Consumer Marketing News, Views, and Reviews: August 2022

Welcome back to our monthly news roundup for franchise consumer marketers. Whether Covid is finally behind us or a late summer surge awaits, the changes it brought are here to stay and businesses will be adjusting for years to come. If you have news items, trends, reports, or studies you think will be useful to CMOs and our other franchise consumer marketing readers looking to navigate the new future, please forward them our way! And now, the news…

…ON THE TECH SIDE

Teens 13–17 Have Abandoned Facebook (Pew Study)

BeReal Photo-Sharing Platform Called Gen Z’s New Favorite “Anti” Social Media App

3 Ways Your Digital Experience is Lacking – and How To Fix It

What’s Next in Drive-Thru Tech

Chick-fil-A Tests Delivery Robots in California, Texas, and Florida 

Capriotti’s Pilot Tests Pizza-Making Robots from Piestro Pod

Hyphen’s Automated Restaurant Robotics Makeline Gets Chipotle Funding

Bellabot Robot Cat Server Now Helping Customers At Restaurants Across New York City

Hubspot Study: The Best Hours for Sending Marketing Emails

Google Delays Third-Party Cookie Demise Again, This Time to 2024

…IN THE MARKETS

California’s AB 257 (FAST Recovery Act) Threatens Fast Food Restaurants

SBA To Distribute Remaining $180 Million Revitalization Money to Restaurants

Restaurant Meals Become a Relative Bargain as Grocery Prices Soar

Jack In The Box Hikes Menu Prices 9.7% To Counter Slowdown, Inflation

New “Dunkin’ Rewards” Program Coming to California Before National Launch

Germany’s Plant-Based Fast Food Is Years Ahead of the US

Isle of Wight Restaurant Ditches Plant-Based Dishes Citing “Holier Than Thou” Vegans

Off-Premises Operator Kitchen United Raises $100 Million

Ghost Financial Will Provide Up to $100M to Cruising Kitchens Until 2025

Wendy’s Scales Back Ghost Kitchen Expansion Plans with Reef Kitchens

TGI Fridays To Expand Use of C3 Virtual Brands After Successful Test

How On the Border Modernized Its Menu and Technology at 40

How NSFW Tweets Plug into RadioShack’s New Marketing Strategy

How Americans Are Dining Out Now (Infographic)

Mid-2022 Lessons on Retail, Dining, and Fitness Foot Traffic

Coffee Visits Down as Inflation Curbs Discretionary Spending

McDonald’s and Burger King To Offer Free Food Giveaways in New UK Rewards Scheme

Another Bubble Tea Brand, TeaCupfuls, Launches Franchise Sales

3 Moves To Ensure You Have a Healthy Work Culture

How Goodcents Enhanced Off-Premises Business Through Grab-and-Go

Applebee’s Promos Its Wing-Flavored Lip Gloss in “Taste My Face” Campaign

Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux Finds Post-Covid Success in Smaller Spaces

Taco Bell’s Mexican Pizza To Permanently Return on September 15

Wyndham Plans To Boost Black Hotel Ownership