Red Lobster 2005 Annual Report Download - page 5

Though brand management is sometimes thought of as more
art than science, we believe all great brands start at the same
point – with a motivating promise to deliver something specific
and unique. To be successful, that promise must meet the needs
of our guests.
This requires understanding what our guests want in both a
functional and an emotional sense. For example, from a func-
tional perspective, Olive Garden meets guests’ need for a good
meal at a good value. On a more emotional level, however, the
leader in Italian casual dining provides guests with a genuine
Italian dining experience. We believe meeting this emotional
need is critical to brand management excellence. The emotional
experience is what connects our guests to our brand and our
employees with our guests. It also is one of the key competitive
differentiators for our brands in the marketplace. And, the ability
to deliver both a functional and emotional experience forms the
basis of a strong brand promise.
The ability to make and deliver a unique and compelling brand
promise is the ultimate goal for every Darden concept. It tells
consumers why they should choose to dine in our restaurants
and what to expect when they get there. A well-defined brand
promise helps align and integrate every guest touch point, to
create an overall dining experience. These touch points repre-
sent all elements with which guests come into contact during
their visit – in essence, everything they see, hear, smell and taste,
as well as how they are made to feel.
With a well-defined brand promise, brand management
excellence becomes the ability to deliver the promise on a con-
sistent basis. For a casual dining company the size of Darden,
the challenge lies in doing so for millions of guests each week,
through thousands of employees in more than 1,380 restaurants.
This challenge can only be met through restaurant operating excel-
lence which, in turn, is guided by the brand promise. For example,
whether you’re an Olive Garden server, line cook or executive,
everyone has the same purpose: to delight guests with an ideal-
ized Italian family meal featuring fresh, simple, delicious Italian
food complemented by a glass of wine in a comfortable home-
like Italian setting, where you feel like family. If every employee
understands and commits to delivering this promise, it can be
delivered on a consistent basis. The result is the opportunity to
form trusted, lasting relationships with our guests – relationships
that ultimately personify brand management excellence. No One Else Can Make
Make A Promise
Darden Restaurants 76 Darden Restaurants
“ A brand, simply stated, is a promise to provide
something people want and can’t get anywhere else.
If you can deliver on that promise consistently, then
you have achieved excellence in brand management.”
– Drew Madsen, Chief Operating Officer
Darden Restaurants