Principles of Management, Case Study Example

Introduction

The development of the Show Me’s business model and marketing campaign must address the importance of specific criteria that will allow the business to gain notoriety in the Bloomington area and beyond. The concept of the business has been established as successful in its earlier versions; however, a fresh twist on an older idea must be considered as a means of enabling the business to grow and thrive with its new model. In spite of resistance from the Bloomington community, Show Me’s is destined for greatness and will attract a loyal clientele if it meets several key criteria, including high quality food and customer service at competitive prices, as well as a fun and exciting atmosphere in which to eat and socialize with friends.

Body

The success of the Show Me’s franchise is contingent upon its ability to distinguish itself from Hooters, its most formidable competitor. Therefore, the organization must represent itself effectively in a community that is already resistant to its entrance. The business must be effective in its pricing strategy, its approach to social media, and its ability to generate sales growth in its new and existing locations. Perhaps the most efficient means of developing the appropriate marketing strategy is to recognize the importance of product placement and promotion for the business so that it achieves the desired level of success, in spite of the competition. It is important for Show Me’s to be recognized for its value and the quality of its food and customer service. The company cannot fall into the same path as Hooters and must demonstrate its ability to be successful and respectable at the same time.

Show Me’s must represent its overarching adult sexual themes in the appropriate manner by advertising and promoting the business without going “too far” in its efforts (Nao Media & Consulting). The company must distinguish itself by making the quality of the food its key priority rather than its sexual overtones (Nao Media & Consulting). The company should perhaps consider a greater gender balance within each location so that women are not the primary focus in terms of employment. In other words, perhaps a larger number of males should be employed at the organization in order to demonstrate fairness in its hiring practices. Furthermore, the organization should consider the role of uniforms in attracting a diverse clientele. Therefore, uniforms should be slightly provocative but generally tasteful and appropriate in terms of length, style, and size. The organization should consider the natural role of sexual themes, but it should also demonstrate the importance of providing cross-promotion as part of a larger advertising strategy for the business.

The business model must also reflect the primary goal of the business, to serve as an entertainment establishment that supports its clientele with great food and great service. The theme of the restaurant should tease its provocative nature, but should not go too far as to cross a line into a cheap and tacky approach. This strategy should be aligned with the ability of the organization to be effective in communicating its approach without falling into a trap of poor decisions. The organization should take advice from its competitor Hooters, who recently initiated a makeover of the business in order to reduce any potential stigma that might transpire if the restaurant theme is inappropriate (Popelka). From this perspective, it is ethically responsible for the organization and its people to market its focus to a larger audience that will find the concept to be interesting but also a good value for the money spent.

Finally, the business must be truthful and forthright with its strategy and must demonstrate its willingness to accommodate clients to achieve a strong reputation (Sanburn). These efforts are instrumental in supporting the expansion of the organization and in achieving viable sales results. It is important for the organization to market itself properly and to convey its primary objectives in its advertising strategy. One attractive quality for clients would be to provide regular meal discounts for such groups as veterans, as well as Prix Fixe menus that include an appetizer, entrée, and dessert. Each of these alternatives might be useful to the organization as it expands its business model into new territories. These contributions are likely to be effective in developing favorable sales results and foot traffic for the restaurant.

Conclusion

Show Me’s must explore a hybrid business model in order to accomplish the objectives sought for future expansion and sales. The organization must evolve and develop a framework that teases a provocative approach, but does not cross any lines. This strategy is likely to ensure that the organization is utilizing a creative concept, but that its true focus is on the food that is served. These elements will demonstrate that the business is on the appropriate path to success that does not include an overtly sexual theme because this may be a turnoff rather than an attractive commodity for the organization. In addition, the restaurant management team must emphasize providing high quality and flavorful food first and foremost and develop less focus on the theme and décor of the restaurants. If a restaurant has memorable food, it is likely to be visited by many of its guests over and over again. This bodes well for the organization’s long-term success and achievement in Bloomington and beyond.

Works Cited

Nao Media & Consulting. “’Sex sells’ branding: what’s tasteful and what’s too far? 2 December 2013: http://naoisnow.com/sex-sells-branding/

Popelka, Larry. “More companies need a Hooters makeover.” Bloomberg Businessweek, 2 December 2013: http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-05-02/more-companies-need-a-hooters-makeover

Sanburn, Josh. “Hooters’ big experiment: new menu, new décor and a new target audience.” Time, 2 December 2013: http://business.time.com/2012/08/02/hooters-big-experiment-new-menu-new-decor-and-a-new-target-audience/