Gourmet Garden

BRANDING is more than just advertisements and adopting new communication solutions to grow ones business. It involves delivering the promised that was made in ones message or concept that it will provide.  The failure to do so interprets into a loss of confidence and loss of loyalty to ones brand and ultimately the product or service.

One of the new communication solutions (media) and fast in growing acceptance are blogs. Blogs used to be the online diary of an individual, but recent years have shown us the commercial and political value that it can bring to businesses and politicians. Blogs and other social media was one of the reasons that created a political tsunami during the last General Election on March 8^th 2008, where the opposition coalition got control of three states on the Malaysia Peninsular, namely Penang, Perak and Selangor.

Being a consultant in the Marketing field and a steadfast food blogger it gives us a different prospective when it comes to writing our experience on invited reviews and also on our casual dine-outs. Many restaurants and even hotels are resorting to inviting food and lifestyle bloggers to experience their hospitality and their “products” for free and in return have the blog owners write about their feedback and create an awareness of their brand name and products. Utilising blogs you enjoy:

• Low investment required,
• Targeted  advertising or promotion effort,
• A more persuasive selling of the brand and its message,
• Longer message life cycle,

But is it really effective? It will be if all the comments carry a positive note of their experience to promote the brand and product. But then it would also rely on the reputation of the bloggers to convince the audience. Reputation in the sense that they show consistency of fair and impartial reporting or comments and an acquired skill and pallet that provides them some authority over their readers or audience. In others words they may be call critics, but popular ‘celebrity’ bloggers do also contribute to the promotional effort as it brings with them the visitor traffic (figures) that follows their blogs as a guide to places of interest.

Whether it is serious food critic bloggers or celebrity food bloggers, the main thing is to get all the basics in running a restaurant in order before inviting bloggers to review and promote the business. Any prematurely planned events will not be in favour of the brand name, in fact it would be detrimental to the branding or promotional effort and also to the reputation of the bloggers. Inevitably the public would, for themselves, experience what the restaurants or business can offer and would form their own judgement.

Would You Trust Reviews of Our Local Bloggers?

Do let us know your experience and trust level of blogs that you follow or know off!

The following is the list of invited review that we have attended:

1. Miss Saigon at E-Gate, Penang. Closed down late 2009.
2. Young Heart at Cantonment Road, Penang. Has become our first client for our Marketing & Restaurant Consultation client.
3. Haven Delights at Penang Times Square. Their menu has changed through time.
4. Ko-Fu-Loft at Gurney Plaza, Penang. They have closed down since early March 2010.
5. 113 Cafe at Tanjung Tokong, Penang. Consistency would need to be look at, otherwise a place that we would return for their specialties.
6. Ivy’s Kitchen at Jalan Chow Thye, Off Burmah Road. A place that we would return for their home cook dishes.
7. Who’s Bryan at Lorong Teras Jaya 2 in Raja Uda, Butterworth Penang. We have not been back there ever since due to expected consequences.
8. Pearl Palace at Setia Pearl Island Country Club, Sungai Ara Penang. A place that we visit when I am at my in laws.
9. Kang Beef House at Jelutong Penang. Would be back for the noodles.

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