Drop a Card in a Bowl Marketing
Permission Based Email
from PickaRestaurant

Introduction: 

        Permission based email marketing is by far the fastest growing, and most popular, marketing method in businesses today.  It is also perhaps the most underutilized, customer communications and marketing tool used by business.   In many cases customers are asking for email messages rather than traditional printed marketing literature.  When done correctly, email is an optimal tool for customer retention and relationship building.   

        If your business relies on table turns and frequency, why are you not communicating with your clients every week?  The more often you “keep the seats warm,” the better off you are.  Up until now, the challenge was finding a vehicle to communicate to your customers that didn’t break the bank, and was cost effective enough to have weekly dialog.  A full-color multimedia email, delivered directly to your client is the most cost-effective and easiest way to make that happen.  Email should not take the place of existing media options.  Instead, it should be a powerful partner in the media mix.

Benefits: 

Fancy websites, expensive search engine campaigns, complex ecommerce systems…these are all traditional, but sometimes-ineffective Internet marketing techniques for most businesses owners. While many realize that the Internet is the future, many businesses are not sure how to integrate it into their existing “bricks and mortar” style business effectively and cost-efficiently.

Key Benefits of Permission-Based Email

The following are some of the key benefits that make permission-based email an ideal marketing tool for the Restaurant, Travel and Leisure, and other Industries: 

• Ubiquity- People use email both in the home and at the workplace.  It is the most popular online activity among Internet users with over 100 million users in the US alone.
• Highly customizable- With the right technology, it is extremely easy to send high volumes of personalized email.  With the ability of obtaining more customer information through a sophisticated lead qualification and survey solution you are enabled to send extremely targeted and personalized communications, therefore resulting in the most successful campaigns possible.
• Timeliness- More than any other technology, email has the power to give customers what they want, when they want it.  This is extremely valuable in the travel and leisure industry where needs such as filling last minute vacancies exist or a seat or two which need to be filled for a special wine dinner.  Quick campaigns can drive quick results when and where they are needed.
• Saves money- Postal direct mail has been an extremely effective marketing medium for the travel and leisure industry.  Email is a fraction of the cost of direct mail and also allows for more timely incentives.  With the proper email infrastructure, you can send thousands or even millions of personalized emails for a fraction of what it costs for you to send the same information via postal mail.
• Immediacy- Whether communicating gate changes, weekend specials, weather alerts, or other time sensitive information, email allows you to communicate with tens of millions of customers faster than any other means currently available.
• Scalable- With the right technology, you can easily communicate with tens of millions of customers quickly and inexpensively.
• Measurable- Email allows you to measure and track the responses you receive from each mailing.  You can track everything from who and how many people opened your message to how many people took action (made a reservation, printed directions, etc.) because of your email.
• Enhances brand equity- Email communication allows an organization to continuously be in front of their customers keeping them visible and improving brand awareness.  As the ultimate “push” technology, email is virtually impossible to ignore.  Branding can be achieved merely by having clearly labeled email delivered to a subscriber’s inbox on a regular basis.
• High response rates- According to Jupiter Communications, permission based email receives average response rates between 5% and 15%, compared with average response rate of 1%-2% for direct mail.
• Improves customer relationships- Providing relevant information in a timely and personalized manner will significantly improve your relationships with your customers.  Email is perhaps the most efficient and cost effective way to communicate with your customers quickly and personally.

Facts: 

Businesses around the world are implementing email marketing into their marketing mix, as they should be.  It is cheaper and easier to start and implement a permission based email campaign than to start and run a traditional direct mail campaign as you will see;

·         Acquiring a customer costs 5 to 10 times more than retaining one

·         A 5% increase in retention yields profit increases of 25% to 100%

·         Repeat customers spend, on average, 67% more

·         After 10 purchases, a customer has referred up to seven people

·         20% of customers account for 80% of total revenues.

·         Value of 1 email address is PRICELESS!

“Use of e-mail marketing is poised for explosive growth… nearly 270 billion commercial messages by 2005 vs. three billion in 1999. Saves businesses a bundle in paper, printing and mailing costs. Mostly targeted messages to consumers who sign up to get them. A good way to keep customers! Trick is to keep messages relevant." 

About Email Marketing 

Sure, we might look at web sites, but the majority of time is spent in our Inbox- writing and reading.  Permission marketing turns strangers into friends and friends into loyal customers. It's more than entertainment - it's about educating the consumer.  There three factors that are driving the need for permission email marketing. Advertising just doesn't work as well as it used to:

1.      Because there's so much of it

2.      Because people have learned to ignore it.

3.      Because the advent of the Internet means companies can go beyond it.  

There is no doubt that when properly planned and targeted, email is the most effective direct response tool available.  As a partner in your media mix it serves your needs for an all-round customer relationship device because it's cheaper, faster and smarter. 

