South Florida Regional Latin Grilled Chicken Chain
SITUATION ANALYSIS A South Florida Regional Latin Grilled Chicken Chain was expanding into a new west coast market. The brand wanted to demonstrate to investors that the concept could not only survive, but also actually thrive in an Anglo-centric market. The brand could not justify an ongoing substantial advertising budget for one unit in market. Additionally, due to zoning restrictions, there were no billboards available in the trade area. The company believed an aggressive grand opening plan and ongoing local store marketing initiative was required. STRATEGY The brand leveraged its greatest asset—its food. We developed a 90-day countdown to open during which we scheduled food drops to area opinion leaders, hosted a VIP night, media challenge and week-long grand opening celebration. Get the food in their mouths Get them to explore the menu Incentivize others to talk up the benefits of the brand and its great taste And encourage guests to come back again and again TACTICS Schedule business food drops Conduct massive product samplings Host a Chef’s Tasting event Stage a VIP night Create a memorable Grand Opening and ribbon cutting event Develop a quirky “Surfing” Contest Conduct on-site loyalty club registration Encourage charity challenges Secure a media challenge benefiting charities Plan a door hanging effort Build and tour mobile billboards Develop a “Little Miss” Toddler beauty pageant Barter for radio remotes Execute a post open calendar of events The devil is in the details. Many of the tactics above are “common” for a grand opening, but nothing we do is “common.” We do it bigger, better and with attitude. Food drops featured complimentary bottles of signature hot sauce for companies to keep. Limbo contests challenged newscasters to see how low could they go—all in the name of raising money for charity. A robo-surfer allowed landlubbers to “hang ten” while grabbing dinner to go. But the activities did not end when the grand opening flags came down. We developed a 90- day post opening schedule in which we booked a series of benefit night challenges, where we pitted charities against one another to see which group could raise the most money. The winning group received a donation “kicker” of $1,000. By leveraging these community partners, we ensured the brand’s constant exposure with community activists; media and potential customers and the groups did the pitching for us! During the ops training phase, when the crew was still perfecting its speed of service delivery, all food that was prepared was used for product sampling. Street teams created detailed food drop grids and delivered samples to area businesses, schools and media. The brand hosted a Chef’s Tasting before the grand opening for area media to tease the new concept’s arrival in the market. A week-long grand opening, complete with media challenge and street theatrics built awareness and trial of the brand. Since the grand opening date was fluid, we adopted a door hanger initiative for the grand opening. Street teams fanned out through the three-mile trade area and blanketed the area in the days preceding the opening. A creative “passport to paradise” frequency campaign was created to encourage customers not familiar with the brand’s menu to explore the product variety and to make multiple trips within the first 60 days of the opening to build brand loyalty. Additionally, we created a series of local promotions with libraries, community groups and other retailers. We even created a series of professional-themed nights to encourage mingling of like people—hairdressers, teachers and other professionals. We created discount offers for community groups and trotted our restaurant manager out to these community groups to make that personal connection. RESULTS The first full week of operations generated sales in excess of $129,000. Yes, $129,000 in one week! The first three months of sales were in excess of $1 million. Average check was nearly $2 greater than core market performance and guests ordered larger meals with greater product variety. DO IT AGAIN Creating elements that could be replicated were key to this opening. Yes, the first opening was expensive. But the assets acquired—robo-surfer, mobile billboard, sampling kits, spin and win and other tools of the trade, were reused for subsequent openings. Additionally, all communication, flyers and communication tools were created as “templates” for customization and rollout for subsequent openings. Share the Post: Related Posts
How to plan a successful event in less than a week
CASE STUDY: How To Plan A Successful Event In Less Than A Week BACKGROUND Ink Link Marketing was brought in on a Friday to assist with a live viewing party for a national television show the following week. The only element that was already booked by the client was the venue, a country club. Ink Link was responsible for planning and executing the rest of the aspects of the party in under a week. STRATEGY Having a venue booked with a reliable and helpful contact is key to a successful event. Since the venue was full-service, they were able to provide the event space, food, drinks, staff and audiovisual equipment. With those elements in place, we moved quickly to brainstorm ideas, contact local vendors and confirm all other aspects of the event. TACTICS We were familiar with the area where the event was being held, so we knew what local vendors to use. If no local vendors are known, start by asking the venue for their preferred vendor list. They should be able to provide