A Recipe for Marketing Success

Introduction

Thank you for choosing Epic Nine to help you conquer your marketing mountains in 2024. Below is a summary of our recommendations and a proposal for our services based on our discovery meeting. We look forward to working with you to refresh the Subs and Such brand while honoring its 41-year legacy and positioning you for future growth.

Goals

1. Increase weekly sales from $17,000 to $22,000 by end of year (29% growth)
2. Successfully expand to dinner service (targeting 70/30 lunch/dinner split)
3. Grow catering business with focus on local businesses and schools
4. Increase Facebook following from 3,400 to 5,000 by end of 2025
5. Refresh brand identity to reflect quality and local ownership
6. Position for successful second location expansion in the future

SWOT Analysis

Strengths

• Experienced owner with hands-on daily presence
• High-quality food with generous portions
• Strong local roots and community connections
• 41-year legacy in the community
• Strong customer service and personal connections
• Loyal existing customer base
• Prime location for lunch crowds

Weaknesses

• Outdated brand identity doesn’t reflect current quality
• Limited marketing beyond newspaper ads
• Lingering perception issues from previous ownership
• 100% lunch-focused business (changing May 1st)
• Limited digital presence and online ordering capabilities
• Visual identity doesn’t match the food quality and experience

Opportunities

• Dinner service expansion (starting May 1st)
• Growing catering business for local offices and schools
• Increased digital presence to reach younger demographics
• Brand refresh to signal new ownership and quality
• Local partnerships with businesses and community organizations
• Second location expansion in future years
• Online ordering and delivery integration

Threats

• Strong competition from national sandwich chains
• Consumer perception driven by convenience over quality
• Limited resources compared to chain competitors
• Rising food costs impacting margins
• Labor challenges in food service industry
• Changing consumer habits post-pandemic

Reviews

Monitoring online reviews is crucial for restaurants as it provides direct insight into customer satisfaction, highlights operational strengths and weaknesses, and offers opportunities to engage with feedback, thereby managing the restaurant’s online reputation proactively. Letting the average rating fall below 4 stars can be particularly damaging; it not only reduces visibility in search results but also acts as a significant deterrent for potential customers, as studies show a considerable percentage of diners avoid establishments with ratings under 4.0, directly impacting foot traffic and sales revenue. Currently, you are at 4.2 with 1145 reviews.

The Sub-4-Star Threshold: Crossing below the 4.0-star threshold appears particularly detrimental. Data suggests a significant portion of consumers avoid restaurants with lower ratings:

• Approximately 14% of diners state they would not visit a restaurant with an average rating below 4 stars.
• This avoidance increases sharply as ratings drop further; about 33% of diners report they would not eat at a restaurant averaging 3 stars.

The good news is that it will take a large number or reviews to move the average rating up or down. The bad news is that it will take far less reviews to get you to 3.9 (382) than it would to get you to 4.9 (5,625). A solid goal for average rating would be 4.5. It would only take 685 5-star reviews to get you there.

Strategic Overview

Subs and Such stands at a pivotal moment. With 41 years of history but new ownership bringing fresh energy, the challenge is to honor the legacy while modernizing the brand. The current disconnect between the quality of your food and service versus your visual presentation creates confusion for customers. Our strategy focuses on building a brand that feels authentic, local, and quality-driven—something that stands out against the chains while maintaining the familiarity your loyal customers love.

The foundation of our recommended approach centers on three key pillars:

1. Trust Restoration: Clearly signal the change in ownership through refreshed branding and messaging that emphasizes local ownership, quality ingredients, and personal connection.
2. Identity Evolution: Create a visual identity that honors the legacy while feeling contemporary, establishing a cohesive look across all touchpoints.
3. Growth Preparation: Build marketing systems that can scale as you expand to dinner service, increase catering, and eventually open a second location.

Brand Identity & Messaging

Your current brand identity doesn’t reflect the quality and care that goes into your food and service. The refreshed brand should communicate authenticity, quality, and local pride, while signaling that something has changed without alienating loyal customers.

A brand refresh triggers powerful psychological effects through the mere-exposure effect, where increased recognition builds trust and familiarity with consumers. When executed properly, it creates what psychologists call a “pattern interrupt” – breaking people’s automatic assumptions about your business and forcing a mental reassessment. This fresh evaluation allows you to strategically redirect how customers perceive your offering, helping overcome legacy perceptions while maintaining the positive equity you’ve built over time.

