Continue to Site

Help New Place

YOU DA MAN!! (with proper reverent nod to jr0kk who pumped us all up with this phrase)

That kind of score on return is a great tribute to your efforts. It seems you and your staff were ready for the customers to walk through the door. Advertising/marketing gets them to walk through the door . . . and then you guys did your thing to make them impressed and happy. Rock on.

I sincerely hope that newspaper ad thing turns out to be a big benefit, too. I would be too affraid in my place of a Friday night bum rush derailing my train, so to speak. I’ll watch to see how it goes for you . . . maybe I just need a little training and planning to get us up and ready for such a thing.
 
Last edited:
48.png
ScoreboardpizzaCo:
TIm going to take this a bit further and run an add for a small free pizza for residents in the city where im located and see what the turn out is. Go ahead and call me crazy;> I have owned many businesses and have found this one to be the hardest yet. I belive in risk takeing and service.
Click to expand...
I’m not saying ‘don’t do this’ but I would really suggest you think VERY carefully about HOW you do it. I’ve run this promo twice and it just didn’t have the ultimate goal I was looking for (the 2nd time was actually a request from the local paper and they gave us loads of free promo support). Having an ad in the paper is not the same as telling people in person and it will attract those simply looking for a free lunch nothing more. Of course the proportion of free loaders versus new customers will vary but in my case I got loads of the free loaders!

Some suggestions:
  1. Make it one pie per coupon, one coupon per person per day, no copies etc
  2. Avoid your busy nights (maybe make it valid mon-thurs?)
  3. be ready!!
I got slammed for a full week, it messed up my service for my regular customers and I got a lot of people who just came in tried to get loads of pies (even thought the coupon said one per person per day) and ended up arguing with staff.

I won’t be running this promotion again in that format but our situations are very different as you need to attract new people.

Good luck. Let me know if you have any other questions.

Wiz
 
Last edited:
I agree on WW. When I was in your position, I did a follow up ad similar to what you’re talking about doing and was not happy at all with what I got back. Mostly people who were looking to get something for nothing and then move on to what ever they could get for the cheapest the next week, no loyalty and no interest in quality products.

I think you’ve got a good thing going right now, expand on it but allow yourself to control who you are giving the coupons to and how many each person is getting.
 
Last edited:
Im running the add for wed and thur only next week. One per household. City address and email is what they must give up in return. im going to give them a return in 1 week coupon.

Im running another special with team sports in my town. Bring in your team for a free team party. The team gets 2 xl 1 topping pizzas and free drinks (youth sports only). I make on average 350 per team that comes in and return business as well. It is working well. We have 9 parties of 30 - 40 people for toomorow.

Thanks
Casey
 
Last edited:
48.png
ScoreboardpizzaCo:
I sent 100 letters out and got a response of two.
Click to expand...
Don’t know your market, small markets vary a bit, but 2% is considered a good return. We’re in a highly saturated market where I’d be very happy with 2%.
48.png
smeagol8:
My favorite (and only) method is to give away a free small pizza - who can resist a free pizza? You get a little back from drinks, etc. And you can control exactly how much you give away a day. In your situation, I would make up a big sign, saying “FREE SMALL PIZZA RIGHT NOW!!” and put it out where the supermarket patrons can see it. Leave it out for a half-hour, or until you get enough people, the first day, then work from there. If you retain people that try your food, it’s worth the small pizza.
Click to expand...
Personally I don’t like the idea of discounting my menu “at the store”. Use discounts/freebies to get people outside the center in. Great move in “personally” going out and talking to people in the center but just putting up a sign just discounts your menu who are already coming in or encourages free loaders.

I’ve done both the MDL and “free pizza” mailers. Both are effective but the MDL is very expensive and not as effective in my experience. In either case, don’t stop marketing. Most people need to see your name repeatedly before taking a chance.
 
Last edited:
LOL we ran an add…

Free small pizza unlimited toppings!
1 Large 2 topping 10 wings 16.99

4 people got the free pizza!

The large add rang my phone off the hook.
 
Last edited:
That’s weird. They were on the same ad? Can you link a copy of it - you’ve piqued my curiosity.

We’re sending out another new-mover mailing next week. We’ve decided to turn it into sort of a dimensional mailing by putting a logo’d pen into each envelope. I’m believe the open rate will jump, I just wonder if the redemption rate will increase as well.
 
Last edited:
I’d bet that people didn’t believe the “free small pizza” portion of the ad, or thought there must be a big catch.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top