Question

Topic: Branding

How Do I Recover From Former Stigma Of Business ?

Posted by Anonymous on 4/10/2005 at 7:24 PM ET 250 Points
I bought a well it was a bar just a bar and old mans beer and shot joint. I have owned it for 2 1/2 years and some people still refer to it as the old name. Since buying the place I have redone the floor painted the interior and exterior of the building (but it need to be redone on the inside) and put in a functioning kitchen and also re did the men's room put in new lighting and raised the ceiling. The problem is the design is still like the old place --I have nominal resources for major renovations so what other options do I have.
Another factor hurting my place is the smoking law it seems a place like mine is only attractive to the drinking ,smoking clientel and now they can not smoke so I have seen a decrease in business by about 65% and I am not even exaggerating.
I am trying to get the food part of my business to take off I am making flyers and getting professional menus done --What can I do --How should I direct my staff -- Should I go theme I am at a loss
Please help Also there is 5 other places and one more opening soon all competeing for the same drinking crowd on the weekends and the winners are not me it is the guys that have been in business longer and since the bar I bought was not a preferred place even before I bought it I have a mountain to conquer.
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by mgoodman on 4/10/2005 at 10:16 PM Member
    There's a great example of brand "touchpoints" that uses a restaurant as the way to explain what branding really is and what it includes. (It includes every way, or every "point" at which a customer "touches" the brand.)

    It's almost like a checklist of all the things a restauranteur needs to think about in establishing or changing the brand image of a restaurant brand.

    Unfortunately for you, the situation you describe isn't mostly a branding or brand image problem. It's a fundamental business problem, compounded by a lack of sufficient resources. Changing a brand image is much more costly and difficult than building a new one, and you are further constrained by the existing location and facility that are essentially part of the brand image. They're parts you can't really change -- without a lot of money to invest.

    That leaves us with the advice D4Demand offered. Decide how much you're willing to invest/risk. If/when you get to that point, bail out. There's no sense pouring in more money if you are not above the level at which it has a chance to work.

    Sorry to have to deliver this kind of advice. I know you'd rather have heard we have a magic answer that will turn things around for you. Marketing is able to do a lot, but not without funds and know-how ... and there's a limit to what you should be willing to pour into this business.

    Too bad we didn't have a chance to input before you bought the business.

    Sure wish you the best.
  • Posted by Chris Blackman on 4/11/2005 at 3:48 AM Member
    Is your place in the right position, I mean are people attending these competitive bars walking literally right past your door?

    Have you done a detailed competitive analysis of your place versus the competitors? If not, just supposing you had the resources, how could you know where to spend the money to get the customers coming back? You do need to have the facts before you can make any decisions.

    Sounds to me like you know where you are right now.

    Next step is figuring out where you want to be. In other words, what ae the changes tyou need to make to the business.

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