TNS: Restaurants Struggle to Keep Dieting Customers, Despite Increased Marketing; Consistent...

ATLANTA -- Subway Leads Pack Among Restaurants That Have Increased Business Among Dieters

Restaurant chains are losing the diet crowd, says a new survey by TNS, the world's largest custom research company. According to the study, which measured food consumption of dieting Americans at

This trend demonstrates that despite recent increased advertising and marketing pushes by many chains to tout low-carb and low-fat offerings, consumers are often not buying the message. This means that restaurants must respond with changes in menu offerings and communications with their customers to remain successful.

However, not all restaurants are failing to meet the needs of dieters. In fact, Subway led the pack among all restaurants that had increased business among dieters. The popular sandwich chain was also the only quick service restaurant (QSR) with high results in this category. In fact, 68 percent of respondents have either maintained or increased their visits to Subway during the past year. Applebee's also maintained or increased business among 59 percent of dieters. Rounding out the top five are Outback Steakhouse, Red Lobster and Olive Garden, indicating that these restaurants have responded effectively to the news of the 43 percent of Americans who claim to follow some type of diet program.

This finding highlights the fact that while most other chains have also launched or updated their menu options with healthy, low-carb or similar options on their menus, these five chains were the best at maintaining business among dieters. Clearly, the message is often not getting through, and restaurants are not capitalizing on their marketing investment.

Ken Athaide, Senior Vice President and leader of TNS Restaurant Practice, explains, "Food conscious Americans are seeking options, and with the carb-craze going full tilt, awareness of menu options is critical to keeping nutrition-conscious customers coming through the doors. Casual dining restaurants have an advantage, because they offer more than the traditional fast food items such as French fries, fried chicken, hamburgers and pizza that Americans are cutting back."

Continued Athaide, "These results validate the fact that Subway has created its dominance in this market through strategic positioning and marketing. Subway has become actively engaged in nutritional efforts - through its advertising, which consistently speaks to healthy food, its Web site which features healthy food, but and its sponsorship of the F.R.E.S.H. Steps Initiative, which is aimed at preventing and treating childhood obesity."