How to Simplify Data for Smarter Marketing

8/15/2023 Matthew Tilley

Marketers share a common dilemma: How do you make the most out of a large amount of information that’s derived from different places?

There’s no shortage of data, of course. And no matter what business you’re in, using this data to better serve customers can help you succeed. Justin Bartek, Vice President of Marketing at Dog Haus — the “craft casual” restaurant that specializes in hot dogs, sausages, and burgers — knows this well.

In a recent Business to Human podcast, Bartek discussed:

• Using lots of data to make customers happy
• Where social media is useful in marketing
• How marketing and operations can work better together

What’s missing in marketing today?

Marketing for a restaurant can be challenging, Bartek points out. Many of the people who work at and go to the restaurant have been around for a while. So, changing things when you’ve always done them a certain way can prove to be difficult.

In the restaurant industry, taking the next step to truly boost the brand seems to be the hardest jump, says Bartek: “Because you’ve got a lot of people that were in there from the beginning, who think a certain way — a way that’s worked to this point. But they don’t understand what it takes to get to the next level.”

Even if your restaurant is already doing well, getting to the next level can be a steep uphill climb. There are, however, a few things that can help a company progress from good to great, Bartek believes. One of those things is data.

Using data can help figure out what to do next with your restaurant. Whether it’s loyalty programs, teaming up with others, making ordering easy online, or improving an app, data can provide marketers with the right answers — if they know how to use it.

But using data isn’t always easy: “There’s so much data that many marketers don’t know where to start,” says Bartek.

First, you need to know which data matters most for your restaurant’s success. Then, you should learn about tools that can collect and understand that data, so you can use it in your marketing plans.

Making the most of social media

Social media is a great way for your company to reach more people and create a strong image.

In the past, restaurants didn’t rely all that much on digital marketing. But when people couldn’t go out during the COVID pandemic, and apps like UberEats became really popular, restaurants had to become more reliant on the internet.

Today, being on social media is critical for restaurants. Different platforms have different purposes, and some are more popular with certain groups of people. For example, Facebook is good for showing ads to people who have previously visited. TikTok is best if you want to reach younger customers. Instagram is in the middle — it’s popular with a wide range of people.

Connecting marketing and operations

Getting the marketing team and the operations team to work together is critical — but it can also be a challenge, Bartek has learned.

“If you’re not operating at your full potential, I don’t want to market you,” he says. “Meaning, if you’re not taking care of the guests and if you’re not making your food correctly, why would I want to send someone there who’s never been there?”

The marketing and operations teams need to work in unison. Operations need to do their job well, and marketing needs to make the business look good. They should also talk to each other on a regular basis.

Dog Haus has made sure this communication takes place by establishing their “Markerations” plan. The marketing and operations leaders, along with the company’s founders, meet three times a week. During these meetings, they talk about important matters, changes they want to make, and ways to grow. These discussions help ensure the whole company is working together toward common goals.

Want to know more about marketing for restaurants, where social media works best, and how to get different teams working together? Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you find your podcasts.