Tagline Options

Taglines allow you to add some distinction and emphasize the personality of your brand. We recommend one of the following taglines that emphasizes the steaming aspect of the brand and adds a layer of bold personality:

1. Gettin’ Steamy since 1983
2. Full Steam to Delicious

Visual Identity

We recommend a refresh rather than a complete overhaul, maintaining elements that resonate with your longtime customers while updating the overall look:

• Modernized Logo: Maintain the name recognition while updating typography and design elements
• Refreshed Color Palette: Energetic yet inviting colors that convey freshness and quality
• New Photography: Professional food photography that showcases your generous portions and quality
• Consistent Typography: Modern yet approachable font system that works across all applications
• Pattern Elements: Custom patterns that can be used across packaging, uniforms, and marketing materials

Key Messages

Based on your strengths and what resonates with customers:

• Local Ownership: “Owned and operated by a Blount Co local who’s in the shop every day”
• Quality Focus: “Big portions, fresh ingredients, no shortcuts”
• Personal Connections
• Community Roots: Proudly serving Maryville and Alcoa for over 40 years, nonprofit partnerships

Marketing Tactics

Brand Refresh & Identity Package

• Logo redesign
• Color palette and typography system
• Brand style guide
• Menu redesign
• Signage updates (long term)
• Staff uniform updates (long term)
• Branded merchandise (t-shirts, hats, etc.) (long term)

In-Store Experience

• Updated menu boards
• Wall graphics telling your story (long term)
• Table tents promoting dinner service and catering
• Loyalty program materials
• Review request displays
• Branded to-go packaging

Digital Presence

• Website Redesign: Mobile-friendly site with online ordering capabilities
• Social Media Strategy: Consistent posting schedule with content that highlights:
  • Behind-the-scenes of sandwich making
  • Staff personalities and customer interactions
  • Sourcing of quality ingredients
  • Mike’s/Subs and Such’s story
• Email Marketing: Build database and create campaigns for:
  • New dinner menu announcement
  • Catering promotions
  • Limited-time offers
  • Customer loyalty rewards

Local Promotions

• Partnerships with nearby businesses for delivery
  • Hospital staff have food delivery issues and there is an opportunity to serve them on a regular basis if there is a way to offer easy group ordering
• School and sports team sponsorships
  • Special offerings for kids who come in with a team jersey on
• Community event participation
  • The chamber is a great place to
• Employee and office lunch programs
• Partnership with Blount County Animal Shelter
  • “Subs and Pups” day with X% of sales going to the shelter
  • Have animals at Subs and Such

Catering Program Development

• Dedicated catering menu design
• Catering-specific marketing materials
• Direct outreach to local businesses and schools
• Online catering order system
• Loyalty program for repeat catering customers

The Funnel

A balanced marketing approach requires investment at each stage of the customer journey. Top-of-funnel awareness creates brand recognition, while mid-funnel tactics nurture interest into consideration. Without bottom-funnel conversion elements, however, awareness efforts waste resources. Like a well-tuned engine, each component must work together – neglecting any single stage creates inefficiencies that undermine your overall marketing effectiveness. Just like the layers of a well-built sandwich, by theirselves they may seem unimportant, but when taken as a whole they can create a masterpiece.

Brand Awareness

Brand awareness creates the foundation for all other marketing efforts. When customers recognize your brand, they’re more likely to trust it – even without conscious reasoning. According to marketing psychology, customers default to brands they recognize when making quick decisions, giving familiar businesses a significant competitive advantage. Without strong awareness, even the best conversion tactics struggle to perform, as customers tend to choose what they know over the unfamiliar, regardless of actual quality.

