Management 4100 Cultural Diversity - Essay Example

Noodles & Company Marketing The target market segment for Noodles & Company in Qatar will be young people and young married couples aged between eighteen and thirty-five. It is expected that young couples will visit the restaurant with children, as well as younger visitors aged between 18 and 25. According to data from Noodles & Company, almost one third of those visiting the franchise do so because their young children like going there, while at least 45% of all visits to the restaurants were occasions for young families or young adults visiting with their children (Anthony 33).

The fast casual dining experience, of which Noodles & Company is part of, is also popular with consumers aged less than 24 years because it has an informal atmosphere and offers value for money, especially after the recent economic crisis. The largest segment that is expected to visit the restaurant will be those aged between 24 and 35, especially since this is the age group that frequents fast casual restaurants the most. The reason for this is the unhurried nature of service and the provisions that fast casual restaurants make for small children (Anthony 35).

Most of those aged above twenty-four are expected to be both female and male, especially because those visiting Noodles & Company in this age group will be married. It is also expected that they will have small families, maybe between one and three children, and they will be in the middle-income bracket (Walker 54). Most of them will be employed with university education. Since this restaurant is to be opened in Qatar, it is expected that they will be Muslims; although, the world cup in 2022 is expected to bring in customers of all religions.

This group is made up of strivers who attach importance to status and image, contended conformers who seek to be normal and follow trends, and are traditionalists who are averse to risk taking (Walker 56). For the 18-24 age group, both genders will be targeted. This age group will not be expected to have children with them, although most Noodles & Company restaurants in the US have seen a rise in couples visiting. Their income is expected to be relatively lower than the former, and they will be students in high school and university.

This group is made up of self-actualizers who are exploring change, creative, and individualistic. They are also innovators who are setting their own achievement targets and are risk takers. Finally, they are esteem seekers who are materialistic and aspire for success symbols (Walker 57). Because the 18-24 age group was the most hit by the economic crisis, this changed their buying behavior. For this reason, they are more concerned with getting value for their money and prefer to get information about restaurants from positive comments on social sites (Anthony 67).

For this reason, Noodles & Company should establish a presence on social media in Qatar. This age group also wants the ingredients to be authentic and custom made because of image issues. For this reason, the restaurant should convey their cooked-to-order and menu variety in their marketing plan. For example, their menu boards should have pictures pasted on them so that they feel more handcrafted, which will make their ingredients feel more authentic. The restaurant should also differentiate itself through community based marketing to reach the over 24 years age group by building brand awareness and improve customer loyalty (Anthony 38).

This should involve engaging media outlets to engage in customer relationships.Works CitedAnthony, Vernon. R. Hospitality and Restaurant Marketing, Boston, Mass. ; Munich: Pearson, 2013. Print. Walker, John. R. The Restaurant: From Concept to Operation. Hoboken, N.J: John Wiley & Sons, 2008. Print.