How many run a "main" special every month/season?

[pizzatime]

The big boys are on top of this"gimmick" of the month/season. It was the NY pie from ph, the 555 domino’s deal etc… It has to work or they would not be doing it. How many of you currently work this type of marketing and for how long are you promoting this great promo? Do you get new fliers with this special along with all the pos your shop(s) need or just find it a pain in the back end to keep changing up?

 

[MM1]

Re: How many run a “main” special every month/seas

I try to create some kind of “new” special every month, but it’s not clockwork - it’s more like whenever I can think up something catchy.
Sometimes its a pricing promotion, sometimes it’s a new recipe or combination.
For coupons/offers, I get the POS setup myself with little effort about 1/2 the time, the rest of the time I call the vendor and they walk me through it or set it up for me remotely - almost every time same day unless it’s REALLY strange and stumps them.
I market these promos with a local newspaper ad, and a counter-top sign by the register. Both have limited impact, and as we get into spring I hope to do more with either doorhangers for promos like this, or with hand-outs on the street. I’m also planning to get better equipped to quickly and easily send these things to existing customers - email or postcards.

 

[system]

Re: How many run a “main” special every month/seas

A few months back we started this. The key was going to be to do it regularly and in the past this is where we have failed.

Now we get together once a month with our management teams from both stores and go through ideas, what holidays are coming up, what worked last month (so we can put them away for future use).

It has worked beyond our imagination. In our area D and PH run some really aggressive specials… BOBO on Tue, 4.99 Large C/O on Thurs.
Of course for us these days were really slow for us because they had these specials.

I hate to “de value” our pizzas like they do but we jumped in and did it. Needless to say it was a winner.
Location #1 has been open 12 years and on occasion has new customers.
Location # 2 just opened and needs the new business.

We have had more new customers in the last few months than I ever thought exsisted. Our sales are up 15% at location #1.
I think the key for us will be to do them for a month and do something just as great the next. Switch it up so people aren’t thinking they will get a pizza for 5 bucks at our place.

The past two thurs. both locations have done around 100 pies each. Sure at 5.oo it didn’t put sales over the top but the rest of the week increased. We had 200 opportunities to win em over.
The other pizza places didn’t get the business.
For us it seems to be a winner so far.

Our bogo month was good too but found it hard to keep up.
Just my two cents…or 500 in this case!

 

[system]

Re: How many run a “main” special every month/seas

I forgot to mention we make sure to upsell on these orders and we box top every single box leaving the stores.