reliable contacts that are familiar with the location, the event space and the on-site coordinator. If the venue cannot provide such information, start with one vendor and ask for recommendations, or go on a wedding review site like www.theKnot.com or www.WeddingBee.com to find testimonials. Especially when in an unfamiliar market, relying on word-of-mouth recommendations from trusted sources will help the search for vendors. We spent a few hours brainstorming ideas for the following items: cake, signature drinks, party favors and giveaways, floral centerpieces, balloon art and entertainment. We found examples and images that represented what we wanted to be replicated. In some cases, like flowers and balloons, we went right to the vendor’s website to find something they have already made that was similar to what we envisioned. Since the vendor had already made the exact product before, it was easy for them to confirm availability and provide a price quote, which saved time. Just because we were rushed, we did not want the event to seem that way. Creating themed drinks, decorations, party favors and entertainment that tied back to the central purpose of the event were critical to this party’s success. Not only were we able to execute the event in such short time, we kept the costs low. Signature drinks were designed from ingredients already on the bar, and the printed menu was created using Microsoft Publisher on our own printer and put in low-cost frames. Temporary tattoos, which were stuffed in each goodie bag, cost fewer than 25 cents each, and mustache drink straws were only 34 cents apiece. The balloon centerpieces were created for height rather than volume, to create a low-cost, high-impact look to plus up the television screens. The cake was meant to be not only a delicious dessert, but a large decoration for the room and a conversation starter for guests. Further, by using local vendors only, delivery costs were kept reasonable. Each of these elements, designed artfully but executed without waste, played an integral role in the overall look of the party. We created a spreadsheet in Microsoft Excel that contained each element of the party and the status, the next steps, who on our team was responsible for the task, the cost, the vendor name and notes. This grid was the basis of information for the entire party and was consistently updated throughout the planning process, providing both Ink Link and the client a snapshot of the event. Since many events are held on the weekends, vendors typically work on Saturdays and are out of the office on Mondays. Waiting until Monday to contact each vendor for the first time could have been a critical mistake. Instead, we called each of them on Saturday, when we knew they would be open. After making initial contact, we followed up on Tuesday morning when all were back in their offices. By knowing the typical hours that event professionals work, and being sensitive of that time, we were able to get ahead rather than fall behind over the weekend. We kept in contact with our on-site coordinator. We received the room layout to envision setup and the BEO (banquet event order) form to review food and beverage options. In addition, we went through the entire event in chronological order to make sure all details were covered, from timing of the champagne toast to the color of the napkins to how many additional tables were needed for vendor setup. When the guest count increased suddenly by 40%, we notified the country club immediately so they would have adequate time to revise the floor plan, increase food inventory and schedule additional staff. In an effort to simplify, we ordered as many items as possible from the same vendors. Items that could not be purchased from a local vendor were ordered from www.Amazon.com using 2-day shipping to ensure arrival before we left for the event. No detail was spared; we even planned ahead to reserve scissors from the venue given that our team could not pack a pair on the plane to the event. We kept a folder with all of our event information on hand. The folder contained the floor plan, BEO, contact information and addresses for all vendors, copies of all invoices and receipts of payment, and the most updated party grid. We were able to find any information we could possibly need within that folder, saving time from digging through emails and notes. We followed up with all vendors the day before to make sure they had everything necessary to fulfill their order, and confirmed all delivery times for a half hour before we planned to arrive. We also created an internal plan for exactly what needed to be done when we arrived at the venue to set up for the party. Having a game plan was very important to maximize our time and efficiency the evening of the event. RESULTS In planning an
Grand Openings Built For Busy Franchisees
