The hottest menu strategy: never-ending limited-time offers
The McDonald's McRib is among the most iconic limited-time offers, and its return has become an annual celebration for its fans. STEPHANE JOURDAIN/AFP via Getty Images In the attention economy, restaurants sell urgency through an endless series of limited-time offers. The promotions are becoming hyper-personalized, but consumers' attention is increasingly split. While LTOs drive sales, endless promos risk training customers to only engage when there's a deal. The offer may expire at midnight, but the strategy sure won't. For restaurant chains chasing attention in an increasingly fractured landscape, the limited-time offer — once a seasonal gimmick — is now a permanent menu fixture. What used to be an occasional spike has become a predictable rhythm: a steady drumbeat of new sauces, returning fan favorites, and blink-and-you-miss-it promotions designed to keep brands "top of mind with our guests all year long," as Chipotle CEO Scott Boatwright put it last week...
