Southwest Florida consumers cannot get enough pizza.
In 2012, there were just 359 local pizza restaurants. Today, however, that number has grown to 388. In 2019, these establishments racked up $182,473,484 in total sales.
Fifty-nine percent of pizza sales in the Fort Myers-Naples area are rung-up by one of the top-50 chains like Domino's or Pizza Hut. The remaining 41% of revenue is controlled by independent, small business owners.
To compete for a larger share of the pizza pie in SWFL requires local restaurant owners to bring in new customers. A proven way to accomplish this is with advertising.
The US Small Business Administration recommends that every Fort Myers area small business advertise consistently.
“Think you have a great product?” asks the SBA. “Unfortunately, no one’s going to know about it unless you advertise.” The SBA goes on to say, “Advertising, if done correctly, can do wonders for your product sales, and you know what that means: more revenue and more success for your business."
According to a study by Nielsen, the single most important media consideration for increasing sales is reaching the most consumers possible. By any metric, local radio is the best way to do this.
During the past 30 days, for instance, close to 303,000 adults patronized an SWFL pizza restaurant. This includes dine-in, take-out, and delivery.
Just over 89% of these pizza purchasers tuned-in to a Fort Myers radio station last week. This is significantly more than watched local TV, read a newspaper, visited a social media site like Facebook and Instagram, or streamed audio from Pandora and Spotify.
Almost 1/3 of all the local pizza restaurant usage was among 18-34-year-olds or, as marketers call them, millennials.
Despite millennials' proclivity for all things digital, Fort Myers radio has the most substantial reach among that generation.
For local pizza restaurant owners, the best people to reach are those consumers, of any age, who dine-out frequently. Of all advertising media, Fort Myers radio is dominant among those who patronize restaurants on a regular basis.
In addition to reach, the other key advertising component that drives sales is what the commercials say.
According to PMQ, a trade magazine for the pizza restaurant industry, the following points should be illustrated in advertising copy:
- Locally sourced food
- Gluten-free and non-allergenic options
- Easy ways to order
- Fast and reliable delivery
- Excellent service
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