Introduction:
Digital Marketing Strategies of Pret A Manger will be presented in this report in detail with all its e-commerce strategies. Digital marketing and e-commerce have received extensive attention around the world due to the development of technology and the widespread use of the internet. This report has critically analysed and evaluated a number of issues related to digital marketing and e-commerce. The first segment analysed recent trends in digital marketing. The second section evaluated different tools used in digital marketing and e-commerce. Section three has outlined a digital marketing plan. Finally, metrics and techniques to evaluate a marketing plan are outlined and evaluated.
Pret a Manger is a UK-based restaurant chain shop which were established in 1983. The company has locations in over 450 places in the UK, USA, Hong Kong, China, France, Germany, Denmark, Dubai and Singapore (Pret A Manger, 2019). The main products are fast food items, coffees, and soups. The company serves more than 300,000 customers daily in its 450 locations (Pret A Manger, 2019). It has both an online ordering system and an in-store serving system.
You may feel interested to read below blogs:
Unique Selling Point of Toyota
Brand Management strategies of Unilever
Marketing Mix of British Airways
Global Versus Local Marketing Strategies
Comparison between online and offline marketing:
Digital marketing refers to the component of marketing which use the internet and computers, mobiles and other online-based digital technologies or media to promote goods and amenities (Chaffey, 2019). It helps companies to stay tuned with the target audience through the internet.
The landscape of Digital Marketing:
The digital market is growing continuously, and it is fostering the growth of the hospitality industry drastically. The industry can attract travellers across the world with digital media marketing. The landscape of digital marketing is evaluated below:
The use of social media such as Facebook, Instagram, Linked, Pinterest, Twitter and other social media drives the ROI of companies (Tiago, and Veríssimo, 2014). Companies can stay connected with the huge amount of social media users that helps them to promote services within a moment to the customers. Digital ads such as social ads, search ads, social ads and video ads bring great result for companies, and it has been made smarter with the help of AI. Search engine optimization (SEO), such as voice search or mobile search, is a powerful source, and companies target ready-to-buy customers through the source. E-mail marketing is also powerful, like social media and boosts sales. Mobile refers to the use of messenger and chatbots, and it supports other sources like email, social, ads and websites; therefore, mobile is the most powerful source of digital marketing.
Comparison of online and offline marketing:
Dissimilarities between online and offline marketing are evaluated below:
| Dissimilarities | Online Marketing | Offline Marketing |
| Definition | Online marketing is the way of promoting products or services through e-mail, social media, website, mobile, SEO and other sources of the internet (Chaffey, 2019). | Offline marketing refers to the way in which companies promote through TV advertisements, billboards, magazines, newspapers and other media (Chaffey, Smith, and Smith, 2013). |
| Track the progress of marketing | In online marketing, companies can track the progress of their marketing and get informed about how it is doing. | Offline marketing does not provide the scope of tracing the progress of the marketing and knowing how it is working. |
| Relationship and Networking | Online marketing does not enable companies to build relationships and networking because companies do not meet people face to face. | The best part of offline marketing is it helps to build relationship and network because people speak to people face-to-face, which bring great opportunity for the company’s future growth. |
| Creativity | Online marketing is about posting details, making a video on the products or services and pictures of the products that create sameness. | Offline marketing provides the chance to be creative which makes customers more attracted, such as colourful sponsorship branding for an event, inviting famous people on opening day, going with a flash mob and other ways. |
Restaurant trends that foster digital marketing:
The consumer trends that drive the growth of restaurants are analysed beneath:
Focusing on nutrition: Customers have become more conscious about health and choose restaurants that provide healthy fresh foods, which is the biggest consumer trend in recent days. Pret A Manger provides nutritious foods such as Greens, Grains & Chicken Salad with Avocado is high in heart-healthy mono-unsaturated (Nutrifix, 2020). Nutritious foods, the restaurant attracts health-conscious customers toward them, and increases revenue.
Using a mobile: Customers explore eating options through mobile because of lack of time to sit at a PC or Laptop, which is one of the famous consumer trends of restaurants. Pret A Manger has developed a mobile site which will refer to the walking distance of the shop, opening hours, manager’s name and contact details of their restaurants (Carnyx Group Ltd, 2020). It attracts tech-savvy customers to restaurants and increases sales.
Using social media: 42 million people in the UK use social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and others, which is a great trend that increased the profitability of restaurants (Statista, 2020). Pret A Manger uses Twitter and other social media to promote their foods and gather feedback from customers on social media helps them improve their services (Convince & Convert, 2020). As a result, customers become highly satisfied and purchase more from them.
Customers like high-quality photographs: Customers cannot taste or smell foods online therefore they like high-quality photographs of foods (Vocal, 2020). Pret A Manger uses high-quality photographs that attract and bring customers to the restaurants. As a result, the restaurant’s profitability increases.
