We have been harping for a long time about social media being the best marketing tool for restaurants. Every day some restaurant business comes up with a bright new concept to bring customers through the door.

The latest is Subway®, the sandwich shop franchise with 32,000 locations in 91 countries.

Subway has had a notable group of famous stars and athletes appear in their commercials. Now they have them all appearing in snippets on one ad. “Followers are encouraged to tweet to @subwayfreshbuzz and describe why the Famous Fan of the day is a great fit for SUBWAY restaurants.”

Each day’s contest will be focused on a different Famous Fan including Laila Ali, Carl Edwards, Jared Fogle, Jay Glazer, Blake Griffin, Ryan Howard, Nastia Liukin, Michael Phelps, CC Sabathia and Michael Strahan. The company gets involvement, a popular spokesperson chosen by the masses, and a database of people who will read whatever Subway texts to them.

Of course there is additional incentive.  By tweeting their views, followers will be entered into the chance to Subway gift cards, every day. People are also encouraged to follow the Famous Fans on Twitter who will be weighing in with their feedback on what makes them a great fit for the brand. Read the full press release here.

Who will win the competition? Truly, the winner is Subway.

How are you turning social media into mass market advertising? Need help with it…or even to understand it?  Contact us today at Synergy Consultants.

Any qualified restaurant consultant brings experience, credibility and the ability to find information most restaurant owners never access. Consultants can advise restaurant owners on a variety of issues including menu design, concept development, interior spaces, development assistance, financial information services and real estate. Our product, or deliverable, can take the form of a written report or, as is often the case with Synergy, a hands-on approach.

The term “restaurant consultant” is actually a very broad definition encompassing a wide variety of disciplines and areas of expertise. Within Synergy Restaurant Consultants we have experts across the spectrum: real estate, design, litigation, accounting and operations. While the consultant you may need can vary widely, the selection process and client/consultant relationship are very important and quite similar. Whether you select Synergy or one of our competitors, it is important to know how to select the best firm for the problem or project you have in mind.

Once you have determined you need a restaurant consultant, you begin the search process. Here are some basic steps:

1. Begin a preliminary search. The goal here is to contact different consultants who appear to be qualified to serve your needs. Similar to receiving quotes on products, it is better to identify more than one consultant. One good place to start is talking to restaurant business colleagues for a referral. Discover who they have used in similar situations and if they were satisfied
2. Pare the group down. Discuss the project with your preliminary search group. Narrow the list down. When you have two left, go to step 3.
3. Ask for written proposals, company brochures, references and other collateral
4. Analyze the proposals. Look at each proposal carefully; if you have any questions, ask the consultant to explain them. Check references, also.
5. Select the best consultant. Based on your analysis, pick the most qualified consultant to perform the project.