Email Newsletters
 
     E-Newsletters, that is newsletters delivered to customers who have expressed interest in receiving information from your business, are so powerful because they provide a systematic means for growing and maintaining relationships. This is because they give you a vehicle for connecting with people who purchase, or are likely to purchase your product of service, month after month after month.

If you write your company newsletter with a focus on enhancing the relationship between you and your readers, you will stand head and shoulders above your competitors, most of who are missing this point entirely by just using email to send direct mail to their in-house list.  

What About Spam and Privacy?  

Internet e-mail is growing, but isn’t e-mail advertising offensive to customers? What about privacy and Spam? What is Spam? Spam is commercial unwanted e-mail sent by a business to persons with no relationship connection to the recipient, and with no legitimate return address. Spam is often sent by off-shore Internet providers, and is virtually impossible for the recipient to get off the list. Most e-mail users hate Spam. No reputable business will abuse their customers with Spam.   On the other hand, sending useful messages, especially with desirable information for your customers is never Spam. The distinction is important. Customers won’t object if you have an actual return address and remove their name on request.

Pickarestaurant Services 

1.  Create Branded Email

Using Pickarestaurant’s email creation tools, we work with your corporate marketing team or agency to create a branded email template with your company logos, colors, fonts, and approved content.  Some content areas may be designated as “dynamic” for one-to-one customization.

2.  Assign Subscribers to the Appropriate Local Stores

In Pickarestaurant’s subscriber database we can associate each subscriber with the store locations closest to where they live, work, or travel.  We are able to assign locations based on where the customer actually registered or in proximity to the home or work zip code they provide.

3.  Localize Each Email

Pickarestaurant can employ dynamic one-to-one marketing techniques to ensure that each email appears as if the local store delivers a localized email to their local subscribers.

4.  Create “Localized” Content for Each Individual Store.

Pickarestaurant has the ability to allow each store the option of adding copy, images, events, etc. that fit their local market or product offering.  Local content for each individual store can be created by the stores and then approved by the corporate marketing team.

5.  Deliver Email with Dynamic One-to-One Customization

Once content is approved, Pickarestaurant loads it into your own Content Library.  Localized content is inserted dynamically into the email prior to delivery.   In addition, recipients can use the Reply button in the email to respond directly to their local store, corporate Customer Service, Pickarestaurant, or any person or department you designate from any email we send.

6.  Pickarestaurant Delivers Email and Tracks Results

Online tracking is available immediately after emails are delivered.  Pickarestaurant tracks Open rates, Interest categories, Click-throughs, Undeliverables, and Unsubscribes.  Then we provide a summary and analysis of the results. 

With Pickarestaurant, You Can…

·         Communicate with your customers quickly and efficiently, informing them instantly of upcoming specials, coupons, events and new products.

·         Brand your restaurant and keep your name in front of your customers. Highlight menu items, announce community involvement, share tips from your top chef, showcase your recipes, answer questions and send holiday greetings, all with a few keystrokes.

·         Wish your customers a happy birthday or anniversary using PickaRestaurant’s automated date feature to bring them in to your restaurant to celebrate their occasion.

·         Enjoy flat fee pricing that allows you to send out promotions to your list as often as you like, allowing you to inform the local customer base of the week's specials or the day's specials.

·         Keep a separate catering list for those clients that need marketing specific to that industry.  

Guess what? Your members and customers want to hear from you--often! They want your attention. They want your offers. They want the opportunity to participate. And with Pickarestaurant, you can provide it - quickly, easily, and inexpensively! 

“Use of e-mail marketing is poised for explosive growth… nearly 270 billion commercial messages by 2005 vs. three billion in 1999. Saves businesses a bundle in paper, printing and mailing costs. Mostly targeted messages to consumers who sign up to get them. A good way to keep customers! Trick is to keep messages relevant." 

IMPLEMENTATION OPTIONS:

Email marketing is cost effective, fast, and is the wave of the future for merchants.   With most marketplaces as competitive as it has ever been, PickaRestaurant lets you get in front of your customers, build relationships, and keep that awareness so when your services are needed you will be top of the list.  

PickaRestaurant can provide tailor made services for your specific business depending on your needs. Choose from one of the options below or contact us for free consultation.  PickaRestaurant offers several different solutions to do this -- with or without having to build up an IT infrastructure for sending the emails. You should also make sure you are listening to your customers as well as communicating to them. Understanding trends and needs, and capturing information on individuals and groups will best ensure you have the most targeted campaigns, more satisfied customers, and ultimately the most successful marketing results. 

“Value of 1 email address is PRICELESS!”