Key digital marketing tools, platforms and channels:
Digital tools that restaurants use:
Most used digital tools used by restaurants are stated beneath:
Search Engine Optimization: SEO refers to the process of getting quality traffic from organic or free search results in search engines (Smith, 2012). The hospitality industry uses this to have more customers, and Pret A Manger should use SEO to ensure higher growth.
Search engine marketing: It refers to digital marketing that increases the visibility of a website in search engines through paying (Kannan, 2017). Pret A Manger has to conduct SEM to drive growth.
Pay-per-click advertising: In this online marketing, companies pay a fee every time people click on the ads (Stokes, 2011). Many hospitality companies use this, but Pret A Manger should avoid this because it increases costs.
Content marketing: Content marketing is marketing where content are created and distributed to target audience (Baltes, 2015). Pret A Manger should use content marketing to get target audiences in their restaurants.
Email marketing: Email marketing is the way of promoting through emails. Pret A Manger uses email marketing, and it helps the restaurant to get more customers and increase profitability (Mail Charts, 2020).
Social media marketing: It refers to promoting products and services through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and other social media. Pret A Manger uses Twitter and other social media to ensure higher revenue, and it decreases their marketing costs (Convince & Convert, 2020).
Influencer marketing: It is the process in which companies involve stars or other influencers to promote their services and products (Smith, 2011). Pret A Manger can hire lead actresses, singers or other influencers to promote their restaurant, and it will ensure higher revenue.
Google Analytics/Google ads: Many companies use Google ads, and people see ads of the companies besides the tabs they open for their own work (Wymbs, 2011). The restaurant can use this process to get more customers.
Instant message marketing: Many hospitality industries use instant messaging marketing and promote brands through WeChat, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and others (Chaffey, and Smith, 2017). Pret A Manger uses the strategy to promote their restaurants.
Radio and television advertising: Television and radio are the most used digital advertising media (Charlesworth, A., 2014). Pret A Manger has to use television and radio ads more to increase its publicity and generate higher revenue.
Development of e-commerce and digital marketing platforms:
Search engine optimization, search engine marketing, google ads and pay-per-click marketing: All these digital marketing are developed because on the basis of the advancement of search engines such as Google, Bing and others (Royle, and Laing, 2014). The use of search engines increased enormously, that encouraged companies to conduct the marketing platforms in order to ensure higher revenue. For instance, Mas Q Menos use SEO and inform people what they deliver, which helps them to attract new customers (Emerz Restaurant Marketing, 2020). On the other hand, physical channels do not provide these types of facilities.
Email, instant message marketing and social media marketing: The use of email, messaging apps and social media has increased highly, which shows marketers the way to use the platforms and promote their brands. For instance, 78% of UK people use Facebook, which encourages Pret A Manger to use social media to increase their publicity with customers (Avocado Social, 2020). Whilst phone calls and phone messages are used in physical channels to promote the services and products of companies.
Television, radio and influencer marketing: The demand for television and radio inspired the business world to use the platforms and make customers (Leeflang et al., 2014). Publicity of people encouraged people to involve themselves in marketing. KFC uses TV and Radio advertisements that increase its customer base (Adage, 2020). Whilst, newspapers, magazines, billboards and others use physical marketing and companies use famous artists to advertise their services.
Digital marketing plan and strategies for Pret A Manger
Digital marketing plan outlines the strategies and tactics needed to build and sustain multi-channel capabilities. Multi-channel capabilities imply building and offering a range of channels to reach customers and to get responses from customers in their preferred way (De Pelsmacker, Van Tilburg, and Holthof, 2018). This section has outlined a digital marketing plan suggested by Dodson (2016), it has 6 steps which are demonstrated below:
Dodson’s 6 steps of digital marketing plan
Defining the brand:
Dodson (2016) revealed that a company should first outline the brand and its unique selling point (USP) based on which digital marketing plan should be advised.
Pret A Manger (2019) has declared itself as an organic food manufacturer which serves day-to-day fresh food, coffee, juice and milk. It also states that all foods are 100% organic and hygienic. These are existing USP for the brand. However, given post-COVID 19 period when people will not randomly visit stores, digital marketing should play a big role in reaching customers through multi-channel and completing the whole ordering to delivery system online. Therefore, Pret A Manger should declare itself as a “complete e-commerce solution” from advertisement to ordering to delivery to payment.
