Rational’s online transformation helps the company broaden its support network.
Eye level customer relationships at industry trade fairs and nationwide cooking demonstrations are big parts of the Rational brand reputation. By rapidly adopting online processes for the company’s communications, including navigating around the pandemic restrictions, Rational has transformed its engagement model. This has been achieved by combining both physical and digital relationships, giving customers even more accessibility to the manufacturer.
“It quickly became clear that we could turn this sudden and unexpected challenge to our traditional mindset into opportunities to find new ways to engage with customers,” says Adam Knights, Rational’s marketing director.
This begun with the product launch of the iCombi Pro and iVario Pro cooking systems. Just weeks away from a planned live spectacle, lockdown restrictions forced Rational to launch the products to a wide-reaching audience using digital platforms. The positive response to the successful digital launch galvanised the marketing team, giving them the confidence to explore the power of online further.
Alongside a series of newly created videos introducing their cooking systems, Rational developed a series of interactive online webinars aimed at providing chefs from different sectors of the industry with specific and relevant information to their needs.
Adam continues, “Naturally we couldn’t replicate the smell, taste, and experience of our live demonstrations, so we looked at what alternative benefits we could bring to this new Rational experience. One of the most valuable things for our customers is their time.”
With Rational holding events online, as opposed to on site, a greater number of people from the same workplace could attend without hindering their daily operation. Meanwhile their time commitment was reduced, since they didn’t have to travel, and as they were being presented with sector specific information, customers knew that the time spent would be relevant and valuable.
“Our goal was to be informative and supportive, whilst retaining efficiencies for the customer,” says Adam. “By going digital we were able to stream the new Rational experiences directly into their place of work or home, via their PCs, phones, or tablets. As a result, the number of digital event attendees this year to date has exceeded the total number that attended live events for the entirety of 2019.”
Continuing the company’s digital journey, Rational launched Expert Chef seminars. The first seminar in the series saw one of the UK’s most influential Indian chefs, Rehan Uddin of the Asian Restaurant Owners Network (ARON), showing how Rational’s cooking systems can replicate traditional Indian cooking techniques as well as allowing chefs the freedom to experiment with different methods. Following a particularly turbulent year for the foodservice and hospitality industry, Rational also launched regular seminars with expert panels discussing hot industry topics.
“As well as the expert panel knowledge, we get the live feedback and questions from attendees which helps bring these perspectives right up to date,” says Adam. “Being able to bring the industry together like this not only helps us to understand our customers’ needs but also, we hope, helps to inspire and encourage them,” says Adam.
Having attended an online event, customers who would like to know more about Rational cooking systems have the opportunity to participate in a live demonstration, held in a local venue. This allows them to experience the Rational cooking systems first-hand, supported by a Rational professional chef.
Adam believes the potential for digital events is enormous. “The new Rational experiences help us keep our finger on the pulse of what’s really happening in the industry. Rational has always been a chef’s company, so anything that helps us recognise the challenges and pressures chefs are facing is invaluable. The more we understand, the more we can help.”
To find out information about future events and to watch videos of past ones please visit www.rational-online.com