Marketing Services

There's a lot of talk about marketing in business in general and the restaurant industry is no different. Putting your business in front of potential customers allows them the opportunity to make a choice in the marketplace, hopefully in your favor.

The question is: How effectively do you put your best foot forward and continue to do so?

The objective of marketing is to establish and nurture a one-to-one relationship between your business and your customer. The strong connecting elements in that close relationship are found in the targeted communication strategies you develop and the specific tactics you deploy. Clearly establishing and keeping a strong connection with your customers is extremely powerful and may be the most important marketing objective for your business.

How Do You Measure Your Marketing Efforts?
Traditional marketing programs are difficult to measure. How many people responded to the ad you placed in the newspaper? How many people responded to the card you sent in the mail?

If you can't measure it, you can't manage it. And if you can't manage it, how do you know if your marketing efforts are paying off?

The Keys to Revenue Building Marketing
A successful marketing program for any restaurant that grows revenue and builds customer loyalty requires a three pronged approach:

A pre-paid program. Utilizing a stored value gift card card to bring in new customers is very cost-effective, and the results are 100% measurable and trackable. Well-designed programs can bring ROI of 400% or better.

A rewards program. A systematic loyalty or frequency program of a rewarding your customers that continuously encourages them to return and lessens their likelihood of spending time with your competitors is a very powerful marketing tool.

Delivery or communications mechanism. Remaining is contact with your customers is critical to maintaining your relationship with them.

» Email. E-mails to your customers cost mere pennies, are extremely tightly focused,
   practically waste-free as an ad medium, and will be welcomed by the recipient who provided
   the address and gave you permission to send your offers and information.

» Direct mail. Direct Mail that is highly targeted to geographic and/or demographic prospect
   groups. Use a professionally created, attractive mailer and always include a gift card with
   solid value and no odd offers. Keep in mind that you are inviting an important prospective
   customer to visit you, so make a good impression and make it worth their while.

» Guerilla marketing. Typically, guerrilla marketing campaigns are unexpected and
   unconventional; potentially interactive; and consumers are targeted in unexpected places.
   The objective of guerrilla marketing is to create a unique, engaging and thought-provoking
   concept. For example, these programs might include wide distribution of a less expensive
   free item or “try me” cards to encourage sampling of your restaurant.

» Social networking. Social networking is the active process of reaching customers outside
   the normal business channels to create and maintain a relationship. Several avenues exist,
   such as Twitter, FaceBook, and MySpace.

When these components are in place in a way in which they can be measured, then a successful marketing program can occur.

We Understand Restaurant Challenges
Abacus understands the challenges that surround successful marketing programs. You must be able to manage the solutions you choose. Your system must be capable of supporting such programs so that they are measurable, understanding what is and is not possible. You must have the reporting capabilities to track your efforts to fine tune marginal programs or expand successful ones. Your programs must have loss prevention protections against internal scams that can circumvent your efforts. Finally, you must decide if an integrated or interfaced solution is right for you.

We'll Train You or We'll Do It For You
Not everyone has the time or money or skills to create and manage the tools you need for success, so we'll build those tools and show you how to use them. You can then decide to manage on your own or have us manage for you.

Considerations

Marketing Services Choices

  Email Campaigns

  Direct Mail Campaigns

  Guerilla Marketing Campaigns

  Stored Value Gift Card Programs
      Abacus can design stored value gift card programs incorporating multiple features:
      » Stored value gift cards balances viewable by customers on your website
      » Sell stored value gift gift cards on your website
      » Sell stored value gift cards through other retail outlets

  Loyalty Programs
     Abacus can design loyalty programs in which loyalty cards points are viewable by
     customers on your website.

  Web Services
     Abacus can provide a host of online services, including emailing campaigns, mailings,
     website maintenance, and business audits.

Abacus. You can count on us.