Le Bistrot Pierre Product Mix - Research Paper Example

Marketing Mix Introduction Le Bistrot Pierre is a chain of restaurants operating to serve s with French dishes. They operate with the objective of providing innovative dishes to their customers on a daily basis. The restaurants are widely known to the customers not only for the quality of food products but also for the affordable price ranges. It is widely viewed that the Le Bistrot Pierre chain of restaurants has independency in their way of store furnishings. This is done to present the uniqueness of restaurant concept to the customers. (Le Bistrot Pierre, 2010). The paper in this context divulges to analyze the marketing mix used by the restaurant chain to promote marketing success. Le Bistrot Pierre-Product Mix The Le Bistrot Pierre restaurant chain provides a wide array of dishes to be presented to its customers. It is found that the restaurant provides a wide range of dishes on appetizers ranging from vegetable to non-vegetable dishes. For instance, the vegetable dishes consist of items like tomato preparations, onion soups and mushroom dishes. In the non-vegetarian section the restaurant in the appetizer front presents its customers with items like snail dipped in garlic butter. (Pierre’s Bistro, 2010) Le Bistrot Pierre-Price Mix The restaurant is widely known not only for its flavored dishes but also for its economical price ranges. It is observed that the restaurant provides two to three courses of lunch at highly affordable rates. The rates charged for the lunch sessions at the restaurant vary between ten to twelve pounds only making it highly attractive from the customer’s side. The customers can even order for a glass of wine before commencing on the lunch at a humble rate of fifteen pounds. (Le Bistrot Pierre, n.d.; Le Bistrot Pierre: Restaurant Views, n.d.; Le Bistrot, 2010). Le Bistrot Pierre-Place Mix In regards to its distribution parameters the restaurant chain Le Bistrot Pierre has opened up its eight unit in Harrogate, a township in Yorkshire. It is also planning to open up with its ninth arm sometime later this year. The restaurant chain Le Bistrot Pierre claims that its newly opened arm would help attract huge footfalls for the presence of a bar cum dining space. It also states that it is promoting a space for the balcony purpose also in the restaurant. The restaurant chain has other operating units spread along different key areas of United Kingdom. They include areas like Nottingham, Leicester, Derby, Leamington Spa, Stratford-upon-Avon and Sheffield. (Chomka, 2010) The restaurant outlet of Le Bistrot Pierre situated at Leamington Spa is in the center of many shopping outlets and boutiques. Moreover the restaurant arm of Le Bistrot Pierre located at Sheffield is at the center of a restaurant packed area. (Le Bistrot Pierre, 2010). Le Bistrot Pierre-Promotion Mix In terms of promotional activities the restaurant chain Le Bistrot Pierre carries on several loyalty and discount oriented programs. It is observed that the restaurant chain has a loyalty program. In the case of the loyalty program the arms of the restaurant chain puts a stamp on the loyalty card for every visit paid by the consumers to take lunch and diner. In cases where it is found that the number of stamps have crossed the ninth mark the consumers are given a free tenth dinner or lunch package. The other promotional tools used by the restaurant chain consist of rendering direct mailers to the consumers on their birthdays and special occasions. These mailers are rendered to the consumers on their joining the mailing service. The mailers consist of discounts and offers, which the customers can avail of in special moments. (Le Bistrot Pierre, n.d.). Moreover the restaurant has an option for a member’s club. The participants at the member’s club can avail of other special offers other than the birthday offer. The restaurant chain announces that it ought deliver to the members a bottle of Champagne worth thirty-three pounds for free. However it attaches a clause with it stating that the customer needs to book a table for four persons before a week of the actual birthday date. Even the restaurant chain goes in to satisfy more and more customers by rendering rose wine vouchers. They state that the customers having availed the rose wine voucher can enjoy the flavor of it in special summer evenings. Again for winter months the restaurant chain Le Bistrot Pierre offers vouchers for warmer wine through direct mailers to the customers. The customers thus in the winter season can avail the flavor of red wine which is given on a complimentary basis to the tem who had enrolled for the club membership. The club members are also encouraged to take part in contests and sweepstakes. The winners of these events are given a complimentary lunch or dinner at its branches. Moreover the Internet site of the restaurant chain Le Bistrot Pierre offers to its customers a wide range of discounts on Christmas Eve and New Year. For Christmas Eve the site is designed to present treats like tasting a wide variety of wines with one’s full family and friends. (Le Bistrot Pierre, 2010). These promotional tools used by the restaurant chain Le Bistrot Pierre through its different outlets help in creating marketing and brand hype. This turn helps in drawing large number of customers to its outlets and thereby augments the revenue earning capacity of the company. Le Bistrot Pierre-People Mix Le Bistrot Pierre has an attractive mix of talented human resource coming from different backgrounds. The Business Head of Le Bistrot chain of restaurants, Ron Moss is a highly experienced person having worked in key areas like engineering, managing of logistics in freight services and in areas like information technology and recruitment. Currently Ron Moss is found to assist a ministerial team and is the non-executive chairperson of two business houses. The Regional Manager of Bistrot Pierre, Simon owing to his talents of cooking the right dish made him rise to the position of Head Chef in a quick time span. Currently the Executive Head Chef at Bistrot Pierre, Ajay is not only responsible in sourcing the right ingredients for the quality dishes but also for the training and development of the Kitchen Team. (Le Bistrot Pierre, 2010). Le Bistrot Pierre-Process Mix The restaurant chain Le Bistrot Pierre is famous for the classy dishes and drinks served to its customers. For serving the right dish, the restaurant cooking staff takes on the responsibility in touring throughout France for choosing the right dish to be served to its elite customer base. In regards to rendering