01 Feb Rosario’s 2023 Annual Case Study
About Rosario’s
Situated in the bustling heart of San Antonio near Southtown, Rosario’s, an award-winning Mexican restaurant locally owned and operated by Lisa Wong, has become a standout destination for both locals and tourists. Renowned for its innovative menu that blends traditional south-of-the-border dishes with contemporary twists on authentic house specialties, Rosario’s consistently earns the title of “Best Mexican Restaurant” in San Antonio, as recognized by local food critics. The restaurant’s recent move to its custom-built forever home, which opened in February 2023, further solidifies its status as a culinary gem. The new space features a rooftop lounge hosting DJs every weekend, along with exciting events like a New Year’s Eve Rooftop Party & Eclipse Viewing Parties, enhancing Rosario’s reputation as a dynamic and beloved fixture in the San Antonio dining scene.
Rosario’s ComidaMex & Bar
722 S St Mary’s Street
San Antonio, TX
(210) 223-1806
www.rosariossa.com
Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok
Project
In December 2020, Rosario’s reached out to Embark Marketing amidst the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, seeking guidance in navigating the reopening of their business in a post-pandemic economy. Their objectives extended to revitalizing their digital presence and formulating a strategy for heightened brand awareness. Following initial discussions with the client, it was agreed that adopting an integrated communications approach would prove advantageous. This encompassed the development and execution of strategies, content creation, social media management, advertising, public relations, and email marketing. Since that initial engagement, our collaboration has endured, and we have consistently delivered these comprehensive services to support and enhance Rosario’s business endeavors.
While we have been working with Rosario’s for several years now, for this case study specifically, we will be looking at the annual success of Rosario’s marketing strategy from January 2023 – December 2023.
Strategy
To rejuvenate the brand’s social media presence, we recognized the significance of delineating the brand’s visual identity, voice, tone, and overall ambiance. Subsequently, we placed significant emphasis on the creation of fresh and engaging content, employing professional photography and videography that integrates seamlessly with the brand’s established identity. Additionally, we executed a digital advertising strategy on Facebook and Instagram to bolster brand awareness and promote special events.
Social Media Management
Strategy
To redefine the social media presence of the restaurant, Embark Marketing directed its efforts toward two prominent platforms: Facebook and Instagram. The selection of these platforms was strategic, aiming to effectively engage the desired local audience in the Alamo City while concurrently elevating awareness among both regular patrons and incoming tourists. A crucial element of this initiative included defining the visual identity and unique voice of the brand. This endeavor prioritized the creation of fresh and compelling content, achieved through the integration of professional-grade photography and videography. Moreover, a digital advertising strategy was implemented across all social media platforms. This strategic approach was designed not only to foster brand awareness but also to actively promote various events hosted by the restaurant.
Content Creation
As the landscape of social media evolves and internal research indicates, Embark Marketing decided to leverage a combination of photo and video content that aligns most effectively with promoting the ambiance and cuisine. Additionally, the growth of the accounts was significantly influenced by events hosted by Rosario’s, including DJs, a Tequila Pairing Dinner in partnership with Patron, Day of the Dead Art Exhibits, and more.
Social Media
Situated in the heart of Southtown, the cherished San Antonio restaurant draws a diverse crowd of both younger and older patrons. The primary objective of Embark Marketing was to enhance engagement and expand the follower base across all social platforms.
Between January 2023 and December 2023, the number of Instagram followers surged by 7,274 users, marking a remarkable 501.2% increase compared to the previous year. The level of engagement witnessed a substantial rise, reaching 40,817, reflecting a 120.9% increase from the preceding year. Impressions also experienced significant growth, reaching 1,907,583 and marking a substantial 136.3% increase from the previous year.
What does this mean? With the increase in followers on Instagram, evidence shows that the business continued to gain support from tourists & local patrons as we continued to provide engaging content with the increase in posting frequency.
Over the past year, Rosario’s Facebook page grew by 5,563 likes. What does this mean? The growth of followers on Instagram has played a pivotal role in Rosario’s expansion, indicating loyalty from both existing and new patrons. Users actively engage with the regularly posted content, contributing to an overall enhancement in the business’s performance.
X (Formerly known as, Twitter)
While we did not put a focus on X, we did organically post to the platform when posting to other platforms for SEO purposes. In the last year, Rosario’s Twitter followers increased by 38 followers.
TIKTOK
With the rise of TikTok’s popularity, it encouraged us to create an account for the brand. Embark Marketing posted frequently 1-2 times per week based on video content developed. Rosario’s has increased in followers by 224 users with 1,207 likes. On average each video receives over 400 views. Below you can see which posts performed the best.
Reputation Management
Within the food and beverage industry, maintaining a brand’s digital presence on review platforms such as Yelp, Google for Business, and Facebook is essential. More than 94% of restaurant patrons conduct online research by consulting restaurant reviews before finalizing their purchase decisions. This factor significantly influences a brand’s SEO ranking.
Situated prominently in the heart of the Alamo City, Rosario’s receives daily reviews due to its central location. Embark Marketing proactively addresses both positive and negative feedback promptly, aiming to uphold a positive customer sentiment online. As of January 2024, the establishment boasts a favorable reputation, holding a 4.4-star rating on Google, 3.8 stars on Yelp, and a 4.1 rating on Facebook.
Public Relations
Based on Rosario’s goals, we saw a local public relations strategy as an opportunity to increase traffic to the San Antonio staple, highlight the restaurant’s events + promotions & increase awareness of their new location as it opened in February 2023.
A primary objective for Rosario’s was to attract patrons to their new permanent location through various special events and promotions held throughout the year. Collaboratively, we conceptualized and executed diverse event campaigns, including the introduction of their NEW Happy Hour, the Grand Opening, hosting Private Events, collaboration with PepsiCo for its Jefa-Owned campaign, launch of their Rooftop Lounge and more. For each of these occasions, we distributed press releases to local news media outlets across the San Antonio region, yielding coverage in over 10 articles and news segments featured in 7 publications.
Email Marketing
The client persistently advances their email database, boasting more than 21,000 contacts. We formulated and implemented an email marketing plan, sending out a monthly email featuring details on upcoming promotions, specials, and/or events. This method allowed Rosario’s to sustain lively interaction with interested customers, inviting them to partake in restaurant activities and enjoy some delicious food.
Furthermore, we proactively prompted additional customers to enroll in the email list via focused social media campaigns & on-site. During the execution of this approach, we observed substantial expansion in Rosario’s email database. Consequently, there was a noteworthy rise in both subscriber count and in-store sales, generating over $9,113 solely from the email campaigns.
Conclusion
In one year, Embark Marketing was able to generate awareness resulting in thousands of dollars in extra revenue for this well-established San Antonio brand. Through several mentions in local news publications, email marketing, social media campaigns, and reputation management Rosario’s has maintained its domination as one of the top Mexican food destinations in the Alamo City.
Are you a restaurant owner or chef interested in getting more buzz around your food and beverage business? Contact us today for a free consultation!