Among the 33 categories in the Ace Metrix BLACKBOOK, Casual Dining had the highest average Ace Score in 2013, moving ahead of 2012’s leader, Appliances, to secure the #1 position. Casual Dining has always been—and always will be—one of the highest scoring categories in our database, thanks to the category’s broad demographic appeal and its knack for making its audience hungry with a potent mix of visuals and voiceovers.
This consistent, and effective, creative strategy serves most Casual Dining brands quite well. In fact, among the 15 brands that have aired at least 10 unique ads since the beginning of 2013, seven of them have an average Ace Score in excess of 600. This is a notable achievement, considering that just 10% of all ads break 600 across the entire database. TGI Fridays has the highest average Ace Score over the past 14 months (629), beating out 2013 Brand of the Year winner LongHorn Steakhouse, which ranks #2. Brands that have lower average scores, including Buffalo Wild Wings and Dave & Buster’s, tend to be those that have narrower target audiences, e.g., sports enthusiasts or young males. We also note that there’s a relationship between brand reach (i.e., number of restaurant units) and Ace Score, whereby brands with broader reach, like IHOP and Olive Garden, tend to achieve higher Ace Scores than smaller chains like Golden Corral and Red Robin. This is a function of higher Relevance scores for the bigger brands, coupled with the tendency of current users of a brand to score those ads higher than non-users or those who are unfamiliar with a brand.
Casual Dining is adept at delivering effective 15-second ads. In 2013, the average Ace Score gap between a Casual Dining 0:15 ad and a Casual Dining 0:30 ad was just six points, the fifth-lowest gap among all BLACKBOOK categories. Casual Dining’s knack for creating effective short-form ads is a reflection of high Desire and Likeability scores, which can be triggered after just a quick glimpse at the food items presented in these ads. Other categories with this characteristic tend to be those in the food and beverage industries, including QSR, Non-Alcoholic Beverages, and Candies & Snacks. The multi-year trend of ad mix by duration suggests that Casual Dining brands are increasingly taking advantage of this phenomenon. In 2013, some 63% of all Casual Dining ads were 0:15 spots, up from 43% in 2010.
The 2014 edition of the BLACKBOOK is hot off the presses. We’ll continue to offer quick category snapshots in our Creative Rules blog. For more information on the BLACKBOOK, including the opportunity for a customized category overview, visit our BLACKBOOK registration page.
