Can POP Marketing Help with QSR Sales? The short answer is yes. “POP” (Point of Purchase marketing) can be a game-changer for QSRs when executed well. POP leverages the high foot traffic and quick decision-making nature of customers to generate impulse buys and promote specific menu items or deals.
Customers often visit a QSR without knowing exactly what they want until they arrive. A large, brightly colored display sign on the menu board can highlight deals that save a little money while still providing what customers crave.
Types of Effective POP Tactics for QSRs:
Digital Menu Boards: Interactive displays with high-res visuals, dynamic pricing, and rotating promotions help advertise new information to a QSR’s customer. They offer on-the-spot deals with just a click, highly effective at drive-thru’s and in-restaurant advertising.
Countertop Displays: These are small stands with product samples, combo deals, or limited time offers (LTOs) near the point of sale. They can be an ideal way to obtain one more sale or to inform customers about community promotions. Cincinnati’s Skyline Chili, a regional chain, for example, uses counter card displays to promote the sale of basketballs for the Crosstown Shootout between University of Cincinnati and Xavier University (crosstown school rivals), as well as FC Cincinnati soccer balls to promote their sponsorship with the MLS team. These displays attract sports fans to add an extra item to their bill.
Promotional Signage: These eye-catching posters and banners highlight new menu items or special deals at key entry points and ordering areas to target passers-by. With simple, bold messaging, these signs should break through to passing consumers and are most effective when the promoted item is large, and the deal or item name is prominent. Can a car driver understand it from the road? Can a consumer on foot comprehend the messaging from the sidewalk? These are questions creatives need to consider.
Interactive Kiosks: These are self-service terminals with visual prompts and suggestive selling features that offer another way to promote new items and LTOs. Customers are more engaged at this level, and with proper ad placement, successful POP displays can shine.
But how does it break through?
- High Visibility: QSRs typically place displays and signage near the ordering counter, drive-thru lanes, and key decision points for maximum exposure. POP displays must be engaging and differ from menu boards or the QSR’s overall aesthetics, while remaining branded. The primary communication should be “NEW” or “DEAL.” For example, deal-based offers should have monetary value very large and prominently displayed, such as $5 footlongs at Subway, $6 Pick 2 from Arby’s, or $5 Value Meal from McDonalds. For LTOs on non-value items, the food itself is the hero, with the product name and duration of the offer taking higher priority, such as brisket sandwiches at Arby’s or fish sandwiches at Wendy’s.
- Direct Influence: POP materials like menu boards, digital displays, and countertop stands can directly influence customer choices by highlighting featured items, deals, and combos, often with visual cues that entice immediate purchases. When hunger strikes, decisions are often driven by both a consumer’s stomach and budget. If you can “feed” both needs, you can effectively build and retain your customer base.
- Impulse Buying: The fast-paced environment of a QSR encourages impulse buying, making well-placed POP elements ideal for promoting add-on items, upselling, or LTOs. Examples include “Biggie size it for $1,” Big Macs 2 for $6, and $2 Ice cream sundaes. At a sit down restaurants, servers often suggest appetizers and desserts, generating impulse buys. Similarly, at McDonald’s, a large sign on the window can inform about deals like 2 Big Macs for $6 or the return of the Twix McFlurry, leading customers to walk out with more than they planned.
Key Considerations for Effective POP in QSRs:
- Stay On Brand: The design should contain imagery consistent with the brand. If it’s an LTO, make sure it fits the restaurant’s identity. Promoting tacos at McDonald’s? Probably not the best idea. The branding element is crucial because customers need to recognize the QSR at a glance before they even understand the promotion.
- Keep It Simple: Whether it’s “Try our New PRODUCT” or a deal on an existing item, be concise and to the point. Additional information is only effective if you grab the customer’s full attention. Use bold, quick-read headlines and large product shots. If it’s a deal, make the monetary value prominent.
- Proper Placement: The correct placement of POP is in the name. It should be close to where customers order and pay, on the door or window as they walk in, or on a sign before they reach the order window. A sign placed after the pick-up window? Not so helpful. The POP must reach its audience before decisions are made.
Not all POP will break through. Remember the Cauliflower Sandwich from Chick-fil-A? You probably don’t. But some items create a cult following—just look at the McRib. If POP can create a sense of excitement around an item at QSRs, then it has done its job.
Matt Roettgers is an award-winning Art Director for Cincinnati-based Brandience, an advertising and marketing agency. With over two decades in the creative business, Matt has influenced the creative direction of regional and national quick service brands including Papa John’s, Tropical Smoothie Cafe and Skyline Chili, among others. Connect with Matt on Linkedin at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattroettgers/.
