question for the advertising experts

I have an opportunity to put my “flyer” in the free guest bag given to each attendee at a large RV show that is about 1 mile from my pizzeria…half the attendees are here for less than a month, the others for 2 or 3 months…

$500 to stuff, I supply the flyers…

I know more information would help, but on first blush, does it seem like well spent advertising $ ?
Otis

How many attendees go to the show on average?

lol wait…

Last I heard you weren’t even open due to an employee shortage. Now you’re going to advertise to a big RV Show ?

Are you currently able to handle the day-to-day business, let alone the business that you’d get from the show ?

TD has a good point…

thank you Liz,
they are filling 40,000 bags, it’s a big 10 day show, I assume most of that number…
…and thinking about it, what would be the most appropriate, simple and pointed as opposed to full menu, or should I get them out /

and on the employee shortage now is right, I am optimistic, little crazy, and higher risk taker

Otis

That is a big show! In most advertising it is said that if you get a 1% response, you did really well and use you should use that marketing strategy again (of course more direct marketing approaches can have much higher percent returns). But going with the norm - if you get a 1% return, that is 400 people ordering your pizza. If you look at your average profit per order, and multiply that by 400 - would it be worth the $500 distribution cost? Also, the cost of the flyers, which lets say are .14 ea (based on the cost of color copies, letter size, at Kinkos, I can do them for much cheaper- but not sure what your turnaround time is…).

If you do decide that it is worth the cost risk- I would market yourself not only as a great pizza place to get dinner, but also as a prime tourist attraction, a pizza Experience. I saw the press release that you got a few months ago, use that to your advantage! Quote the site, ask the people that did the article if you can use the piece and their publication name in your advertising materials… “As seen in So And So” (sorry, can’t remember the site). You have the great advantage of novelty, I would really hype that up in your ad. Make people think - “While we are here checking out this and that, we HAVE to get some of this pizza too”.

If It were just $500 for the opportunity, I would do it. It’s the cost of getting 40,000 flyers printed that is the big expense.

“If It were just $500 for the opportunity, I would do it. It’s the cost of getting 40,000 flyers printed that is the big expense.”

your’e right about that Liz…if I just had an extra 40,000 flyers on me,
Otis

Otis,

Maybe I’m missing something. You’re mobile man! Go setup for 2 days at the show. Let everyone know where you are setup normally. Let the regular customers know you are going to the big RV show and you’ll be back in 2 days, 3 days… whatever. Tell them to stop by and see you for a FREE Coke or something.

As soon as the show opens. Run inside and find a few vendors who you like. Hand them a stack of menus, and your cell phone number. Let them know that you’ll have a hot pizza waiting for them at the end of the show day. Ask them if they will hand out your menus to a few of their regular customers and chat you up.

Even if you don’t get to move the tent, I wouldn’t pay the $500.00 to insert. Odds are your message will get lost in the goodie bag. Be sure and hit the show first thing on the opening day of the show and talk to those vendors. Go into the RVs and ask them if you can place your menus on the refrigerators of the RVs. Hand them some passes for free pizza. A free pizza on day one, might result in some orders for dinner a few nights down the road. $500 goes a long way in free pizzas and printing.

-Scott

Scott has some good, agressive ideas. If you can afford to miss a little of the regular business for a couple of days, it could pay off in visibility and sales at the show. Not knowing the geography, I suspect that you will not be able to deliver to regular clientelle from the “mobile” site at the RV show.