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Restaurateur Cooks Up Coupon Campaign Using E-mail Marketing When transplanted New Yorker, Tommy Fariello, opened Tommy’s Italian Restaurant in Davie, Florida, he understood that regardless of how amazing his Chilean sea bass oreganato was his business was toast if he didn’t advertise. But when the cost of TV and newspaper advertising began eating up a larger portion of his budget, he started searching for a more cost-effective way to reach his customers. “The e-mail marketing services provided by Equilibrix are so inexpensive –– less than 3 cents per contact –– we can afford to send out weekly eflyers promoting our dinner specials,” explains Mr. Fariello. “Plus, we always include a coupon for a complimentary appetizer or bottle of wine. What other form of advertising delivers a coupon for just pennies?” Key ingredients The most important element in a successful e-mail marketing campaign is an accurate database. To start building theirs, the servers at Tommy’s (which has a 3 ½-star rating from the Sun-Sentinel) had customers fill out VIP cards supplied by Equilibrix. Next in the mix: A subject line that lets recipients know this is not junk mail; and attractive layouts that show at a glance what’s on the menu at Tommy’s each week. The icing on the tiramisu: Printable coupons and links to companion sites. The right recipe “The experts at Equilibrix maintain our database, design and send out our eflyers,” continues Mr. Fariello. “I spend less time planning advertising and more time caring for our customers. And because our customers have signed up to receive eflyers from us, we enjoy a very high ‘open’ rate. “We can measure the campaign’s effectiveness by the number of coupons we receive and from customer feedback. Another huge benefit is that our subscribers can forward our eflyer to family and friends so they can take advantage of our weekly specials, too. Then, when those folks come in, we invite them to fill out a card and start to receive their own eflyers. Of course, there is always an ‘opt-out’ button on everything we send. “The people at Equilibrix are professional, responsive and helpful. In my opinion, e-mail marketing rates four stars!” |