CASE STUDY: Grand Openings Built For Busy Franchisees SITUATION ANALYSIS Franchisees opening a new restaurant have different needs—and budgets—than large corporate organizations-, but one thing that both need are solid PR support. Tropical Smoothie Café’s (TSC) franchise model has received numerous accolades from sources such as Entrepreneur, Franchise Times and QSR. The fast-casual food and smoothie chain currently boasts more than 540 restaurants…. and growing! Franchisees in these locations needed a way to build brand awareness and garner excitement for their new units without spending excessive time or money on a grand opening event. That’s where Ink Link Marketing comes into action. The full-service communications agency was brought in to provide a solution to busy franchisees by planning grand openings that excite internal and external audiences, as well as generate press and sales with maximum buzz and minimal out-of-pocket expense. Ink Link’s modus operandi is to link their resources to develop the plans and tactics that deliver profits for clients. Their team has more than 35 years of collective PR and marketing experience that includes an extensive amount of grand opening experience. They helped open more than 40 Tropical Smoothie Cafe locations, and team members have helped open hundreds of units for other quick-service and casual dining brands across the country and the globe. With the thousands of hours committed to grand openings, they’ve gained expert status and the results speak for themselves. STRATEGY While operators focused on what they do best by offering quality service and products that make guests happy and come back for more, Ink Link did what they do best by helping bring in those guests from the start. The strategy was to leverage the brand’s best assets: its fresh, healthy food and its fun, friendly atmosphere – as a means to generate interest with local reporters, bloggers and thought leaders. The grand result is having a line out the door on opening day! TACTICS In addition to their shining personalities, there’s a lot of method to Ink Link’s opening day grandness. At the core of their success are detailed checklists that keep them on point as they work with the Tropical Smoothie Café corporate team and the franchisee to tackle all tasks related to the grand opening. The following are some of the primary tactics that have contributed to the desired results: Drafting customized press materials including, but not limited to advisories, releases, talking points, and Q&A documents; Developing PR hooks to attract media and new customers to the brand and grand opening events; Identifying and building in-market relationship with key media contacts and influencers within the trade area; Drafting and securing customized calendar listings on local high trafficked sites regarding the grand opening event; Coordinating, executing and following up on product drops to television and radio stations. Media training is provided for franchisees and TSC staff who participate so they can represent the brand confidently; Requesting and writing proclamations from local officials; Inviting Chambers of Commerce representatives and other dignitaries to a grand opening ceremony; Delivering post-releases including photos with cutlines from the grand opening ceremony and ribbon cutting to local media; drafting thank you notes for VIP attendees. RESULTS Studies conducted by Tropical Smoothie Café found that locations that used Ink Link’s services earned more local media coverage surrounding their grand openings, which contributed to awareness and revenues. Click HERE for some media samples. Ink Link Marketing has handled more than 40 openings for the brand. Ink Link was tapped to revamp Tropical Smoothie Cafe’s existing Grand Opening Manual and provide a detailed handbook that offered step-by-step instructions, templates, checklists and all the nuts and bolts needed to ensure successful openings. Share the Post: Related Posts
Restaurant Grand Reopenings Situation Analysis
Generating trial and awareness of a new restaurant at a grand opening is key to its ongoing success. But delivering interest in an existing restaurant that is being renovated or re-concepted to earn media attention and increase guest counts surrounding a grand re-opening can be a far more difficult task. Buffets, Inc., the nation’s largest steak buffet restaurant chain with over 340 locations, began re- concepting its restaurants in key markets such as Denver and Central Louisiana in 2012. The re- concepted restaurants receive truly impressive updates in décor, service and menu items. Buffets hired Ink Link Marketing to handle the marketing and public relations for the grand re-openings of their re-concepted restaurants because Ink Link’s replicable strategies made it easy to execute buzz-worthy events across all brands at all locations. Also, using an experienced marketing firm such as Ink Link freed up the individual store managers from having to spend valuable time away from their operations to plan the events. STRATEGY Ink Link Marketing created customizable templates to be used at any store location. Using simple, streamlined designs took the guesswork and wasted time and money out of planning a grand re- opening event. Promotions could be added or removed according to the needs of the brand or market. The agency drafted scripts, memos, press releases, how-to guides and more. In addition, Ink Link provided staffing through brand ambassadors, who were hired and trained when Buffets first entered a new market. These street teams were brought in for door hangings, community outreach and on-site grand re-opening events. The mass of materials created was referred to as “Grand Re-openings in a Box,” because of the ease in which a store location could perform their grand re-opening event with the help of Ink Link Marketing’s tactics. TACTICS The re-creatable grand re-opening kit included templates, instructions and checklists for public relations, promotions, community outreach and event planning. All programs were designed to create excitement for the weeks leading up to and the day of the grand re-openings. PR Customizable press release templates for each location, including: the grand re-opening event, sweepstakes or enter-to-win prize