To look at oneself: For Shunhe and International, the geographical location far away in Duan Store has become the biggest disadvantage hindering their growth. Normally, if there is not enough appeal, consumers have no reason to drive dozens of kilometers to a remote place for dining. Moreover, on the way, there is Jingya, a giant in the catering industry, eyeing them with its brand recognition and influence, as well as the products it offers, which are not inferior to those of Shunhe. Therefore, previously, Mr. Shao Zhufu proposed a strategy for General Ren called the "magnet strategy." Since we cannot find customers ourselves, then let the customers come to us, playing the role of a "magnet" to attract customers.
Why would customers come to us? In the end, there is only one point: "a reason." What is this "reason"? In the end, it's about being "justified." If the name isn't justified, the words won't be smooth. This "name" is aimed at the banquet host, giving them a seemingly dignified reason to invite everyone here so they don't lose face (people from Shandong always value face). And those who are invited will also feel surprised, with sufficient reasons and a refreshing impression.
This "reason" can be product-related, service-related, or even an entirely new experience. So some time ago, when Mr. Shao Zhufu discussed with General Ren, he mentioned the concepts of "pragmatism," "differentiation," and "branding." Given the characteristics of Jinan's catering industry, features that others do not have may be more beneficial in exerting our "magnet" effect in the short term. Therefore, the breakthrough we thought of was "authentic American steak," which Mr. Shao Zhufu positioned as "apple steak," because this is something unique to us and difficult to replicate due to the characteristics of raw materials and craftsmanship. Since it's our exclusive skill, it is very suitable as our main offering.
Looking at the competitors: For hotels at the level of Shunhe International, the biggest obstacle before them is Jingya Restaurant located at the Bayi Overpass. In terms of fame, reputation, and influence, it is not inferior to Shunhe International, and its geographical location is even more advantageous. In such a situation, Shunhe International must pay attention to Jingya and clarify several issues:
1. Do I need what they have? This is to ensure that customers coming here won't be too disappointed.
2. Can I be more attractive than Jingya? This is to make people choose here over Jingya for more satisfying reasons.
3. Can I innovate in terms of features? Innovation is the spear strategy of a company, an inevitable path under offensive rather than defensive strategies.
4. Do I have any unique aspects in service? This is a line of thought in the case of severe product homogenization.
5. Do I have a memorable point that lingers in the consumer's mind? Occupying the consumer's mind is equivalent to occupying their wallet.
And so on.
By keeping an eye on the competitors and seeing what other restaurants are doing, we can achieve targeted actions and have clear goals in mind.
Looking at the market (consumers): Any event planning cannot ignore consumers or the market. For example, decades ago, the dark, greasy, and salty Shandong cuisine wasn't much of a problem at the time, but now? People already have excess nutrition and plenty of fat in their stomachs, food safety has been placed on the agenda, and the gutter oil incident has caused panic in the catering industry. People are now more concerned with the concepts of original ecology and environmental protection... In such a situation, our event marketing planning needs to "listen to ***'s words and follow ***" — keep up with the times. We need to "grasp two cultures together" — one hand on products, the other on brands. We need to "let some people get rich first" — making the characteristics more prominent.
We can focus on nutritional health care, showcase that we don't use gutter oil, process Laifu black chickens and lotus flowers, even invite nutrition experts into the store, hire professional chefs at high prices, and import high-quality beef and mutton (ribs), etc. In short, we need to closely follow the trends of the times and people's consumption tendencies for marketing to have a future.
In summary, Mr. Shao Zhufu believes that event planning requires "looking at oneself" — knowing what you are good at, avoiding the embarrassing situations of being overly ambitious and unrealistic; event planning requires "looking at the opponent" — only by doing so can we leverage each other's strengths and weaknesses, and aim accurately.