So your customer reads an edgy, funny message that draws him or her to your restaurant. They’re expecting something fun and maybe even a little hip. Instead, they experience the same thing they get in every other mom and pop burger joint. They go home disappointed and probably not very enthusiastic about coming back.

The most successful marketing campaign has complete harmony between the image that’s projected and the one your customer actually experiences in your restaurant. Luckily for you, this is precisely why you have an advantage over the big chains in your area: you can make your restaurant’s culture unique and inviting in a way chains simply can’t. They’re shooting for the lowest common denominator. You can offer so much more.

Of course, creating a culture your customer will find enticing takes some real effort. You have to hire staff that buy into the culture you want to create. You have to train that staff. You have to create and design a menu. And you have to tie all that in to your marketing campaign.

The good news is that if you can build a successful image and get your customers to buy into that image through a smart marketing campaign, you’ll be able to beat the pants off your local chain restaurant. In the end, people value unique brands that have a clear identity. Your ability to create that identity is the key to your success.