin Donuts’ branded balloon packets and tissue papers delivered to the office premises for parties. This can also apply to house parties.
7. Dominos Pizza Tie Up
Since Dunkin Donuts and Dominos both belong to Jubilant Foodworks in India, they could explore tie-up options by offering Dunkin coupons or food items alongwith Pizza orders above a certain value. The benefit here is to encourage the non- doughnut pizza lovers to give it a try.
These are some unusual marketing ideas for Dunkin Donuts stores to increase their same store sales. Like them? You think they would work?