Restaurants - both national chains and independent - employ people from our communities; and supporting them during this time has been, and will continue to be, mission critical for us all. As we work with many of you to create campaigns to support your restaurants we have made some interesting observations we thought we should share.
Consumers are hungry for dining options.
Online Display
Using data from devices seen on premise in the months leading up to the COVID-19 crisis and pairing that the with third-party data of consumers who have shown interest in delivery and/or takeout, we have seen click through rates (CTRs) of .25-.5% which is 2.5–5 times better than benchmark CTRs!
Social Media
For social campaigns utilizing a similar targeting strategy the average CTR is 4.25% This approximately 4.25 times better than benchmark CTRs.
Social Media Costs
Costs for both Facebook and Instagram are down roughly 35%when compared to pre-Covid-19 costs, allowing for campaign budgets to stretch significantly further. Many national brands have retracted their marketing budgets during this time, making it easier for local messages focused on restaurant take out to land with a more captive audience.
Web Traffic
Web analytics for our clients using display and social advertising are experiencing a positive boost in website traffic. On average, we’re seeing an increase in traffic/users of 20-35%, week over week for these shopping center sites. That’s a drastic contrast to the overall trend of shopping center website traffic being down an average of 22% over that same period. For clients using digital advertising with restaurant focused messaging, “Restaurant Delivery and Take Out options” is the top performing website page, accounting for 35% of all web traffic.
There’s never been a more critical time to work together to develop creative solutions to support restaurants. Consumer interest in carry out food options is high, and the current media market means even a relatively small campaign budget can make an important impact. If you need assistance developing a restaurant support strategy, please reach out to your account representative - we are here to help.