When you have a top social media page but your brand is sucking wind
For the Cheesecake Factory comparable restaurant sales decreased 7.1% in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2008 from the fourth quarter of the prior year. By concept, comparable restaurant sales decreased 7.0% and 8.1% at The Cheesecake Factory and Grand Lux Cafe, respectively, in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2008 from the fourth quarter of the prior year so naturally a top Facebook page is going to change that (NOT!) More recently comparable restaurant sales decreased 3.2% in the second quarter of fiscal 2009 from the second quarter of the prior year. By concept, comparable restaurant sales decreased 3.0% and 5.4% at The Cheesecake Factory in the second quarter of fiscal 2009 from the second quarter of the prior year. That resulted in CEO double talk “We continue to focus on ways to better align our operations with current sales volumes and identified a second round of cost management initiatives that we are already rolling out. Ultimately, these efforts should aid in our goal of rebuilding margins back toward historical levels over time."
Then there is Starbucks who continues to look for a
brand strategy as more and more people flock to
Duncan and Mc D’s for their morning coffee.
“Excellent execution throughout our organization
contributed significantly to our performance this
quarter,” commented Troy Alstead, executive vice
president and cfo. “Our store partners have
embraced the cost disciplines and efficiency
initiatives that are enabling us to expand our
operating margin. In doing this, they have also
delivered increased service speed, measurably
improved customer service, customer satisfaction,
and an overall enhanced Starbucks Experience.”
Consolidated company revenues for Q309 were $2.4
billion, compared to $2.6 billion in Q308. The
sales decline resulted primarily from a five
percent decline in comparable store sales. Yeah
their Facebook page is working !
Finally their is Levi’s who reported its fiscal
first-quarter earnings fell by half as the stronger
dollar hurt revenue and margins suffered amid
markdowns. Levi, which saw its sales peak in the
mid-1990s, missed the mark on the premium-denim
trend in recent years. In response, the company has
vowed to become more competitive and responsive to
fashion trends. Another brand in decline...
Social media pages and a following are no measure
of success in business. Having a page with millions
of followers means nothing if your business
performance is suffering. This to me shows what
happens when you jump in the water without know how
cold the water can be...