BENEFITS OF MARKETING YOUR PROGRAM
Engagement in cafeterias is key to a successful program. Sprucing up the menu or doing taste tests are classic ideas, but have you thought about marketing your program more? Knowing all of the great results that can come from effectively marketing your program can motivate you and help you better outline your overall strategy and get the results you’ve always wanted.
Marketing your program is about creating awareness and highlighting your value to the end-user. It builds a connection between your program and your students. In part one of this blog, we provide several ways that you can market your meals. But here’s why you should do it:
More Marketing = More Engagement = More Reimbursements
Marketing your program encourages students to head through your lunch line, and you can get money back for every meal purchased. You earn more money per meal the less a student is required to pay. (In other words, free meals put more money back in your pocket.) Marketing your program not only gets more students in the line but it gets more parents to apply for benefits, leading to more free meals being “purchased”.
Boosts Your Relationship With Parents and Community Members
According to this awesome article from the SNA COVID-19 coverage, Liz Roesel with SEA Level Social “agrees that marketing efforts can go a long way to make parents feel safe and welcome.” Marketing reminds everyone that your program:
- Reduces Food Insecurity In Your Community
- Improves Your District’s Academic Scores
- Prevents Childhood Obesity
Parents are making purchasing decisions based on brand values, and by showing that you value the above bullet points, you gain their trust and their support.
Influences Children and Adults to Make Healthier Choices
With everyone boosting their marketing initiatives these days, it’s easy for people to be encouraged to make the wrong choices for our everyday diet. Between the soda, chips, and candy ads – it’s difficult to think about the healthier options out there. When you promote your program, you remind everyone that healthier options are always available and that you can provide them at a reasonable cost.
At the end of the day, no matter how you decide to it, what matters is that you market your program to the best of your abilities so you and community members reap the rewards. Click here to learn how you can market your program and have fun doing it!
