Authenticity may be the holy grail for brands, but Panera Bread is getting closer than ever with their new ad campaign. Michael Simon, Chief Marketing Officer of Panera Bread, talked about the importance of progress, differentiation, and brand transparency in the latest Brand Innovator Spotlight.
Make Today Better
Panera Bread’s new ad campaign focuses on the slogan “Make Today Better.” Costing $40 million, it will be the restaurant chain’s most expensive marketing move yet, but Simon knows it’s a winner. “Our media spend is just over 1% of our revenues, but we’re still significantly under-spending our competitors who on average spend about 3-5% of sales,” Simon explained.
The campaign also steps toward social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter in an effort to reach both loyal and potential customers. With the new ads, Panera Bread wants to spread their message of optimism and making today better.
Zigging When Others Zag
“Panera’s history is one of zigging when others zag,” said Simon. “When others retrenched during the recession, we invested in our products, services and our differentiation.” And this strategy’s results speak for themselves; Panera Bread rose as one of the most successful restaurants during the recession.
Another way Panera hopes to stand out is by avoiding the overwhelming advertising chatter. The new campaign focuses on the restaurant’s unique story rather than the common low-cost menu messages other companies send out. This way, the “Make Today Better” campaign surpasses the noise without having to outspend it.
Authenticity
“We focus on fact-based differentiators that single us from other concepts like bread baked fresh daily and our lettuce program that has cut the time our produce moves from the field to our customers’ forks in half,” explained Simon. The commercials will feature actual Panera employees to further the push for honest storytelling.
Panera is also known for being the first restaurant to display calorie information on menu boards nationwide.
If there’s one image the restaurant hopes to project, it’s authenticity. “Authenticity suggests honesty and transparency,” said Simon. By telling the facts that make Panera unique and wholesome, customers learn about the restaurant’s mission to “Make Today Better.”
