2026 Best Practices Submission
Presentation Title:
Using Meal Plan Sales and Revenue Data to Drive Marketing Strategies
Presenters:
Brett Jackson, University of Georgia
Steven Olesen, University of Georgia
Lianna McAuliffe, University of Georgia
Aimee Cheek, University of Georgia
Presentation Description:
Dining Services at the University of Georgia has achieved new records in meal plan sales and revenue, increasing the number of meal plans sold by 18.5% and growing revenue by 19.8% in the last three years alone. Part of this success can be attributed to the outstanding quality of food and customer service UGA Dining Services provides as one of the best dining programs in the nation (currently ranked in the top 1% by Niche). Another significant factor in meal plan sales and revenue growth, however, has been the use of business analytics to inform marketing decisions. Auxiliary Services’ business analytics team has created apps in Qlik to track meal plan revenue, meal plan sales by type, year-over-year comparisons by date, and other metrics. Using this information, Dining Services has optimized meal plan offerings, tailored messages to different audiences, and ramped up marketing efforts to increase sales at pivotal times in the academic year. This session will provide attendees with an understanding of (1) the value of using business analytics to make data-based decisions, (2) the value of using Qlik as a business analytics tool, and (3) the process and positive results of using meal plan sales and revenue data to make marketing decisions.
Statement of the Problem:
Dining Services at the University of Georgia relies heavily on meal plan revenue to fund overall operations, so increasing meal plan sales and profitability are perennial goals. Knowing which types of meal plans to offer, which meal plans to promote, which messages to use for potential customers, and when to increase marketing efforts is essential.
Identify the Solution:
Auxiliary Services involved Dining Services and the Auxiliary finance, business analytics, and marketing teams in identifying the types of data that would be most useful (e.g., meal plan revenue, meal plan sales by type, year-over-year comparisons by date) and developing data analysis apps in Qlik. Auxiliary Services pays less than $50K per year for Qlik and has created dozens of apps in it for accounting, finance, the golf course, learning and development, human resources, information technology, marketing, parking, and transit, in addition to dining.
Implementation Timeline:
A business analytics team of four individuals worked intermittently for several weeks to create the apps in Qlik. Dining Services and Auxiliary Services leaders monitor meal plan sales daily in Qlik year-round to make adjustments to marketing strategy as needed. Most meal plans are sold in late spring, summer, and early fall, so those months are especially important times for monitoring and marketing.
Benefits & Retrospect:
Using data from the Qlik apps, Dining Services has optimized meal plan offerings, tailored messages to different audiences, and ramped up marketing efforts to increase sales at pivotal times in the academic year. Thanks in large part to these data-based decisions, Dining Services has achieved new records in meal plan sales and revenue, increasing the number of meal plans sold by 18.5% and growing revenue by 19.8% in the last three years alone.
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