All in the name of Market Research

For an upcoming presentation in my Building and Managing Brands subject, I'm working on a brand revival plan for A&W Restaurants. For the uninitiated, A&W are the oldest restaurant chain in America, and they are famous for their Root Beer Float. They're very much a brand for the suburbs - all All-American diner that popularised the concept of car-hop service in the 1950s and 60s. Today, it is the type of place that "your father would probably visit."

As a brand for the suburbs, A&W is nowhere to be seen in Manhattan. In fact, the only A&W Restaurant in the New York City metropolitan area is located at a highway intersection way out on Staten Island.

So, in the name of market research (and a chance to escape the Columbia Business School library), a colleague and I ventured out on a day trip to soak up the A&W experience. After 45 minutes on the subway from Columbia University to South Ferry station, 30 minutes waiting for the Staten Island Ferry, 30 minutes on the Staten Island Ferry (including a "drive by" of the Statue of Liberty"), 25 minutes on the Staten Island Railway to Jefferson Avenue, and finally a five minute walk to Hylan Blvd, we had made it to suburbia, ready for our feast. The exterior of the restaurant was ugly to say the least, and the cars in the parking lot seemed as old as the brand itself. But once we were inside, the whole experience changed. The root beer float was delish, the burger was fresh, and the waitress was very friendly. But how will this brand survive in an era of consolidation? And will they ever be able to attract the interest of Manhattanites?

Stay tuned for our brand revival plan, due to be presented in class on Nov 26th ;-)