promotions, charity components and/or a post release with photo from the ribbon cutting at the event Talking points for store managers, employees and brand ambassadors when speaking about the event. Detailed action plans for Chef’s Tastings and cooking segments tailored for media were also created. Promotions Chef’s Tasting events with key media contacts. Food drops to television and radio stations. Outreach and partnerships with area car dealerships, including car giveaways and radio remotes were executed. Community Outreach Ribbon cutting with mayor, chamber of commerce or key community officials School bands, choirs or dance teams at the event. Benefit Nights were scheduled to attract large non-profits to the grand re-opening week. Brand ambassadors to distribute flyers and door hangers prior to the opening. Event Planning Entertainment such as balloon artists, clowns, DJs or live music for the opening. Props like balloon arches and spin and win items were created. Run-of-show program to help store managers and staff plan their day according to the schedule of events. RESEARCH Brand ambassadors armed with iPad surveys intercepted guests to learn about the key attributes about the remodel that left a positive impression. Excitement! Attention-grabbing setups outside the restaurants, live music, etc. Prize wheels and enter-to-win programs for large prizes like $10,000 or a new car. RESULTS Restaurants realized double digital increases in traffic and sales for many weeks after the grand opening. Learnings from the surveys resulted in some adjustments to the re-concepted elements. System-wide rollout is now underway! Share the Post: Related Posts
Generating Trial And Awareness Of A New Restaurant At A Grand Opening
Generating Trial And Awareness Of A New Restaurant At A Grand Opening SITUATION ANALYSIS Generating trial and awareness of a new restaurant at a grand opening is key to its ongoing success. But delivering interest in an existing restaurant that is being renovated or re-concepted to earn media attention and increase guest counts surrounding a grand re-opening can be a far more difficult task. Ovation Brands, the nation’s largest steak buffet restaurant chain with over 325 locations, began re-concepting its restaurants in key markets such as Denver and Central Louisiana in 2012. The re-concepted restaurants receive truly impressive updates in décor, service and menu items. Ink Link Marketing was hired to handle the marketing and public relations for the grand re-openings of their re-concepted restaurants because our replicable strategies made it easy to execute buzz-worthy events across all brands at all locations. Also, using an experienced marketing firm such as Ink Link freed up the individual store managers from having to spend valuable time away from their operations to plan the events. STRATEGY Ink Link Marketing created customizable templates to be used at any store location. Using simple, streamlined designs took the guesswork and wasted time and money out of planning a grand re-opening event. Promotions could be added or removed according to the needs of the brand or market. The agency drafted scripts, memos, press releases, how-to guides and more. In addition, Ink Link provided staffing through brand ambassadors, who were hired and trained when Buffets first entered a new market. These street teams were brought in for door hangings, community outreach and on-site grand re-opening events. The mass of materials created was referred to as “Grand Re-openings in a Box,” because of the ease in which a store location could perform their grand re-opening event with the help of Ink Link Marketing’s tactics. TACTICS The re-creatable grand re-opening kit included templates, instructions and checklists for public relations, promotions, community outreach and event planning. All programs were designed to create excitement for the weeks leading up to and the day of the grand re-openings. PR Customizable press release templates for each location, including: the grand re-opening event, sweepstakes or enter-to-win prize promotions, charity components and/or a post release with photo from the ribbon cutting at the event. Talking points for store managers, employees and brand ambassadors when speaking about the event. Detailed action plans for Chef’s Tastings and cooking segments tailored for media were also created. Promotions Chef’s Tasting events with key media contacts. Food drops to television and radio stations. Outreach and partnerships with area car dealerships, including car giveaways and radio remotes were executed. Community Outreach Ribbon cutting with mayor, chamber of commerce or key community officials. School bands, choirs or dance teams at the event. Benefit Nights were scheduled to attract large non-profits to the grand re-opening week. Brand ambassadors to distribute flyers and door hangers prior to the opening. Event Planning Entertainment such as balloon artists, clowns, DJs or live music for the opening. Props like balloon arches and spin and win items were created. Run-of-show program to help store managers and staff plan their day according to the schedule of events. Prize wheels and enter-to-win programs for large prizes like $10,000 or a new car. RESEARCH Brand ambassadors intercepted guests to learn about the key attributes about the remodel that left a positive impression. RESULTS Restaurants realized double digital increases in traffic and sales for many weeks after the grand opening. Learnings from the surveys resulted in some adjustments to the re-concepted elements.
