National Restaurant Chains Rolling Out the 'New' in 2016

Jeffrey Hales
JeffreyHales.com

Foodies all over the U. S. are giddy about the upcoming features some national restaurant franchises will be implementing throughout the remainder of 2015, and into next year as well.

From emoji ordering to Snapchat stories, multiple restaurant brands have recently invested in amplifying their visual-technology marketing campaigns. A new report from market-researcher Mintel implies these are brilliant moves, and also alludes to the fact that mobile convenience will continue its prominence with consumers in the coming year.

“In 2016 and beyond, we will see a rapid development in the new ways in which people are able to communicate and interact through visuals,” says Stacy Glasgow, consumer trends consultant at Mintel, adding that brands that fail to leverage “universally quick and comprehensible” visuals risk being left in the dark ages of restaurant operations.

Consumers’ increasing dependence on visual media is based solely upon the desire for speed and convenience, Mintel says. More restaurants are enabling mobile-payment systems such as Google Wallet and Apple Pay, and that has ignited consumer interest in saving time, the researcher notes.

Playing into customers’ visual predilection, Domino’s debuted emoji ordering earlier this year, allowing their customers to place pizza orders by texting a pizza slice emoji. In support of this new capability, the chain even launched a PSA-style marketing campaign for the emoji illiterate, which included videos and printable flashcards enabling their customers to adopt the new technology.

In addition, just this past week, Starbucks announced it will be adding video screens to 2,400 of its U.S. drive-thru locations, giving customers the opportunity to see streaming footage of their barista taking - and making - their orders.

These cutting edge trends will continue to evolve through the coming year and beyond. Likewise, more and more chains will trip over themselves in attempts to keep up with the Joneses. Keep your eyes peeled, people, and buckle your seatbelts. These will be sights worthy to see...