60 seconds with...Tanith West, Marketing Manager - Bone Daddies Group

What has been the most successful marketing platform you have used throughout COVID to communicate with your customers?

It has to be social media, specifically Instagram. It allows us to be reactionary in this time of constant change and with the right tools you can implement comms very efficiently. During lockdown it was our only outlet for brand awareness, and it has the capacity to enable such creativity in the users. It certainly isn’t something to be overlooked.

How have you stayed ahead of your competition? What new innovations have you delivered in the last 6 months and how have you promoted them? 

We recently ran our Tour of Ramen, where I got in touch with a bunch of the best in ramen from all over the UK to have them create a collaboration ramen which ran for a week throughout August. We teamed up with Homeboys in Nottingham, Maki & Ramen in Edinburgh, and CBRB in Manchester and each dish had sell-out days. It allowed us to use our platforms to help support others in our industry at a time where some may be rallying against each other and fighting for sales. That just isn’t what we’re about. 

Have you used any new digital marketing techniques or Apps to support your business and have they been successful?

Yumpingo. It’s been so beneficial for us to see what’s working and what isn’t on the menu right now. We’re quicker at adapting and we’re gaining valuable insight from their dish data. 

What changes have you seen in customer behaviour?

Honestly, people are better brand champions now. They really want to show their support and share their experiences with us, it’s been thoroughly heart-warming to see the community spirit that is radiating through our sites at the moment. If we take the initiative to go above and beyond in their dining experience, then they go above and beyond to shout about it.

What do you expect the main challenges to be in next 6 months and how will you have to adapt your marketing strategy?

Christmas is going to be a real challenge. We’re big on sharing at all three of our restaurant brands and that just isn’t safe at the moment. We can’t roll out a Christmas campaign as we usually would so we will have to be a little more creative and optimised in our delivery. I think that clarity and transparency of procedures is going to be key here.   

One positive you take away from this year and hopes for the future? 

Our adaptability. We know now that we can change and move quickly if we need to and that we have the right people in the right places to do so. Nothing is impossible as long as we all work together but inside individual operators and as a hospitality community. I don’t think the openness of us all to one another will be going anywhere soon