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Top 100: Technologies – social media analytics

Social media analytics is number two on our list of the 2014 Fast Casual Top 100 Movers and Shakers: Technologies.

December 9, 2014

Social media analytics is number two on our list of the 2014 Fast Casual Top 100 Movers and Shakers: Technologies. 

Tracking customer analytics via social media is helping fast casual operators target their customers. Although a variety of high-tech platforms is on the market to measure customer feedback when it comes to food quality, wait times, menu selection, pricing and overall experience, one that is resonating well with fast casual customers is newBrandAnalytics. It recently partnered with Five Guys Burgers & Fries to help the chain quickly detect customer service problems and quantify customer requests, according to the company.

The platform not only allows Five Guys to monitor social media chatter to help the company implement operational changes and improve engagement with customers, it can leverage the technology to gauge interest in potential new menu items.

For example, when Five Guys recently considered introducing a smaller french fry order based on some customer requests, the company was not sure if demand was widespread enough to provide ROI. According to Five Guys public relations official Molly Catalano, Five Guys employed nBA's technology to monitor social media commentary and determine the demand for a smaller french fry option.

"With nBA's insight, we could see that the desire for a smaller fry was spread widely across many markets and demographics, so we decided to test what we called the 'Little Fry' in a variety of markets," said Catalano. "The test went really well in all the target markets and, as a result, we rolled out the 'Little Fry' systemwide. The feedback loop continues through social media and we have actually gotten almost nothing but positive feedback from our customers. They are so happy that we listened and that we're offering the Little Fry now, which truly feels like a big win for us."