Customer Newsletter/Loyalty Programs

[pizzaguys]

Has anybody had any success using a monthly newsletter to mail to their database? Rory Fatt reccomends this approach to his members and in fact posts a template to use/modify every month, but it is really geared towards dine-in restaurants. I am a delco, and was just wondering if any other delcos use this type of format. Also he has a loyalty prograqm (Royalty Rewards) where I think customers buy a monthly membership to receive discounts and other benefits. Any delcos have any success with this type of program either? It’s a wonderful concept, billing all your members on the 1st of the month and possibly having rent/utilities paid before you even make any orders, but I am curious as to where in the country customers do this.

 

[NicksPizza]

We use an email newsletter for customers indicating they are willing to get it. It is well received and gets re-forwarded a lot by our customers to their compatriots. Lots of stuff in it . . . sort of like Stanislaus does. We give tips and all sorts of commnity information.

We used to do a quarterly direct mailer to the entire zip code (1800 addresses or so). We stopped last year when we got our eviction notice, but will get back on the horse again. We own a digital duplicator, that does b/w copies at a rate of 5000 in 15 minutes. we develop, copy, collate, staple and fold the newsletter. Lots of pain and anguish, but we save good money. Mail it saturation rate (have annual bulk permit). Total cost for the mailing is around $500 including some first class ones out of zip code. Price will change May 14th, so we’ll see.

Probably 20 hours total handling time. We like being able to say it is self-published, but may have to get some professional help doing some of the work going forward.