The above figure summarizes the USP for Pret A Manger
Determining customer specifications:
Ryan (2014) noted that a digital marketing plan should clearly identify the demographics of the customers. Target customers’ details are outlined below:
| Demographic features | Details |
| Locations of customers | UK, USA, Hong Kong, China, Singapore, Dubai, Denmark, France, and Germany (All locations where Pert A Manger has presence) |
| Age | From 16 years to 75 years |
| Income | £1000/month to above |
| Occupations | Service holders, students, and business people |
| Hobbies and interest | Like to have coffee and snacks outside |
| Family size | Single person, small size family with 6 members |
| Gender | Male and female |
| Special features | Used to use digital media channels |
The above table demonstrates the demographic features of Pret A Manger’s customers for a digital marketing campaigns. This information will be necessary for digital marketing specification.
Setting goals:
Montgomery et al., (2012) argued that a digital marketing plan should have some set of specific goals on which the plan will proceed. The below table outlines SMART goals for Pert A Manger’s digital marketing plan.
| Digital marketing goals for Pert A Manger | Timeline to achieve |
| To increase online audience by 300% | In 1 year |
| To increase online confirmed orders by 200% | In 1 year |
| Establishing a complete E-commerce solution | In 9 months |
| Active presence in major digital media platforms (Search Engine Optimization, Search engine marketing, Pay per click advertising, Content marketing, Email marketing, Social media marketing, Influencer marketing) | Gradually in 11 months |
The above table shows the digital marketing goals by Pert A Manger.
Choosing digital marketing methods:
Hemann, and Burbary (2013) suggested that selecting suitable digital marketing methods play the most significant role to reach customers and to build multi-channel marketing approaches. This digital marketing plan has also suggested some evaluated tactics for Pret A Manger.
The above diagram shows that Per A Manger has a number of options through which it can reach customers. Search Engine Optimization, Search engine marketing, Pay per click advertising, Content marketing, Email marketing, Social media marketing, Influencer marketing, Google ads, Instant messaging marketing, and finally, radio/Television marketing will play a great role in creating multi-channel capabilities for Pret A Manger. It will offer a number of convenient options to customers who can select their preferred method to reach the company.
Budgeting:
It is important to project the budget for the proposed marketing plan to help Pert A Manger prepare the financial resources. The below table shows a projected budget where figures may vary from the original situation.
| Cost descriptions | Amount |
| E-commerce site development | £35,000 |
| Android and iOS-enabled app development | £20,000 |
| Maintenance of e-commerce site and apps (per month) | £7,000 |
| Digital marketing cost paid to third parties (per month) | £15,000 |
| Online advertisement (Community Radio) | £3,000 |
| Others | £10,000 |
| Total | £90,000 |
The above budgeting shows that Pret A Manger needs £90,000 at a time to implement the proposed digital marketing.
Measuring results:
Karjaluoto, Ulkuniemi, and Mustonen (2015) argued that KPIs, and performance metrics tools, should be used to measure the performance of digital marketing activities of a company. Pert A Manger should evaluate and compare the performance of this marketing plan with the set of marketing objectives set at the beginning.
Implementation plan:
Pret A Manger should first check if it has the HR resources and capabilities to implement the plan. If it has, it should start implementing the plan. Otherwise, it can take help from consultants who provide such services. The company should keep a vigilant watch on implementation of goals and control of the budget.
Use of Omni-channel marketing
Defining Omni-channel marketing:
Omni-channel marketing refers to the use of digital/traditional marketing tactics to send a seamlessly customized messages to the target customers regardless of the usages of different communication channels (Confos, and Davis, 2016). This definition implies that customers receive a customized messages from the company, and the message is coherent as per customers’ interactions and transactions with the company.
Above figure shows that Omni-channel marketing keeps customers at the centre of marketing communication. Therefore, Omni-channel is clearly important for companies using a range of digital marketing tools.
How Omni-channel marketing helps to meet business objectives:
Omni-channel marketing has a number of benefits.
Firstly, the Omni-channel approach plays a significant role in conveying a tailored and seamless messages to target customers (Saura, Palos-Sánchez, and Cerdá Suárez, 2017). As a result, customers will get coherent messages and communication. This will promote customer engagement and high chances of persuading them to make a purchase.
Secondly, Omni-channel approach interacts among the digital marketing tools used by a company and communicates with customers accordingly (Khan, and Siddiqui, 2013). This promotes confidence among Pert A Manger’s customers regarding their interactions with the company. Such confidence encourages customers to make online purchase.
Omni-channel also helps a company to predict customers’ movement by analysing their behaviour (Durmaz, and Efendioglu, 2016). This allows Pert A Manger to predict inventory needs at a specific location, and the company can optimize the inventory management.
Apart from the above benefits, Omni-channel helps to keep the customers in touch to ensure that they come back, this plays big role to increase customers’ engagement and increase sales.
