Fast Food Marketing Ideas: How to Create a Fast Food Franchise Marketing Plan [2024]

How to Do Fast Food Marketing

In a fast food franchise, marketing is a key driver of business success, and it operates on two levels: national brand campaigns run by corporations and localized efforts executed by individual franchisees. National campaigns are designed to build brand recognition and loyalty on a broad scale, often focusing on mass media, like television, online ads, and partnerships, to reach a wide audience. These campaigns highlight the overall brand identity and seasonal promotions, ensuring consistent messaging across all locations.

While the U.S. fast food landscape has been inundated by new concepts over the past decade, the older more well-established quick-service restaurant brands continue to dominate the industry. For example, in 2023, McDonald's had the highest sales of any U.S. fast food chain achieving over $53 billion in revenue. Big fast food franchises may invest heavily in national marketing, but franchisees must complement these efforts with local marketing initiatives tailored to their specific communities. 

This could include sponsoring local events, collaborating with nearby businesses, or running promotions that reflect regional preferences and trends. The goal is to connect with the local audience on a personal level, driving foot traffic and creating a loyal customer base. While corporate marketing boosts the brand's visibility, local marketing is essential for building strong relationships within the community and ensuring long-term success.

How fast food franchisees should approach marketing

Franchisees typically receive a marketing budget as part of their franchise agreement, which often includes a portion dedicated to national brand campaigns and a portion for local marketing efforts. The funds allocated for local marketing give franchisees the flexibility to focus on their specific market, driving traffic to their individual locations.

When considering where to spend this budget, franchisees should focus on strategies that engage their local community. Promotions like limited-time offers (LTOs), loyalty programs, and special discounts for local events or holidays can incentivize repeat visits and encourage word-of-mouth recommendations. Collaborating with local schools, sports teams, or charities can also enhance visibility and create goodwill.

Digital marketing, including targeted social media ads, Google Ads, and location-based promotions, can help franchisees reach potential customers within a specific radius of their business. For example, offering online-exclusive deals or using geo-targeting to send offers via mobile apps can increase both in-store visits and mobile orders.

Franchisees should think of marketing as an ongoing investment in building a relationship with their customer base. By regularly assessing what local customers respond to, whether it’s family-oriented promotions, late-night deals, or convenience-based offerings, franchisees can fine-tune their approach to maximize traffic and boost sales. The key is to balance corporate-led brand consistency with a personalized, community-focused marketing strategy.

Laura Murphy, senior vice president of Bolt PR, spoke about what it takes to get franchise marketing right. "With franchise ownership comes the need to create a brand persona to drive customer loyalty and retention. This business is all about people. You have to be able to adapt, evolve, and ignite areas of the business with customers always being at the forefront of the decision-making process."

How to measure fast food marketing effectiveness

For fast food franchises, setting an effective marketing budget is vital for driving growth and customer acquisition. Typically, franchisees are advised to spend between 3% to 6% of their gross revenue on marketing. This allocation covers both national campaigns and local marketing efforts, with the local portion often funded through a percentage of sales as determined in the franchise agreement.

Evaluating marketing spend beyond digital campaigns

When most of your ad spend isn’t on digital channels, evaluating the effectiveness of your marketing becomes more challenging, but it’s still critical. A typical Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) target for fast food franchises ranges from 4:1 to 6:1, meaning for every dollar invested, you aim to generate $4 to $6 in revenue.

However, with less reliance on digital tools for tracking, achieving this return depends on creative strategies and careful monitoring of local market dynamics.

Measuring marketing success without direct attribution

Unlike digital ads, where click-through and conversion rates provide real-time feedback, measuring the impact of traditional advertising like flyers, billboards, radio, or community sponsorships requires a more thoughtful approach. Here’s how you can still assess marketing success: 

1. Monitor foot traffic increases: Implement tracking methods like manual customer counts before and after promotions. You can also measure this indirectly by observing changes in sales volume.

2. Analyze sales during specific promotions: Tie promotional campaigns (e.g., limited-time offers, in-store discounts) to specific periods and compare sales data for those weeks or months. By isolating the effects of each promotion, you can identify which campaigns drive the most traffic and revenue.

