Join Us at the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago on May 18-21, 2013

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Restaurant.com is excited to announce that we will be exhibiting at the National Restaurant Association Show at McCormick Place in Chicago from May 18-21, 2013.  We will join more than 1,800 suppliers and thousands of buyers taking part in the pivotal restaurant industry event.

The Restaurant.com team will be in Booth #9217 and will be passing out free $50 Restaurant.com Gift Cards.  Be sure to stop by and pick one up, and take some time to learn more about how Restaurant.com can be the perfect solution for all your promotional needs, from customer incentives and loyalty programs to fundraising solutions.

Our representatives will be available to talk through your business’ unique challenges and opportunities, and determine how you can leverage Restaurant.com Gift Cards to your benefit.  If you can’t make it to the show, we are still happy to brainstorm solutions with you.  Simply fill out the Request More Information form and we will get in touch with you – usually within one business day!  Enjoy the show – we hope to see you there!

Your Current Customers Are Your Best Acquisition Tool

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While it’s tempting to focus all of your marketing efforts on acquiring new customers, research shows that there is far more opportunity in marketing to your existing customers. Check out the infographic below on the value of an existing customer for some stats!

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INFOGRAPHIC: How Do Your Customers Dine?

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Five Companies That Use Incentives to Encourage Environmentally Friendly Behavior

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From the perspective of both the marketer and the consumer, I can’t help but love a good incentive promotion.  These little delights encourage customer loyalty, reward referrals and are a great way of saying “thank you” to regular patrons.

Lately, I’ve noticed that some of my favorite brands are using incentives to drive different types of actions.  Specifically, many brands are using incentives to drive Earth-friendly APR5_shutterstock_121767160behavior.  In a world where a brand’s corporate social responsibility is often as important as the quality of its products and services, this is an incentive strategy that’s worth considering.

Here are five leading brands that wisely offer incentives in exchange for environmentally friendly behavior (and promote spending dollars with them at the same time!)

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Five Ways to Use Restaurant.com in your Mother’s Day Promo

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Mother’s Day commercials suggest that sending a generic bouquet is sufficient for the mama bear in your life.  But does something you can blindly order online really reflect the gratitude and appreciation you have for your leading lady?APR4_shutterstock_134343251

As a business, how do you attract Mother’s Day shoppers who want to do something a little different?  You extend a little nod and say, “We appreciate what you’re trying to do in order to make your Mother’s Day extra special and would like to reward your efforts in the process!”

Here are five ways Restaurant.com can help your business stand out this Mother’s Day!

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Restaurant.com Introduces Self-Exchange

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We all know what it’s like to change your mind.  Maybe you thought you wanted Chinese food when you redeemed your Restaurant.com Gift Card, but now all you can think about is eating pizza.  Restaurant.com knows that plans change, so we’ve introduced a new option that makes our gift cards even more flexible and easy (and desirable!) for your customers: They can now exchange Restaurant.com Gift Certificates online with just a few clicks!

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The Final Four of March (Marketing) Madness

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Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that March Madness is upon us. It’s that time of year: everyone puts on their favorite collegiate gear and tests their sports predication skills with tournament brackets. Basketball becomes the national conversation, leaving uninterested parties feeling a bit left out.

Even if you’re not into basketball, March Madness is a great time to watch companies flex their marketing muscles. Special events like March Madness are great opportunities to connect with new audiences while maintaining strong relationships with current customers. In my opinion, the following companies made the “Final Four” this year thanks to their creative and effective strategies for capitalizing on the March Madness tournament:

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Capitalize on Tax Refund Season – Get Customers to Spend that Extra Money with You!

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Get excited, retailers, because an estimated $230 billion in federal tax refunds will be issued this year to the nation’s taxpayers. That’s a lot of extra disposable income!

According to “The Impact of Tax Refunds on Average U.S. Families” (an online report based on recent IRS data) the average federal tax refund was $2,700 in 2012.  For two-thirds of taxpayers, this means receiving more than a month’s worth of income (or more than three months worth of groceries) for the average family of four.

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So the big question is: how can you encourage customers to spend their tax refund with YOU?

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How to Stand Out At A Trade Show

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Call me crazy, but I love trade shows.  All of the people, connections and innovation under one roof energize me.  Trade shows are a great opportunity to showcase some of your latest products while meeting new prospects, current clients, distributors, suppliers and stakeholders that influence your industry.  Exhibiting at a trade show can sometimes feel like getting out of your “cave” and seeing the world.MAR5_shutterstock_101806765

The major challenge with trade shows is standing out among the sea of booths.  Rather than be like every other booth at the show, we encourage you to get creative before heading to your next trade show.  Here are a few ideas that should increase your booth’s traffic and the quality of relationships you build.

Get Interactive

After visiting several booths, there are only so many science fair-style presentations one can take.  A great way to grab the attention of your visitors is to have them interact with something.  Set up a poll or game visitors can access through their smartphone.  Engage visitors with a virtual reality experience.  If you have computers in your booth, make sure they are equipped with a program that collects contact information, entertains and educates all at once.  Your visitors are more likely to remember you and your product if they interact with it themselves.  They’re also likely to be thankful for the new experience. [Read More...]

Why Everybody Wants Gift Cards

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At Restaurant.com, we know how much people love gift cards – it’s why we have a
business. Whether it’s filling empty seats at a restaurant or building brand loyalty for a client, gift cards have become a powerful strategy for businesses. Why gift cards? Simply put: Because people love them. Here are 5 reasons why:

1.  Gift cards give freedom.MAR4_shutterstock_117654439

Because gift cards allow the recipient to use their gift at any time, the recipient can choose to redeem their gift card during a time where they see the most value. For example, recipients may use their gift cards during a sale, during the holidays or on a rainy day.

2.  Recipients get to choose what they like, including trying a new product/service.

Gift cards offer an opportunity for consumers to try new brands, products and services. Recipients may not have been aware of the brand or have wanted to try somewhere new but hadn’t yet taken the opportunity to do so. This is particularly beneficial in the case of restaurants because people love to try new restaurants.

3.  Brands can personalize gift cards with their logo.

Gift cards that offer an opportunity to put your brand and messaging (co-branding) on them provide extra value to your business.  As a business, you can give customers a gift for another non-competing product or service while still keeping your own brand top of mind.  Your customers will be reminded where the great experience they are enjoying came from, thus building loyalty for your brand.

4.  Some gift cards can be purchased for less than face value.

At Restaurant.com, for example, we offer special rates for businesses purchasing gift cards in bulk. Businesses can purchase enough cards for large groups of people without reaching too deep into their pockets.  Plus, the recipients will only see the face value of the gift card – they’ll never know you paid less!

5. A gift card is never useless.

If the recipient doesn’t have any personal use for the gift card, chances are they know someone who does. So even if our direct recipient doesn’t have use for the card, they can re-gift it to someone who can make better use of it. Not a bad way to “pay it forward!”

According to giftcardexchangeday.com, gift cards have been the most requested holiday item on holiday wish lists since 2007. With statistics like that, your brand will benefit from including gift card giving in its marketing strategies.

 

                  How do you think issuing gift cards can benefit your brand?