Online Content Is Essential In Increasing Visits To Pubs, Bars & Restaurants In NZ

Over half of New Zealand On Premise consumers use online platforms to decide which venues to visit for food-led occasions, and nearly a quarter for drink-led visits, according to new CGA by NielsenIQ research. With technology becoming increasingly ubiquitous in the On Premise, how can venues and drinks brands alike ensure they can drive footfall and engagement with consumers?

In their latest research, CGA by NielsenIQ surveyed 500 consumers across New Zealand who had visited pubs, bars and restaurants over the last three months to identify their past and planned visitation, their motivations and intentions, and also how they interact with a venue’s online presence – and how consumer advocacy can shape those interactions.

The research revealed that the proportion of consumers visiting the On Premise has remained steady over the past month, with a slight rise in the number of those visiting for drink-led occasions – which has grown over the last two months. Frequency of visit has improved versus the previous month, with 43% of consumers visiting the On Premise on a weekly basis.

However, there is some polarisation across frequency of visitation, with those who typically visit the channel a lot going out more than usual, particularly for food-led occasions which have led to categories like Wine seeing a boost. Conversely, those consumers who tend to visit less often are reducing their frequency to a greater extent – and limiting both spend and drink consumption on the few occasions they do visit the channel.

Cost of living continues to be a concern for the wider population with 2 in 5 consumers in New Zealand changing their On Premise behaviour in some way over the last month as a result of cost increases, far out-pacing concerns around COVID-19 as a factor for changing their habits.

Looking ahead to opportunities, and it’s clear that technology and online platforms play a crucial role in the planning stage for On Premise visits for many New Zealand consumers, with 51% using online platforms to plan food-led visits and 23% using them for drink-led occasion planning. Typically, consumers are using search engines to source content related to venues, food and drink – with social media attracting less traffic but still important for driving wider visibility of content.

79% of New Zealand On Premise consumers would be likely to visit a venue they discovered online, while over two-thirds are likely to order food that they saw posted online. That is not to ignore the impact of online content on drink orders. Over half of consumers are also likely to order a drink that they saw posted online – with both a hospitality venue’s content and a local food/drinks blog driving interest.

New Zealand consumers aren’t just looking for recommendations for drinks and food – they also rely on online content to shape their experiences at home, with 48% of On Premise consumers viewing online drinks-making tutorials. However, after viewing these online posts, 34% bought the same drink when out in the On Premise and 36% felt encouraged to go out to a hospitality venue.

James Phillips, Director of Client Solutions: ANZ, said: “The theatre of food occasions is a key driving force for online interaction with the On Premise. Both operators and suppliers can capitalise on this with their digital strategies around food offerings. Firstly, suppliers should consider the role of drinks as complementary to food-led occasions to increase engagement with their brands. Secondly, drinks brands can learn from how food is presented online to maximise engagement. Of course, we cannot ignore that cost of living increases will also have an impact on drink-led occasions. Capturing consumers’ spend for operators and suppliers will become more competitive therefore the role of enticing consumer segments who have reduced their frequency of visits or spend in the On Premise to ensure they can maintain footfall will be key.”

Click here to download the latest New Zealand On Premise Consumer Pulse - https://cgastrategy.com/new-zealand-on-premise-consumer-pulse/

To learn more about CGA by NielsenIQ’s consumer research and market measurement services across both Australia and New Zealand, please contact James Phillips at james.phillips@cgastrategy.com

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