Red Lobster 2005 Annual Report Download - page 7

It is hard to think of a more important word in the art of brand
management excellence than “consistency.” A brand that
delivers on its promise time and again builds credibility, equity
and ultimately a trusted relationship with its customers. Those
trusted brands have the potential to enjoy long-term growth
and prosperity, and, indeed, become cultural icons that endure
for generations. Realizing this potential is our goal for every
Darden brand.
Consistent delivery comes through flawless execution. At
Darden, we have long referred to this as being “brilliant with the
basics,” and it is a core operating philosophy. This seemingly
simple axiom, however, takes on entirely new meaning when it
must be executed across hundreds of restaurants by thousands
of employees. A clear brand promise helps ensure that every-
one understands exactly what’s expected – whether they are
a 20-year veteran of Red Lobster in Atlanta or a new crew
member in Seattle.
It also is critical to build restaurant operating excellence that
delivers consistency and fosters continuous improvement to
drive top- and bottom-line growth. After 37 years, Red Lobster
is still finding new and better ways to operate. Its “Simply Great”
operating discipline is designed to achieve great performance
by eliminating unnecessary complexity and variability. It helps
Red Lobster achieve best-ever guest satisfaction results on
every food, service, atmosphere and value measure we track,
while simultaneously improving restaurant operating efficiency.
This helped drive Red Lobster’s guest count trend turnaround
in fiscal 2005 and significantly boosted profit margins.
We also foster consistency by leveraging efficient new work
processes and new functional expertise developed by one
operating company across all of our restaurants. Olive Garden,
for instance, developed a highly disciplined process for creating
promotions that deliver increased guest counts and satisfaction
levels. Red Lobster recently adapted the process for its own
promotional programs. This type of best-practice sharing between
our brands enhances continuity and consistency, further enabling
us to make and keep our brand promises – each and every time.
Is A Function of Consistent Execution
Trust
Darden Restaurants 1110 Darden Restaurants
“A brand is a promise. Consumers only believe
promises when they’re kept consistently.”
– Kim Lopdrup, President
Red Lobster