Technology continues to evolve at an unprecedented rate, forcing marketers to reevaluate their initiatives.Just a few decades ago, marketers and advertisers had only a few, clearly defined channels through which to promote their brand and messaging. However, digital technology has created an entirely new genre of marketing channels with a reach far beyond traditional print, radio and television mediums.With today’s consumer more demanding and sophisticated than ever before, restaurant marketers are continuously challenged to discover new ways to not only get their messaging out to consumers, but to actually stand out in an increasingly fragmented media landscape.According to a recent article published on the Restaurant News website^*, a growing number of foodservice establishments – including Noodles & Company, White Castle, Domino’s Pizza and Pizza Hut – are finding success experimenting with increasingly popular platforms, such as running banner ads and short audio commercials on Pandora (a free, personalized digital radio platform). Partnerships with Xbox Live and MLB.tv are also proving to be successful.In April 2013, Pizza Hut introduced an app which allows gamers (through Xbox Live) to create, order and schedule a pizza directly from their controllers – without ever having to stop playing their games.Doug Terfehr, spokesman for the 13,000 unit chain said, “It’s amazing how, once you train people to try something new and it becomes part of their behavior, it becomes really ingrained. There was a spike in usage at the launch of the app, and the usage since has been relatively consistent.”Veteran restaurant marketer Tim Hackbardt called Pizza Hut’s efforts an “intelligent strategy.”“Gamers eat pizza, and they don’t want to quit the game, so it’s a convenience for them,” he said. “It usually results in a database capture, and these gamers would want to hear more from Pizza Hut, participate in surveys or keep their accounts to order again conveniently.”Your brand is still the single most important part of your business. While the marketing rules have certainly changed in today’s fragmented media landscape, success is possible – it just requires imagination and creativity to continue to reach your target audience. *Restaurant News (www.nrn.com) “Restaurants reach consumers through streaming media” - October 24, 2013, Mark Brandau