With more than ten billion dollars in annual birthday market revenue to capture, marketing conscious restaurant management teams are making birthdays a timely treat for local consumers and a huge new profit center for their establishments. Why? Statistics shared by the National Restaurant Association® tell us that seven out of ten adult consumers dine out on their special day. Even in today’s budget-focused economy, birthdays still rank up there first for eating out, followed by Mother’s Day and Valentine’s.
So, how are savvy business owners connecting, attracting and keeping these valuable customers? They deploy a powerful combination of data, relationship and direct response marketing. ”Targeted and timely are the key components our customers rely on for successful marketing campaigns,” shared Jim Schimpf, Executive Director for Opportunity Knocks Direct Mail Solutions. “There’s simply no budget in today’s economy for ‘buckshot marketing.’ Precision data, delivery and direct offers are no longer should-haves, they’re must haves. Relevance delivers response, and there’s nothing more relevant than a personalized birthday offer on someone’s birthday! So much so, that we’re quantifiably tracking an 11.2% response rate for some of our birthday mailing customers.”
Donna Anderson, Owner of Hospitality Resource Solutions, a Florida based restaurant training organization, says, “There really is a ‘perfect storm’ out there right now in the minds and buying habits of today’s consumers. Their expectations are at an all-time high and their tolerance for less is at an all time low. It’s not just about price points and portioning any more. Everyone is in that game. To compete for both the NOW business and long-term, repeat customer loyalty, restaurant managers and staff have got to truly step up their game in terms of service and smart marketing.” Read the rest of this entry »