Benefits of music Promotion
CASE STUDY: Benefits Of Music Promotions SITUATION ANALYSIS Tens of thousands of U.S. servicemen and women are deployed overseas, and it is their families, particularly the children, who experience the most anxiety and bewilderment during this time. The majority of military are young families, which is a core audience for restaurant chain Buffets, Inc. In 2012, Buffets, Inc. – the nation’s largest steak-buffet restaurant chain that owns and operates Ryan’s, HomeTown Buffet, Old Country Buffet, and Fire Mountain – wanted to align itself with a reputable national charity that was reflective of its core audience and trade areas. We secured the partnership with the Armed Services YMCA (ASYMCA) Operation Outdoors, a camp program that helps children of the military cope while their parents are deployed. Buffets launched effort with a system-wide in-store music promotion featuring popular country music artists to raise much-needed funds and awareness for Operation Outdoors. STRATEGY Buffets established a yearlong partnership with the ASYMCA, an A-rated and Four Star Charity (Charity Navigator). To strengthen the partnership and fund the Operation Outdoors initiative, Buffets partnered with country music artists. Country music was proven to be a genre favored by Buffets customers, and country music artists are often known for their patriotism. Buffets, with the help of Ink Link Marketing, developed its first-ever in-store music program that was featured in all 340 restaurants nationwide. The profits from CD sales from a summer program featuring popular country music duo Montgomery Gentry, a holiday program featuring legendary country music artist Charlie Daniels, and a promotion the following spring with popular singer, songwriter and actor Billy Ray Cyrus were directed toward the ASYMCA Operation Outdoors. The objective of the program was to raise funds and awareness for ASYMCA and Operation Outdoors. TACTICS Buffets sold the latest CDs for the respective artists in all 340 stores. The CDs were featured exclusively during their promotional periods, and held prominent counter space at the front of all stores. Some locations sold out within the first week, and re-orders were made. The promotions were publicized in a variety of media platforms, including: • Press releases • Satellite media tours (TV, radio, and online) • Radio promotions featuring giveaways of the CDs and free meals to Buffets restaurants • Direct mail • Social media by Buffets, ASYMCA outreach, and the artists • Corporate websites • Special radio programs • Online contests On the store level, the campaigns were promoted with POP, including: • Life size standees of the artists featuring their CDs • Window clings • Counter signage The chain also integrated personalized messages from the artists for the military into their Muzak systems in the stores. There were internal contests for employees to excite them to promote the alliance. Finally, online contests offered consumers commemorative autographed merchandise as prize packs. For example, weekly winners were selected through a Facebook contest to win autographed prize packs from the artists. Buffets and Ink Link utilized as many touch points as possible with both campaigns to maximize exposure. RESULTS The three music programs combined generated over $1 million in publicity with broadcast, print and online media. The programs also generated new customers and new online fans (courtesy of the online contesting and social media efforts). The ASYMCA benefitted from all the publicity, as they were mentioned and listed in all media and promotional materials. They also saw a significant increase in their own online traffic and “fans.” The partnership with ASYMCA proved to be very rewarding for both parties, and Buffets is looking to extend that relationship for another year. The extended commitment includes naming a Buffets executive to the national ASYMCA Board of Directors. Due to all the efforts from the music promotions, the ASYMCA recognized Buffets, Inc. and Ink Link Marketing as “Outstanding Partners of the Year for 2012”. Buffets also ranked as the largest referral resource for the ASYMCA in 2012. Share the Post: Related Posts