Taco Palenque is a drive-through chain specializing in authentic Fresh Mex that started in Laredo, TX, more than thirty-five years ago. One of several brands owned by Palenque Group, Taco Palenque has more than 40 corporate and franchised locations.
Like many growing restaurant businesses, Taco Palenque struggled with identifying their customers, understanding competitor dynamics, and optimizing their media plan. “Before Buxton, our approach to planning and strategizing for specific locations was traditional and time-consuming. We struggled to identify our visitors and main competitors and lacked a targeted media plan,” said Patricia Barreto, marketing manager at Palenque Group . This gap in insights failed to capture the full picture of local consumer behavior, which made it difficult to produce high-performing marketing campaigns.
Alert is simple, easy, and powerful. I love it!
Campaign Results
The introduction to Buxton Alert reports, a monthly market research report with customer insights by location and region, marked a turning point for the restaurant. They were excited about the simplicity and comprehensiveness of the report, making it easy to understand and utilize the data without having to implement an extensive market research program. “Alert made our processes simpler and the insights accessible to everyone in the company,” Patricia reflected.
Using Alert to Make Winning Marketing Decisions
The marketing team leveraged Alert reports for local store marketing, media purchasing, and promotional offer decisions.
For example, in Corpus Christi, a complicated market for the chain, Alert’s data revealed radio as a preferred media channel of their customer profile, leading to the creation of radio-exclusive promotions. “We started seeing results the next month. Radio is now one of our most important media channels for that area,” Patricia shared.
After implementing campaigns with insights from the reports, the Corpus Christi location exceeded forecasts by 5 percent. Patricia highlighted, “After running radio ads, we started to see the store’s sales were growing. We saw the best performance in the fall of last year.”
The Taco Palenque team also uses Alert in combination with Buxton’s on-demand foot traffic analytics to facilitate a deeper understanding of their customers’ journey and to tailor promotions more effectively. The visitor profiles provided in the Alert reports guide the team’s decisions about promotional offers, while the platform’s visitor journey metrics offer insights into possible promotional partnership opportunities.
Patricia praised Alert for its user-friendliness, effectiveness, and impactful insights, highlighting its role in moving the marketing team from intuition-based to data-driven marketing strategies. “Alert is simple, easy, and powerful. I love it,” she remarked.
Bottom Line
Alert has redefined Taco Palenque’s approach to market research, providing targeted insights with a straightforward, low-effort report. This report has significantly improved marketing efficiency and enhanced overall performance.
For anyone seeking to streamline their processes and equip their marketing team with actionable intelligence for success, Patricia’s advice is clear: “Don’t waste time. For the most effective strategy, you need Buxton Alert.”