3. Leverage POS systems: Modern POS systems provide detailed sales reports that help you attribute sales increases to specific promotions or marketing efforts. Compare daily or weekly sales before and after campaigns to gauge effectiveness.

4. Customer feedback & surveys: Encourage customers to mention how they heard about your business (e.g., through a local flyer, radio ad, or referral). In-store feedback, simple surveys, or receipt-based online surveys can give you insight into which marketing efforts are resonating locally.

5. Local event participation impact: If you sponsor local events, track customer activity following the event. Use tools like custom promo codes or in-store-only deals to better understand whether local sponsorships and partnerships are bringing in new business.

Optimizing non-digital marketing tactics

Although attribution might be harder without digital metrics, consistently tracking these indicators over time will give you a sense of what’s working:

• Post-promotion sales uplift: After running promotions or sponsoring local events, assess the lift in sales for 2-4 weeks.

• Loyalty programs: If your franchise has a loyalty program, monitor how many new customers sign up after you engage in community marketing or local sponsorships.

Word of mouth: Foster relationships with regular customers and ask them for feedback on what’s bringing them in. This helps identify non-digital marketing effectiveness.

Potential fast food marketing ideas

Here’s a more detailed list of potential marketing ideas for fast food franchisees, designed to provide deeper insights and inspire effective local strategies:

1. Limited-time offers (LTOs)

• Special promotions: Develop exclusive menu items or discounts available only for a short time, such as a month or a week. For example, create a seasonal burger with unique ingredients or offer a discount on combo meals. 

• Promotion tactics: Promote these offers through in-store signage, local flyers, and social media channels to create urgency and excitement. 

• Data insights: Track sales during these promotions to gauge their effectiveness and adjust future LTOs based on customer response.

2. Local sponsorships and events

• Local sponsorship: Sponsor local events such as youth sports leagues, community fairs, or charity runs. This can involve placing your logo on team uniforms, setting up a booth at events, or hosting an activity. Engaging directly with the community helps build a positive brand image and fosters goodwill. 

• Community engagement: Additionally, consider organizing your own events, like a “Neighborhood Appreciation Day,” where a portion of the day’s sales support a local cause, creating both community involvement and brand loyalty.

3. In-store promotions

• Traffic boosters: Design promotions like “buy one, get one free” offers, “family meal deals,” or “happy hour discounts” that drive traffic during off-peak hours. 

• Visual marketing: Create eye-catching in-store displays and table tents to highlight these promotions. 

• Data-driven scheduling: Use data from your POS system to identify peak and off-peak times, and strategically schedule promotions to maximize traffic during slower periods. 

• Impact analysis: Measure the impact on sales and customer flow to refine future promotions.

4. Customer loyalty programs

• Loyalty program: Implement a comprehensive loyalty program where customers earn points for every dollar spent, which can be redeemed for discounts, free items, or exclusive offers. 

• Rewards management: Use a digital app or physical loyalty cards to track and reward customer purchases. Regularly review the program’s effectiveness through metrics like participation rates and repeat visit frequency. 

• Customer customization: Personalize rewards based on customer preferences and purchase history to enhance engagement and satisfaction.

5. Local partnerships

• Collaborative marketing: Forge partnerships with nearby businesses for cross-promotional opportunities. For example, collaborate with a local coffee shop to offer a joint discount or with a nearby gym to provide special deals to members. Such collaborations can include co-hosted events, bundled offers, or reciprocal advertising. 

• Performance analysis: Track the performance of these partnerships by monitoring referral traffic and sales increases to ensure mutual benefit and optimize future collaborations.

6. Community engagement 

• Public outreach: Actively participate in or host community events like charity fundraisers, local fairs, or school events. 

• Event hosting: Consider hosting your own events, such as a “Kids’ Day” with free activities or a cooking class led by your chef. 

• Local advertising: Promote these events through local advertising, social media, and direct community outreach. 

• Feedback insights: Collect feedback from participants to assess the event’s impact on brand perception and customer loyalty.