Organic Social Media Storytelling

• Facebook Content Strategy: Regular posts showcasing Mike’s hands-on ownership and daily presence in the shop, highlighting the “local owner who cares” narrative that resonates with customers
• Behind-the-Counter Videos: Short-form videos showing the steaming process, sandwich assembly, and the care that goes into each order
• Customer Spotlights: Feature loyal customers and their stories, emphasizing the community connection
• TikTok Strategy: Create engaging 15-30 second videos demonstrating:
  • The satisfying visual of steam rising from fresh sandwiches
  • Quick before/after transformations of ingredients
  • Staff personality moments that humanize the brand
  • Mouthwatering videos featuring sandwiches

Paid Social Media Campaigns

• Targeted Facebook/Instagram Ads: Demographically focused campaigns reaching adults 28-55 in your service area
• Video-First Approach: Emphasis on movement and steam visuals that stand out in feeds
• Audience Building: Initial campaigns focused on expanding local following
• Retargeting: Secondary campaigns targeting website visitors and engagement audiences

Targeted Display Ads

• Behavioral Targeting: Reach users who have shown interest in food delivery, local restaurants, and lunch options
• Geofencing: Target ads to appear to mobile users in proximity to competitive restaurants
• Timing Strategy: Increased ad frequency during pre-lunch browsing hours (10-11:30am) and special ads pushing dinner from 3-6.
• Creative Rotation: Multiple ad variations with strong steam imagery and your new tagline
• Device Targeting: Mobile-heavy approach to reach customers when they’re deciding where to eat

These awareness tactics create multiple touchpoints that reinforce your refreshed brand identity, ensuring that when customers think “lunch” or “sandwich,” Subs and Such comes to mind first, laying the groundwork for mid and lower-funnel tactics to convert that awareness into sales.

Mid Funnel/Retargeting

Once we’ve established brand awareness, we need to ensure we’re converting interested customers. We recommend:

• Email Automation: Send tailored messages based on customer behavior
• Remarketing: Target ads to people who have visited your website or engaged with your content
• Google My Business: Optimize your presence to appear in local searches
• Review Management: Actively solicit and respond to reviews to build trust

Lower Funnel

To drive immediate action and sales, we recommend:

• Loyalty Program: Reward frequent customers and encourage word-of-mouth
• Local Partnerships: Cross-promote with complementary businesses
• Google Search: More than 5000 restaurant-related searches every month in the Blount County area

Customer Journey Enhancement

To ensure a seamless experience from awareness to loyalty:

1. Awareness: Refreshed branding, social media presence, and local visibility
2. Consideration: Website with clear menu, great photos and video, testimonials, and ordering options
3. Conversion: Streamlined ordering process, both in-store and online
   • Emphasize curb-side pickup when paid online – great for the 5-6pm headed home from work crowd
4. Retention: Loyalty program, personalized service, consistent quality
5. Advocacy: Encourage reviews, referrals, and social sharing

Implementation Timeline

Phase 1: Foundation (Months 1-2)

• Brand refresh (logo, colors, typography)
• Menu redesign
• Social media audit and strategy
• Website planning and content development
• Dinner service marketing
• T-Ball Sponsorships (summer)

Phase 2: Launch (Months 2-4)

• Website launch
• Updated signage installation
• Social media revitalization
• Evaluate dinner response and adjust campaign
• Staff training on new messaging
• Chamber email
• First Subs and Pups event
• Email marketing for event
• Chamber email for dinner hours
• Begin ads
• Basketball sponsorships

Phase 3: Growth (Months 5+)

• Chamber email for Catering
• Catering program expansion
• Email marketing campaigns
• Local partnership development
• Monthly performance analysis and optimization

Your marketing strategy requires a coordinated approach across multiple touchpoints to effectively guide potential customers from initial awareness to loyal advocacy. As illustrated in the customer journey diagram, customers naturally progress through distinct phases – awareness, interest, decision, action, and loyalty – with each stage requiring specific interactions to move them forward.

Relying on a single marketing tactic creates significant gaps in this journey. The diagram visualizes how different touchpoints work together – from targeted ads and PR in the awareness phase, through website interactions and retargeting during interest, to phone calls and word-of-mouth during decision-making, and ultimately to responsive support and online reviews that build loyalty.

The effectiveness of your refreshed brand comes from consistent implementation across this entire spectrum. Your modernized visual identity creates recognition, while targeted digital advertising captures attention. Social media storytelling builds connection, local partnerships enhance credibility, and your outstanding product quality delivers satisfaction. But it’s the strategic coordination of these elements – creating multiple nudges at precisely the right moments – that transforms passive awareness into active patronage.

By implementing touchpoints at each funnel stage, you’re not just hoping customers find their way to you – you’re actively guiding them through a seamless journey from discovery to advocacy. When executed properly, each element amplifies the others, creating a comprehensive experience that consistently converts potential customers into loyal fans who return again and again.

Let’s get steamin!