Red Lobster Essay
Chapter 8 Case Assignment: Red Lobster
Market Research Reveals What’s Fresh Today Remember the Red Lobster commercials featuring lots of fried shrimp bouncing around and lobster claws dripping with butter? They’ve been replaced by scenes of steaming fresh fish, rice and vegetables. The old slogan, “For the Seafood Lover in You” has also been canned. Now Red Lobster wants you to “Come See What’s Fresh Today.” The restaurants themselves will soon look different, too, with a more streamlined, contemporary décor that downplays the traditional nautical themes. These changes and more are part of an effort to makeover the seafood chain after marketing research revealed that the restaurant was considered outdated and unappealing to potential customers. Red Lobster president …show more content…
The second phase focused on improving the restaurant’s image and shifting the focus from low prices to freshness. The third and final challenge will be to increase sales. Lodrup says, “We are positioning Red Lobster to be the best seafood restaurant on the planet.” Lodrup was originally hired as a marketing specialist to revive the sagging brand’s image in 2003 when sales were falling and customer satisfaction was at an all-time low. He immediately put the kibosh on promotions like the All-You-Can-Eat Crab Legs Specials that had lost money for the company in the past and emphasized Red Lobster’s seafood expertise instead. After sales increased in 2004, he was promoted to president, but he still relies on marketing research to keep his finger on the pulse of customer preferences. “We find out what they want from idealized dining service and research how to deliver value to guests,” Lodrup says. To do that, Red Lobster follows changing consumer habits and pays attention to which dishes patrons prefer. They use phone and Internet surveys to learn about guest attitudes towards the food they’ve tried and try to determine how well they might respond to new menu items or
Market Research Reveals What’s Fresh Today Remember the Red Lobster commercials featuring lots of fried shrimp bouncing around and lobster claws dripping with butter? They’ve been replaced by scenes of steaming fresh fish, rice and vegetables. The old slogan, “For the Seafood Lover in You” has also been canned. Now Red Lobster wants you to “Come See What’s Fresh Today.” The restaurants themselves will soon look different, too, with a more streamlined, contemporary décor that downplays the traditional nautical themes. These changes and more are part of an effort to makeover the seafood chain after marketing research revealed that the restaurant was considered outdated and unappealing to potential customers. Red Lobster president …show more content…
The second phase focused on improving the restaurant’s image and shifting the focus from low prices to freshness. The third and final challenge will be to increase sales. Lodrup says, “We are positioning Red Lobster to be the best seafood restaurant on the planet.” Lodrup was originally hired as a marketing specialist to revive the sagging brand’s image in 2003 when sales were falling and customer satisfaction was at an all-time low. He immediately put the kibosh on promotions like the All-You-Can-Eat Crab Legs Specials that had lost money for the company in the past and emphasized Red Lobster’s seafood expertise instead. After sales increased in 2004, he was promoted to president, but he still relies on marketing research to keep his finger on the pulse of customer preferences. “We find out what they want from idealized dining service and research how to deliver value to guests,” Lodrup says. To do that, Red Lobster follows changing consumer habits and pays attention to which dishes patrons prefer. They use phone and Internet surveys to learn about guest attitudes towards the food they’ve tried and try to determine how well they might respond to new menu items or