Aroma luring customers: Gyukaku

During these times of economic strife, many businesses have tightened their belts to cut expenses in order to sustain operation.  Often times, one of the first areas to be cut is the marketing and advertising budget.  It’s ironic that this is one of the first things to go since people need to be notified about a product or service before they will actually go out and buy it.  But understandably there is a high price tag when it comes to advertising through traditional mediums, so with smaller marketing budgets many companies are forced to get creative with their approach to advertising.

One such company that has taken matters into their own hands is Gyukaku.  Gyukaku is a popular Yakiniku (Japanese style indoor BBQ) restaurant.  There are over 600 locations in 5 countries including Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong and the United States.

A few months ago in Hawaii, Gyukaku renovated the front entrance to their Waikiki branch.  They constructed a large window where flavorful Yakiniku aroma would vent and entice passerbyers.  Even those who have never heard of Gyukaku let alone exposed to their advertisements, could not help notice the enticing fragrance that the cooking food gave off.

Gyukaku could have spent their money on a print ad that may have had a shelf life of 3-4 weeks…but instead they got creative with their budget and built a large window where people could actually smell the aroma of the product.  The scent is something that no advertisement could convey and as long as there is food cooking in the restaurant, there is no “shelf life.”  People often pick up a menu at a restaurant and see pictures of food and think “wow that looks good,” but in this case…it is the sense of smell that lures customers and tickles their hunger.