Methods of monitoring and measuring digital marketing efficiently:
Li et al., (2011) revealed that a company should take potential techniques and metrics to evaluate its digital marketing plans. Pret A Manger should also evaluate the performance of their digital marketing plan. The below diagram outlines the possible performance metrics that evaluate digital marketing performance of Pret A Manger.
| Serial No | performance metrics | Significance for Pret A Manger to evaluate its digital marketing efforts |
| 1 | Website traffic and app users | This reveals significant information about how effective the marketing campaign is (Durkin, 2013). Increased number of traffic in website and increased app users mean that customer engagement has increased. |
| 2 | New visitors Vs. returning visitors | This provides important information about how effectively the marketing campaign is attracting new customers and retaining the existing ones (Jarvinen, and Taiminen, 2016). If the number of both increases, the marketing campaign is supposed to be effective. |
| 3 | Session duration | This reveals how much attractive the contents and messages are in different digital marketing tools used by Pert A Manger by the duration spent by individual customers. Less duration spent on the tools implies that the contents and tools are not attractive and engaging and thus should be rectified. |
| 4 | Social reach/engagement | Social engagement metrics such as a number of reactions, comments, and views play a great role in revealing the effectiveness of the marketing campaign. Huge engagement by target audience means that the social media campaigns and contents are engaging. |
| 5 | E-mail open rate and click rate | High rates of e-mail opening and clicking on the inside links also play a great role in revealing the effectiveness of digital marketing initiatives. This helps Pert A Manger to understand how attracted and engaged customers are towards the company. |
| 6 | ROI and sales | ROI = Return/investment. High ROI informs Pert A Manger that the investment makes sense and value for the company. Increased sales also inform Pert A Manger about the effectiveness of their digital marketing effectiveness. Increased sales mean that marketing tactics are working effectively. |
How to improve performance in digital marketing:
Below action plans are compiled based on the assumption that the suggested digital marketing plan is not working as expected.
Firstly, Pret A Manger should ensure that the apps and websites are fully functional and take reasonable time to load. It should make sure that the contents and functions of the websites and apps are user-friendly.
Secondly, the company should ensure that employees managing digital marketing and e-commerce are reasonably quick in responses, and cooperative in receiving orders and delivery. This will engage customers more and will increase sales.
Thirdly, Pret A Manger should make attractive contents to be published in all tools of digital marketing.
Fourthly, Omnichannel marketing tactics should be strictly maintained. Pret A Manger should make sure that there are proper interactions and collaborations among the digital marketing tools, so that target audiences receive the coherent message.
Conclusion
Digital marketing has become a wide-discussed issue in recent times because of the wide use of the subject in a huge number of organizations. The report has found that consumers have demonstrated a number of trends that lead to further promotion of digital marketing. Such trends include increased use of social media channels, YouTube, instant messaging services etc. Companies use a number of digital marketing tools such as e-mail, social media, search engine optimization, Google ads etc. The report has found that the development of digital marketing has evolved with the development of technologies and communications channels. A digital marketing plan helps a company to make strategies to achieve SMART objectives. A company should also make plans to evaluate digital marketing tactics through different evaluation techniques.
References
Adage, 2020. KFC Goes From ‘FCK’ To ‘What The Click?’ In Cheeky U.K. ADS. Retrieved from: https://adage.com/creativity/work/kfc-wow/2163806. [Assessed on 28 May 2020]
Avocado Social, 2020. The Latest UK Social Media Statistics for 2019. Retrieved from: https://avocadosocial.com/latest-social-media-statistics-and-demographics-for-the-uk-in-2019/ [Assessed on 27 May 2020]
Carnyx Group Ltd, 2020. Pret A Manger reveals a new mobile site delivering contextual experiences based on device, geolocation and time of day. Retrieved from: https://www.thedrum.com/news/2013/06/18/pret-manger-reveals-new-mobile-site-delivering-contextual-experiences-based-device [Assessed on 26 May 2020]
Convince & Convert, 2020. Why Pret A Manger Is Using Twitter to Plan Its Next Move. Retrieved from: https://www.convinceandconvert.com/social-media-case-studies/why-pret-a-manger-is-using-twitter/ [Assessed on 26 May 2020]
Emerz Restaurant Marketing, 2020. Mas Q Menos, London. Retrieved from: https://www.emerz.co.uk/case-study/mas-q-menos/ [Assessed on 28 May 2020]
Nutrifix, 2020. Pret A Manger Nutrition: 7 Essential Facts. Retrieved from: https://nutrifix.co/healthy-food-near-me/pret-a-manger-nutrition-7-essential-facts/ [Assessed on 26 May 2020]
Mail Charts, 2020. Pret A Manger email marketing overview. Retrieved from: https://www.mailcharts.com/companies/pret-a-manger-email-marketing [Assessed on 27 May 2020]
Pret A Manger, 2019. About Us. Retrieved from: https://www.pret.com/en-us/about-pret [Assessed on 26-May 2020]