3. Uncovering new demand.
The ability to aggregate and analyze data about consumers’ eating and ordering patterns can also help you create new ways to package existing menu items, target and promote new eating occasions, and uncover unmet demand.
At the onset of the pandemic, Chipotle Mexican Grill leaned on social media analytics to learn the new needs and wants of its customers. Armed with data insights, the fast-casual burrito chain was able to identify patterns in its social data, and pivoted its advertising to focus on free delivery and employee safety. “We tracked the shift in customer behavior very closely and quickly developed programs that would cater to the consumer mindset,” Chipotle’s Chief Marketing Officer Chris Brandt told Forbes in March 2021.