CKE Restaurants, Inc.’s Post

Tomorrow is 'Fat Tuesday,' the epicenter of the celebration of Mardi Gras. Those two words evoke a lot of imagery for a lot of different folks, but any of you who know me probably aren't surprised that, to me, it is all about the music. That quintessential sound of brass bands plying their trade with the unmistakable blend of New Orleans jazz and Dixieland conjuring the images of a second-line parade strutting through the Quarter... there's really nothing like it in the world (though we do have our own thing here in Philly which has a shared history with Mardi Gras, but that's a story for another day). So... what parallel can we draw from that to what we do in the technology space? Well, to me, it has a lot to do with the idea of a 'Second Line' parade. What is a Second Line? It is when a band, the grand marshal, and whoever they are honoring (whether a family for a Jazz funeral, a couple for a Wedding celebration, etc) form the 'first line' or the beginning part of the parade, and the 'second line' is full of all of the spectators actively joining with the band and parading behind them, dancing, strutting, and celebrating along with the music being played. So, what can I take away from this that's relevant for my day-to-day? In our industry, it is easy to get so caught-up in what we are doing, what is important to us, what new piece of technology is compelling and why 𝘸𝘦 think so, etc, etc, etc, that we forget that the only reason this stuff is important to begin with is to 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐮𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲 - to make them a part of the process and help them to connect with the story we're telling, the solution we're selling, the thing for which we're trying to advocate. We want to try to make everyone 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒑𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒔, not spectators. As tech professionals, especially those of us in the 'Sales space,' we can't get 'caught with our head down in our music' and forget that, without an engaged audience, there is no performance at all. So, this Mardi Gras, I'm going to really try to remember to not only try to find the celebration in every day, but more importantly, never forget that, without the second line, there IS no parade. Let the good times roll!

Another little website completed this week for Casa de Salsa, a guest list only series of events coming to London this summer. If you need help bringing your event to life online, get in touch. All sites can easily be built with our sign up system to collect essential customer data for your events. #webdesign #events #nightclubs #festivals #data

A great story about how important it is to remember the details. The Italian Market (many non-Philadelphians may remember the market from Rocky's famous run in the 1976 classic that ended up on the art museum steps). The market is the nation's oldest continuous operating market and stretches for several blocks on 9th Street in Philadelphia and is a hallmark of Philadelphia's Italian heritage" The annual festival stretches for 7 blocks and features 100's of vendors, music, parades, a hoagie competition, and a halfball tournament. However, the highlight is a competition to see who can ascent a 30 ft high pole greased with lard to claim prizes of meats, cheese, gift cards, and money that are tied to the top of the pole. It is also great practice for those fans eager to train on climbing streetlight poles when the Phillies or Eagles win championships (we don't get too much opportunity to practice here in Philadelphia - lol). It seems, this year, that someone forgot to arrange the crane that is used to remove the unclaimed meats and cheeses after the event. For 4 weeks, the "world's worst wind chime" has baked in the summer sun in the city leaking oils and unleashing stench on the innocent shoppers below. I think this is a great example - from a management standpoint - that no matter how great the idea is, no matter how flawlessly it is executed at the moment of truth, true success is measured in the details and the follow-up after the idea. https://lnkd.in/evmgEpc3

Last year our busiest day was our Cider Festival. This year we wanted to go bigger…. The result was bigger than even my wildest dreams. Last year we sold 372 pints of cider and I was still pushing cider I had bought for the cider fest at Xmas! Last year our marketing really pushed us having “20 different ciders” but the feedback was that our guests loved the live music part instead. This year we retained the “Cider Fest” name but increased the name value of the acts performing whilst also spreading them out a bit better with the ciders more of a tagline than the main draw. We booked the acts and started the marketing campaign at Easter! Spreading the word locally and through the acts booked we had nearly 2,000 people interested in the event on FB Events. However I’ve also been stung with this before interested doesn’t always bring visits. So was it a success…. - Over 400 pints of cider sold before 2pm (over 1,000 all day - nearly triple last year) Not including other drinks. - All bag in box ciders sold before 4pm - won’t be still pushing it at Xmas! - The garden was packed all day - every bench taken. I had purchased an additional five earlier than week but we also had 70 chairs in our function room as you can see spread out. Some neighbours brought deck chairs whilst other people brought picnic blankets! - Overall turnover was THREE times more than the year before. In fact it was nearly as much as our highest grossing week from just one day! - Feedback has been positive but we’ve also had to take some on the chin - long queues at the bar. Running out of BIB ciders so early in the event! So what do we do next year…. Double down - spread across the weekend rather than a one day event OR just tweek things to try and increase turnover? Who fancies coming along next year?

How are you planning to celebrate Cinco De Mayo this year? Do you have any family traditions (food, drinks, music, etc)? Friends, family, food, music - an event that brings people together! In this Question of the Week, we asked our Cinco De Mayo celebrating instapanelists to share how they planned to spend the holiday! Share with us in a comment below: if observed, how did you celebrate Cinco De Mayo? #QuestionOfTheWeek #Video #MarketResearch #CincoDeMayo #Celebrations #Celebrate #Celebration #Holiday #Events

What a bargain of an offering!!

Yep, we went to The #DoobieBrothers concert! Awesome!   This concert brought me so much #joy! * The staff inside Choctaw Casinos & Resorts the concert venue were gracious and hospitable (food service not so much. I’ll save that for another post) * It was awesome singing out loud and dancing. I didn’t realize how many hits The Doobie Brothers had… and that I knew!!!! * I loved watching the crowd get lost in the joy of the music The moments and memories are priceless, and it was worth it! WHY THIS MATTERS: A quick reflection first - In March 2020, I asked consumers why certain activities (that had been taken away) brought them joy. This is one quote that has always stuck with me.   “Music is organic - people naturally respond to, resonating in us like our own hearts beating. When it is shared with others it becomes a connector of the human experience. It helps my soul” Fast forward to today: Consumers are making choices about where and how to spend their money. Our data shows that consumers continue to go out less, but splurge more when they do. Whether you are in QSR to fine dining to a movie theater or concert venue, what will you do to create fabulous first impressions and memorable lasting impressions? #bringmorejoy #momentsandmemories #concerts #guestexperience

I experienced this first hand the other day, with a meal out. I’d never been to Flat Iron before, but they clearly understand the Peak End Rule. Well, they also know the importance of first impressions; with a tasty bowl of popcorn served up as soon as we sat down. But fast forward to the bill, and accompanying it came some mini cleavers, which turned out to be tokens for free (and really good) ice-cream. Yeah, I remember the highlight - the steak. But that ice-cream finish also stands out, and sure did help shape the way I (positively) remembered the overall experience I had! The lesson for festivals and events? You may not be able to shape and influence everyones peak ‘most intense’ points (the highlights), but you sure can try and do something when the time comes for them to leave. And what with the importance of immediately selling tickets for next year's event to this year's customer, the Peak End Rule is something you need to give some attention to. #Festivals #Events #FestivalMarketing #EventMarketing

New on the Blog: 3 Tips How To Throw An Amazing Party! With over 11 years of experience here at The Jazz Cafe, it's safe to say we know how to throw a party - and a good one at that! Read our tips here: https://lnkd.in/ecCidm5G #partyplanning #eventplanning #newblogpost

Love this creative marketing approach from a coffee shop that gives free coffee to customers who dance their way in! It’s all about sparking joy and genuinely connecting with your audience. 🕺☕ Just like influencer marketing, it's these authentic interactions that can build lasting relationships with your community. #MarketingInnovation #InfluencerMarketing"