7. Seasonal and holiday campaigns

• Holiday promotions: Design themed marketing campaigns around major holidays and seasons. 

• Themed menus: Develop special menu items or packaging for holidays like Halloween, Christmas, or summer festivals. 

• Targeted outreach: Use local advertising, social media, and email marketing to promote these seasonal offerings. 

• Engagement tracking: Track customer engagement and sales performance during these periods to evaluate the success of your campaigns and refine future seasonal strategies.

8. Influencer and blogger collaborations

• Influencer partnerships: Partner with local influencers or food bloggers to create buzz around your restaurant. Invite them for complimentary meals in exchange for honest reviews and social media posts. 

• Exclusive offerings: Craft unique experiences or exclusive menu items for these influencers to feature. 

• Collaboration impact: Monitor engagement metrics like shares, comments, and increased social media followers to measure the impact of these collaborations on your brand’s visibility and customer base.

9. Social media contests and giveaways

• Interactive giveaways: Organize engaging contests and giveaways on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok. For example, run a photo contest where customers share pictures of their favorite menu items for a chance to win a gift card. 

• Boost visibility: Use these contests to increase brand visibility and interaction. 

• Success metrics: Measure success through engagement metrics, new followers, and the volume of contest entries to gauge the effectiveness of these campaigns.

10. Customer feedback and surveys

• Collect feedback: Implement feedback mechanisms such as in-store surveys, online questionnaires, or comment cards. 

• Participation perks: Offer incentives like discounts or free items for customers who provide feedback. 

• Customer insights: Use this data to identify areas for improvement and tailor your offerings to better meet customer needs. 

• Strategic adjustments: Regularly review feedback trends to inform your marketing strategies and operational adjustments.

11. Targeted local advertising

• Media promotions: Utilize local radio stations, newspapers, and outdoor advertising like billboards or transit ads to reach potential customers in your area. 

• Localized messaging: Design ads that resonate with local culture and preferences, such as highlighting community involvement or local favorites on your menu. 

• Campaign evaluation: Measure effectiveness through customer surveys, tracking promotional code usage, or observing sales trends following ad campaigns.

12. Digital coupon distribution

• Online deals: Distribute digital coupons through local community websites, apps, or email newsletters. Offer exclusive discounts or deals that drive traffic to your store. 

• Redemption tracking: Use unique coupon codes to track redemptions and assess which distribution channels are most effective. 

• Campaign refinement: Analyze redemption rates and sales data to optimize future coupon campaigns.

13. Interactive in-store experiences

• In-store innovation: Enhance the in-store experience with interactive elements like digital ordering kiosks, interactive menu boards, or in-store games. These features can streamline the ordering process, engage customers, and increase average ticket sizes. 

• Customer assessment: Monitor customer feedback and usage patterns to ensure these innovations meet customer needs and improve overall satisfaction.

14. Customer appreciation events

• VIP experiences: Organize events specifically to show appreciation for your loyal customers. Examples include exclusive tastings, behind-the-scenes tours, or special discount days. 

• Announcement strategy: Promote these events through direct invitations, social media, and in-store announcements. 

• Success evaluation: Measure success through attendance rates, feedback, and the impact on repeat business.

15. Personalized customer interactions

• Personalized service: Train your staff to recognize and engage with regular customers by name or their favorite orders. Implementing personalized service can create a more welcoming atmosphere and strengthen customer loyalty. 

• Tailored interactions: Use Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools to track customer preferences and tailor interactions. 

• Customer retention: Measure the impact of personalized service through customer feedback and repeat visit rates.

Each of these ideas can be tailored to fit the unique needs of your franchise location, helping you to effectively engage with your local community and drive business growth.

Final thoughts

Non-digital marketing strategies remain just as crucial for fast food franchises as digital in order to connect with their local communities and boost brand visibility. From leveraging limited-time offers and sponsoring local events to distributing printed coupons and collaborating with nearby businesses, these traditional methods effectively complement digital efforts. By combining both approaches, franchises can engage a broader audience, drive foot traffic, and build lasting customer relationships.

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