Ephrem Davis
Prof. Buckler
MAR 100
14 November 2023
Upon examining the Salt Lake City restaurant scape, specifically local options for Italian food, I became aware of the importance of marketing when looking to build a consistent market exchange.
If I were to move to the city myself, I would want to find a place that is a practical distance from my home and in an excellent location if I needed to find a cheap and convenient spot to meet a friend. Since I value consistency, I’m looking for a place that meets my needs holistically, offering a fair price, a pleasant dining environment, and around-the-clock delivery service. Overall, this place would need to be worth the investment. With my needs identified, I moved out of the first step of the consumer decision-making process into my search for information.
In search of an establishment that closest mirrored my consumer needs, I headed to Google Maps and sifted through the large array of Italian restaurants that call Salt Lake City their home. I could see their locations, interiors, price tags, and fellow consumer reviews here. I quickly cut down my choices using this platform and compared my primary selections.
The site quickly drew my eye to establishments beside Pioneer and Liberty Park. Restaurants like Cucina Toscana and Veneto Ristorante Itaiano had a pleasant dining environment, yet the price range for both was way out of budget. Although these places were in convenient parkside locations that most likely got a lot of foot traffic, this impacted the price dramatically. Cheaper alternatives, like Settebello and Stoneground Italian Pizza Kitchen, surrounded these businesses, earning high ratings and excellent reviews. However, the price wasn’t up to par with the delivery rate, and I felt that if I were to spend that amount, I would want to go and sit at the establishment to get the whole dining experience they were charging me for. Because of my personal preference, I curbed these options for meetings or special occasions.
What spoke to me most was more familiar names like Olive Garden due to my familiarity with their brand and word of mouth. Its distance immediately turned me off, but before I ruled it out, I switched sites to Uber Eats, furthering my search for information. Surprisingly, they were listed there for a low price and decent delivery time. Although I wouldn’t invest the time and energy into visiting the establishment, my familiarity with the brand and the price tag led me to order from them and check out the more admirable local businesses later.
Going into the situation with little to no former knowledge of the Salt Lake City restaurant scene, committing to one out of a list of many seemed daunting. While my lack of knowledge prevented me from making a quick and easy decision, marketing aided me substantially in my search. From dollar sign icons that measured the range of each dish beneath establishment rating on Google Maps to time indicators on delivery app services, I ultimately chose Olive Garden. While this was my immediate decision, I gained a short list of valuable alternatives that I could pull from on later occasions. My search led me to realize the importance of marketing, and if I had been there, this search would have been even easier with the implementation of targeted Instagram ads and word of mouth for neighbors and locals.
Although Google Maps and Uber Eats played a substantial part in my final decision, what sold it to me was the safety that a big chan provided. The comfort of seeing a familiar brand in a new city spoke to me and no doubt speaks to other like-minded consumers looking for the safest option. Due to the scale of their company, they have a reputation in states across the country, which adds immense value to the franchise and gives it a leg up juxtaposed to other local businesses.
If I were a consumer who found it critical to support local businesses above all, I may have taken a different route. My change in values could have swayed my decision, leading me to order from the independent establishments that bordered the city’s parks, and the loss of an in-person dining experience would have seemed less important. Another factor that could impact my decision-making is wealth or willingness to venture out of my home. Suppose I was looking for an outstanding and upscale dining environment. In that case, I may have visited Cucina Toscana with the comfort of a pleasant dining experience and guaranteed convenient location.
Olive Garden was the best decision for me and my present needs, and on a platform like Google Maps, it was easy for me to identify the value of each establishment, which is helpful for consumers with different needs. Upon ordering and solidifying my investment, if the food meets my preference, we will have established a consistent market exchange supplying funds to the franchise that could go towards future promotional endeavors.