Measuring the ROI of Foodservice Campaigns (Beyond Case Sales)

Beyond actual sales, a campaign is only as good as the data you collect. This data not only proves return on investment (ROI), but can also play an important role in future campaign planning. Unfortunately, in foodservice marketing, case sale information can sometimes come in months after campaigns are complete. Luckily, there are other methods for gauging success in the meantime.

Here are 3 creative ways to measure value in a foodservice marketing campaign before case sales come in:

1) Incorporate a survey into your campaign.

When planning your campaign, think about how you can incorporate real-time feedback from operators. You don’t need to create a 7-page survey and give away gift cards to anyone who completes it—it can be as simple as adding one question to a sample request form or adding a poll to your campaign landing page. Survey touchpoints throughout campaigns gather valuable data you can use in a multitude of ways. Consider questions about their menu, their biggest pain point, or what products they would like to learn more about.

2) Utilize a campaign hashtag.

Social media is becoming more and more important in foodservice marketing. Utilize a campaign hashtag to measure reach and engagement. Perhaps you can see how operators are using products, or you could require using a hashtag for entry. Hashtag tracking tools not only allow you to see the volume of hashtags that are being used, but also offer valuable insights into location, context surrounding the hashtag, platforms and more. Make sure to use a hashtag unique to your campaign that hasn’t been posted before, rather than something generic like #foodservice.

3) Get nitty-gritty about website data.

How can you go deeper than the classic three website metrics—time on site, bounce rate and pages per visit? Set up conversion tracking to see if operators complete the desired task, such as signing up for a webinar, on your landing pages. Hone in on their website experience—where are operators going next on your site? Use UX tools, like Lucky Orange, to understand the operator journey. Consider how you can bring operators closer and closer to product pages, requesting samples, or reaching out to sales reps.

While a campaign is only as good as the data you collect, data is only as valuable as your insights. When you’re waiting for those much-anticipated sales numbers to roll in, use these valuable metrics to showcase ROI and feed into future campaigns.

Ready to jump in but don’t know where to start? Contact Anita Nelson directly at 612-353-3410 or anita@infoodmktg.com to chat about how we can help boost and track your foodservice marketing successes.