Surefire steps to engage with Millennial customers

AS THE LARGEST LIVING generational group, millennials – that is, people born between around 1980 and 2000 – comprise a huge chunk of the consumer population and as such are an integral part of your potential customer base.

With studies consistently showing that millennials dine out at least three times a week and prefer fast-casual options, it makes sense that pizza and pasta menus will hold a strong appeal for them. Here are some surefire steps to help you engage with your millennial customers and hopefully attract more to your business:

* Share the story behind your food: millennials want to know what’s special about your menu and what differentiates it from the competition. They’re also focused on issues like food provenance and environmental sustainability, as shown in this recent Nielsen report. So when you’re using locally sourced produce, organic ingredients or food produced in accordance with sustainable principles, call this out on the menu and train staff to talk about it to millennial customers.

* Communicate in an authentic voice: your business has its own brand and hence its own identity, so it needs its own authentic voice to build a credible presence among this market. You can use online tools such as Instagram Stories or Facebook videos to showcase your business’ unique take on the food you serve and present it in a personable and authentic way that gives millennial customers an inside look at you and your team.

* Utilise customer-generated content on social media: millennials love to create and share their own online content and this includes photos of dine-out food, restaurant reviews, blogs and more. When millennials see peer recommendations of a restaurant, café, club or pub, they’re more likely to give it a go. So it’s worth searching out what millennial customers are saying and showing about your business online and then sharing it with others, whether via your Facebook page, Instagram account or Twitter feed.

* Take advantage of technology: millennials love using technology to make life easier such as making reservations and ordering food online. Offering them the chance to order via iPad menus and giving them the option of payment via mobile devices shows them you’re up to speed with the pace of innovation and makes the dining experience more enjoyable for them.

* It’s not just about the meal: millennials want not just a meal but an experience, so your décor, choice of music, lighting and food presentation style all affect their decision to frequent your establishment. From personal interaction between the chef and diners, to customer-generated music playlists and happy-hour specials, there’s a myriad of ways you can enhance the overall experience.

Insights
Gain exposure through local media

GENERATING PUBLICITY is important for your business and its food and you can’t afford to rely solely on social media as its sheer scale is making cut-through more difficult. So it’s important not to overlook the more traditional channel of the local media – encompassing radio, newspapers, lifestyle magazines and TV.

Local radio DJs in particular can often be an invaluable contact to make. They tend to be across what’s trending in the area and are well-informed and connected, so building up a rapport with these local celebrities will often pay off. Securing a regular radio spot to promote your business, especially in connection with a community event or worthy cause (such as by pledging a certain amount of profit to go to a local charity) is a great way to lift your profile – not only does it get your business name out to potential customers, it enables you to make a positive contribution to the community at the same time.

You can also promote your establishment in conjunction with other local businesses – particularly those in complementary areas such as tourism and accommodation. If you’re in an area which does a strong tourist trade, the local tourism board or council should be able to assist here.

A complementary arrangement with local hotels or B&Bs whereby they recommend your food to their customers (perhaps through a brochure or business card in room) in return for you doing the same is a great way of garnering publicity with no cost outlay.

Trending This Summer Season

WASTE NOT, WANT NOT
Zero-waste cooking is coming to the fore as chefs take a closer look at usage, yields and portion sizes. This includes experimenting with different ingredient components such as broccoli stems and cauliflower stems and even aquafaba – the liquid residue from cooked legumes, which can be used as a vegan substitute for egg-white.

RETURN OF THE SUPERFOODS
Grains, nuts and seeds were promoted as superfoods a while back and their health-enhancing attributes are once again being called out on menus, as is their ability to bring additional layers of texture to meals. Chia, pumpkin, sunflower, pepitas and amaranth are finding their ways into multiple menu items.

IMPERFECT PRODUCE
With the growing consumer awareness of food provenance and locally sourced ingredients has come a new acceptance of imperfect or even ‘ugly’ produce – from misshapen bananas and cucumbers to unusual avocadoes and tomatoes. These are not only being used in the kitchen but highlighted in summer salads as a point of difference.

MOCKTAIL MADNESS
Mocktails perfectly encapsulate the colours and lighter flavours of summer, are relatively easy to make and are instantly Instagrammable. Take advantage of Australia’s summer fruits like mango, strawberry and banana and experiment with different juices and soft drinks to create your own menu additions.

Perfect Solutions
Showcase your menu at its best through food styling & photography

WITH HIGH QUALITY CAMERAS now built in to most phones, it should be easier than ever to create and upload stylish meal shots – but as a quick google search will show, it’s important to get your basic food styling and photography right, otherwise your signature dish may end up looking more like the proverbial dog’s breakfast.

How your food is presented and positioned has a big effect on the finished photo. In the case of pizza you should ensure the cheese and the base is free from burning or blistering. That means using a quality cheese like Perfect Italiano Mozzarella and ensuring an even cook for the pizza.

Make sure you have an even spread of ingredients on each slice and that the slices are of similar size. Also bear in mind that what your customers see in the photograph is what they’ll expect to receive when they order the food – so make sure the shot is an accurate representation of what you serve!

Experiment with the angle of the shot – front on, from the side, from above – and remember that shooting food from above leads to a very ‘flat’ image of little depth. Pizzas tend to present best when photographed side-on, to showcase the thickness of each slice and the different layers of toppings.

You should also pay attention to the lighting – too much light can make your food look flat or dull. Ideally you want light to come from a single source either at the back or the side, such as a side window. This will help to highlight the food textures and make overall presentation look natural.