Review of Literature
Researching Happy Hours, Cheap Food, And Cheap Drinks To Attract A Younger Audience To The Bulldog
Our team wanted to find out how to bring in younger clientele to The Bulldog Bar and Lounge. To do this, we researched different methods that work with younger clients for bar marketing. One method that we researched was from Gruth, Robert A. His approach to attracting younger customers is to use cheap food and cheap drinks. “While high-end restaurants like Aqua and Bacar have recently shut, new eateries and bars are popping up that exploit the downturn's benefits--such as cheaper rents, plentiful workers, lower wine costs--and cater to a clientele that is spending less money but is still going out. (Guth, 2020)” Another individual who had opened up a bar agrees that cheap food and drinks can do wonders in attracting young customers. Hughes, C . J also explains how cheap food and drinks help profit to customers. “The continued absence of office workers and their dollars has contributed to a slowdown in business that some watering holes are trying to find ways to make up. A rescue plan is also critical because dinner traffic has dropped off as well. The solution, they say, might come in the form of $6 bottled beers. (Hughes, 2023)” In agreement both Guth and Hughes that cheap food and drinks attract young customers the most and bring in profit for the bar.
How Advertising Can Increase Sales
The Bulldog bar and lounge is currently facing a challenge in attracting a younger demographic. Our approach involved conducting research to identify effective marketing methods for reaching younger clients. One aspect of our research focused on the impact of advertising on alcohol sales among young adults. Our hypothesis was that young adults are more susceptible to the influence of advertising compared to older generations. Supporting our hypothesis, Lesley A. Smith and David R. Foxcroft conducted an experiment. Their experiment revealed "an association between exposure to alcohol advertising or promotional activity and subsequent alcohol consumption in young people.” Furthermore, the study conducted by Bronwyn Eisenhauer, Becky Freeman, and Anne C. Grunseit provided additional evidence to support our hypothesis. Their research analyzed “152 included posts” and out of those posts “92% were made by food and beverage companies that were official ‘partners’ of the Australian Open.” The posts predominantly featured foods and alcohol. The findings from their experiment indicated that “The most frequently used strategies were ‘Engagement’ (89%) and ‘Branding’ (80%) and nearly half (45%) of alcohol posts invited direct consumption of their product.” These findings collectively underscore the notion that young adults are indeed more susceptible to the influence of advertising than older generations.
Factors Influencing Young People To Consume Alcohol
Research on marketing and drinking behavior shows that young people are influenced by specific factors that will increase their likelihood to drink alcohol. In an article by Leslie Smith and David Foxcroft on the effects of digital marketing on alcohol consumption, it is said that “Participants reported seeing an average of 22.7 alcohol advertisements per month. For each additional advertisement seen, the number of drinks consumed increased by 1%” (p.7). Smith and Foxcroft claim that prior alcohol advertising and marketing exposure lead to an increase in drinking behavior in a younger population. Stephanie Scott agrees that factors like digital marketing can have a positive impact on alcohol consumption in young people as well. She says, “Strategies that focus on factors like price point, and content related to youth lifestyles face the largest positive yield” (p.3). According to Scott, alcohol use was related to aspects of self-image, economic drivers, desired consequences and the social context surrounding drinking.
How Music Influences Customers
This article talked about how to satisfy customers using different methods, but their goal is similar. Some experts use strategies like telemarketing and auditory marketing to satisfy customers. According to Hoyer & MacInnis (1997), Consumer purchase behavior is the totality of consumers' decisions concerning the acquisition, consumption, and disposition of goods, services, time, and ideas by human decision-making units over time. Darlington and Buna (2022) wrote, "Within the context of Rivers state, music has shown to influence consumers’ behavior mostly teenagers and youths and that is why most advertising promotions done on the streets and along the roadside uses loud music to attract potential customers’ attention" (pg. 116). Research has shown that incorporating music into marketing strategies can significantly enhance brand appeal and attract a more youthful customer base. Playing music that resonates with younger generations can create an emotional connection with the brand and foster a positive association.