Subway marketing strategy breakdown

About Subway

Subway is a fast-food restaurant chain that was founded in 1965 by Fred DeLuca and Peter Buck. The company is known for its customizable submarine sandwiches and salads. Subway has grown to become one of the largest fast-food chains globally, with thousands of locations in over 100 countries. Its impact on the retail industry has been significant, pioneering the concept of healthier fast-food options for consumers on the go.

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Subway marketing strategy

Subway's marketing strategy focuses on targeted promotions to reach value-conscious consumers looking for a quick and affordable meal option. By utilizing a strong omnichannel presence, including social media, email marketing, and in-store promotions, Subway ensures that their messaging reaches a wide audience. The company's goal is to drive foot traffic to their locations and increase sales through enticing offers and engaging content. With a focus on delivering fresh and customizable options, Subway's marketing tactics aim to position the brand as a convenient and healthy choice in the competitive fast-food industry.

General Info

Founded

August 28, 1965, Bridgeport, CT

Founders

Fred DeLuca, Peter Buck

Headquarters

Shelton, CT

Subway marketing mix

Subway, like many other companies, relies on the classic 4Ps marketing mix framework to shape its marketing strategy. This framework comprises four essential elements:

Product

Subway focuses on offering a diverse range of fresh and customizable sandwich options (Product) to cater to different tastes and dietary preferences. They strategically place their stores in high-traffic areas such as shopping malls and busy streets (Place) to maximize visibility and accessibility. Through various promotional activities like limited-time offers and loyalty programs (Promotion), Subway aims to attract and retain customers looking for quick and affordable meal options. The intended outcome of these strategies is to increase brand awareness, drive foot traffic to stores, and ultimately boost sales.

Price

Subway utilizes the price component of the marketing mix by offering affordable menu options that cater to budget-conscious consumers. By keeping prices competitive, Subway is able to attract a wide range of customers looking for a quick and cost-effective meal option. The intended outcome of these pricing strategies is to increase customer loyalty and drive sales through value-driven pricing.

Place

Subway strategically utilizes the "Place" aspect of the marketing mix by strategically locating their stores in high-traffic areas such as shopping malls, airports, and busy city centers. This allows them to reach their target audience of busy individuals looking for a quick and convenient meal option. The intended outcome of this strategy is to make Subway easily accessible to their customers, increasing foot traffic and sales.

Promotion

Subway utilizes promotion in their marketing mix by offering limited-time deals and discounts to attract customers. By promoting these offers through various channels such as social media and email campaigns, Subway aims to increase brand awareness and drive sales. The intended outcome of these strategies is to create a sense of urgency and incentivize customers to visit Subway locations or place orders online.

By strategically managing these four elements, Subway can develop marketing strategies tailored for customer needs, enhance brand value, and drive business growth.

Search engine traffic

Subway places a strong emphasis on generating organic traffic, which makes up a significant portion of its overall web traffic. This strategic focus on organic search helps Subway attract a vast audience without relying heavily on paid advertisements.

Subway receives a 25.1m visitors per month from organic search and 187.0 per month from paid search. A substantial number of visitors each month are from organic search, demonstrating the effectiveness of its SEO efforts.

Subway domain authority is 90. A high domain authority indicates that the website is well-regarded by search engines, making it easier to rank for relevant keywords and attract organic traffic.

By maintaining a strong focus on organic traffic, Subway exemplifies how businesses can build an impactful online presence. This strategy not only enhances visibility and brand reputation but also paves the way for growth and success in the digital marketplace.

Subway Youtube marketing strategy

Subway has an active Youtube Channel with over 8.6m subscribers. Their whole channel has 1125.5m views. They posted 1075 videos, which means that every video got them 1m views for the channel and 8k subscribers

Subway Instagram marketing strategy

Subway has been steadily expanding its presence across various social media platforms to engage with its vast audience, Instagram being one of them. Currently Subway has 883k followers on Instagram. With its visually-driven interface and widespread popularity, Instagram provides Subway with a platform to showcase its diverse range of products and connect with customers on a more personal level.

Subway marketing strategy is not lacking social media. Gaining 8.6m followers/subscribers on Youtube is the biggest achievement for Subway on social media. While Facebook is lacking, with only 537k followers/subscribers, the other platforms sit right in the middle. Here is a breakdown for all of them:

R.O.I. of marketing channels

Even though online marketing channels are found to be more effective than offline marketing channels, not all are created the same. If you think of just running banner ads, you need to rethink your marketing strategy.

At the front of online marketing strategies sits email marketing, boasting high reach and engagement. Following after that is SEO, a cornerstone of any successful digital campaign. What makes this duo truly formidable is their synergy, working hand in hand to fuel an efficient online marketing engine.

SEO is our cup of tea, so if you want to start or improve your marketing strategy, feel free to book a call with us.

* According to Data & Marketing Association (DMA)

Author

Alexandru Totolici

Alex is the founder of Gliesess. With a foundation built on 7 years of experience, technical expertise is not a lack of his. After discovering SEO accidentally, he fell in love with it.