the best wine products, the restaurant boasts of being an active member of a cooperative society in sourcing the right wine. The Cooperative society acts in an independent manner in sourcing the right wine mix from old and new vine estates. (Le Bistrot Pierre, 2010). Le Bistrot Pierre-The Mix of Physical Evidence In regards to the point on physical evidence, the restaurant chain Le Bistrot Pierre encourages the practice of Mystery Diner. Herein, a bunch of mystery diners is found to make a visit every month to the restaurant outlets and rate the service parameters. The mystery diners in addition to the quality of service and restaurant ambience also give feedback on the quality of food and wine offered. The management team of the restaurant with the help of the feedback obtained moves forward to address the key areas where shortfall is observed. It is learnt that the Sheffield outlet of the Bistrot Pierre restaurant chain scored the highest in Mystery Dining held in a month. The Mystery Diner also felt highly satisfied with the way they were greeted and were provided the best possible service. They exclaim the visit to the restaurant outlet to be highly enjoying and commendable. (Le Bistrot Pierre, 2010). Use of 7 Ps and improvement in the Marketing Activities of Le Bistrot Pierre It is often felt that the use of the Seven Ps of Marketing Mix confuses the marketing managers to rightly strategies the marketing activities to achieve the desired goals. Thus, it is increasingly observed that a company must choose between the Marketing Mix in order to design an effective marketing strategy. In this regard, it is also understood that depending on the price mix, which eventually targets at lowering of prices using price penetration may be harmful to the organization. Thus, rendering of coupons and discounts must be occasional events and not become a daily practice. The first approach, which a firm can take in this respect, is in defining the customers. The firm must see that whether the customers are existing or new ones and must also try to understand their desires and emotions. Secondly, the firm must try to understand the reasons behind the customers’ attachment to their products and must try to customize the same. Finally, the task comes of retaining the customers. In that the firm should look into evolving methods through the right marketing mix in single or in combination to augment the customer loyalty. (Smith & Hiam, 2009) However, marketing a restaurant service becomes troublesome for the existence of the people mix. It is often found that the quality of service offerings if asked to be rated by individual customers would result to diversified results. This is because of the perception factor. Different people share different perceptions in regards to the service offerings in restaurants and hotels. Some identify the service offerings to be of the best quality while to some it does not mean much. The people elements in restaurants exist for the interaction between the service providers with the customers or interaction between different customers. The restaurants can also set the price mix depending on the level of customer entries. In peak, times of the week the rates can made higher to gain the maximum while in normal days the rates can be lowered to gain in the maximum footfalls. (Curtis, 2007. pp. 63-64). In regards to the above discussion, it is found that the restaurant caters to the customers by providing quality French dishes with a comfortable ambience for customers to relax upon. Moreover, the customers feel a sense of attachment to the restaurant owing not only to the quality of service offerings but also for the economical price ranges of its food products. The restaurant has also rightly used the Place mix of the Seven Marketing Mix to draw in huge crowds. It is found that the restaurants being placed in vicinity to market areas with traditional interior decorations help drawing in huge crowds. Bistrot Pierre has also occasional price discounts, coupons and vouchers rendered to the customers depending on some special events like evening parties or Christmas Eves. It also draws huge customer attention for having special dishes made for their children. This also taps the customer emotions. Finally, the restaurants using the mix of Physical Evidence counter the effect of varying customer perceptions. The concept of Mystery Diners being introduced helps the restaurant outlets to become conscious in regards to the shortfalls in their service offerings. In turn the restaurant adapts rightly to the suggestions offered by the Mystery Diners in setting high standards in their service quality. (Le Bistrot Pierre, 2010). Conclusion Le Bistrot Pierre is a restaurant chain located in United Kingdom, which caters to the regional customer base through eight different outlets. The restaurant chain earns due popularity for focusing on the French tradition with bygone styles given to its interiors. Moreover, the different outlets of the restaurant chain attract customer eyes for being independent in their architectural and design styles. However, the quality of food and the level of service offered to the customers stand the same for the different outlets. The restaurant chain earns its name not only for the production of flavored French dishes but also in providing the customers the dishes at affordable prices. The restaurant arm conducts programs of discounts and other offers to create customer hype in its outlets. In that the customers arte also encouraged forming a club for them in which they register for the mailing service. Through the mailing service several occasional offers are dispatched to the customers, which augments brand equity of the restaurant company. Its avid locations with interior designs further create the accurate atmosphere for dining purposes. References 1. Le Bistrot Pierre. (2010). Available at: http://www.lebistrotpierre.co.uk/ (accessed on November 8, 2010) 2. Pierres Bistro. (2010). Available at: www.opentable.com. (Accessed on November 8, 2010) 3. Le Bistrot Pierre. (n.d.). Available at: www.dooyoo.co.uk (Accessed on November 8, 2010) 4. “Le Bistrot”, (2010). hungrygowhere.com. Retrieved on November 8, 2010 from: www.hungrygowhere.com 5. “Le Bistrot Pierre: Restaurant Views”, (n.d.) tripadvisor.com. Retrieved on November 8, 2010 from: www.tripadvisor.com 6. Chomka, S. (2010). Le Bistrot Pierre grows to eight sites. Retrieved on November 8, 2010 from: www.bighospitalituy.co.uk. 7. Smith, C. & A. Hiam. (2009). Marketing for Dummies. Wiley-IEEE 8. Curtis, T. (2007). Marketing in Practice, 2007-08. Butterworth-Heinemann Read More