The owners of Scoogi’s, a classic Italian family restaurant, sought an affordable new marketing channel which would provide them with greater flexibility to connect with their customers in a timely fashion ahead of slow periods and nightly promotions.

The Bottom Line

To increase the number of times Scoogi’s “touches” their customers beyond the eight mailings they’ll do this year, they integrated their campaign with mobile marketing. Text messages have been pushed about every other week since launching mobile at the beginning of June.

Money Mailer’s Approach

Money Mailer employed a multi-tiered, integrated campaign to advertise the text opt-in opportunity. It included shared mail, in-store collateral and small cards for take-home, delivery and check presentations. Plus, staff and management were trained on how to easily explain the mobile program.

During a buy one, get one weekend special, nearly 20 customers who received the text offer came in…more than covering Scoogi’s expenses for the program.

With a keen understanding of the client, Money Mailer did not encourage making special discount offers with the mobile messages. Rather, Money Mailer simply started the mobile campaign with an eye-catching shared mail piece that featured a top banner signaling recipients to join the text program and remain informed of the nightly specials.

Our Advertising Solution

Scoogi’s management showed tremendous excitement for the print ad, and once the opt-ins began to come in, they were hooked. Plus, Money Mailer made it an enticing opportunity for Scoogi’s by including 500 free text messages each month for the first six months of their advertising agreement.

Scoogi’s immediately saw the benefits of integrating mobile into their marketing mix, and exceeded the 500 text messages by nearly three times in the program’s first month.

Money Mailer has now successfully encouraged Scoogi’s to be even more aggressive with its mobile text offer. The restaurant now offers a free appetizer as the opt-in reward for mobile phone users.

With just one mailing and four messages pushed out, Money Mailer built a mobile database of more than 400 customers.

The Real Bottom Line

This year’s Father’s Day was a prime example of the success Scoogi’s has had with Money Mailer’s mobile marketing solution. A text message was pushed out a few days ahead of the holiday, reiterating the restaurant’s “Dad’s Free Entrée” offer. The response from consumers resulted in the restaurant’s busiest Father’s Day in 18 years.

In the mobile campaign’s first six weeks, more than 400 consumers opted-in to receive regular text messages.

“Money Mailer’s mobile initiative allows us to keep people interested in coming back to Scoogi’s. We need to get these messages out there to remind people about our specials. It’s to our advantage to connect with our customers so that we can keep them part of our whole family concept.”
Rob Rosato, Owner
Scoogies

Scott Fender, owner of Rosati’s Pizza in Overland Park, Kansas, has been sending consumers in the area his menu and offers for over 5 years via the Money Mailer shared mail envelope. However, as competition grew fiercer among pizza restaurants in his market, he needed a new marketing channel to grow his business.

The Bottom Line

To increase customer traffic and sales, Rosati’s Pizza integrated its shared mail campaign with mobile marketing. Text messages have been pushed every week since launching mobile in late-May 2009.

Money Mailer’s Approach

Money Mailer employed an integrated campaign that included shared mail with a mobile coupon offer and three “side offers,” plus in-store signage promoting the mobile campaign. The invitation to opt-in to the mobile offer dominated the colorful shared-mail piece. Additionally, staff and management were trained on how to explain the mobile program to customers.

Money Mailer suggested an “aggressive” mobile offer to get opt-ins so Rosati’s could communicate directly with these customers.

Our Advertising Solution

Money Mailer suggested an “aggressive” offer for the mobile-campaign portion of the shared-mail piece, and Rosati’s Pizza agreed so they could communicate directly with this captive group of customers. The offer was a free, one-topping medium pizza for consumers who opted-in to the mobile campaign. The “side offers” appealed to consumers to come back to the restaurant or try it for the first time. Money Mailer sent the shared-mail envelope to 20,000 homes.

After the first mailing, 200 consumers opted-in to receive regular text-message offers. After the second mailing, more than 200 additional recipients opted-in, bringing the total to over 400 for both mailings.

The Real Bottom Line

After the first mailing, 200 consumers opted-in to receive regular text-message offers. After the second mailing, more than 200 additional recipients opted in, bringing the total to over 400 for both mailings. Push messages are currently sent weekly to advertise the weekly special at Rosati’s. Both younger and older consumers opted-in to the mobile campaign, and the results were so good that a third mailing went out in late August 2009.

“We’ve seen that a lot of opt-ins are teenage kids. But older customers have also taken advantage of the mobile coupon offer. We know that this is working.”
Jim Secrest, Owner
Money Mailer of Kansas City, KS

Watch an ABC News Story on the Rostai’s Mobile Coupon Success

The owner of a new franchised location of Papa Murphy’s Take ’N Bake Pizza in Amarillo, Texas, had never owned a business before. With minimal knowledge of how to connect with his customer base, the owner called on Money Mailer to provide consultation and marketing services. He began to use Money Mailer shared mail to increase customer traffic and sales. Impressed by the results Money Mailer generated from shared mail, the owner adopted mobile marketing as an additional tactic to generate incremental sales.

The Bottom Line

To broaden the reach of its shared mail marketing program, Papa Murphy’s began to integrate the campaign with mobile marketing by pushing text messages every other week.

Money Mailer’s Approach

Money Mailer employed an integrated campaign to advertise the text opt-in opportunity and reach as wide an audience as possible. The campaign included shared mail and point-of-purchase displays including table tents and window ‘clings’ to increase awareness and encourage opt-ins. In addition, Papa Murphy’s staff distributed flyers about the mobile coupon program to customers when they came in to pick up a pizza order.

Over 1,200 consumers have opted-in to Papa Murphy’s mobile campaign

Our Advertising Solution

Because Papa Murphy’s headquarters supplies its franchisees with the artwork and promotional offers made in all coupons, Money Mailer strategically decided to replace the least aggressive offer that was supplied with the mobile offer. The initial mobile coupon to encourage opt-ins was for a free, one-topping medium pizza with the purchase of any pizza. To keep customers who opted-in excited about the program, subsequent mobile campaign offers were different but continued to be aggressive. Push messages generally advertised such offers as buy-one-get-one-free and a medium pizza for only $3.00.

The campaign has generated 4% in incremental sales

The Real Bottom Line

The mobile coupon campaign exceeded Papa Murphy’s expectations and has generated a high level of participation among their customers. Over 1,200 consumers have opted-in to receive text message coupons. The campaign has generated incremental sales of nearly 4 percent because most customers who came in for either a free pizza or discounted medium pizza upgraded their purchases by ordering additional toppings or a large pizza instead of a medium.

“It is especially important to keep people who have opted-in to the campaign excited about the program. After the first push message goes out, the subsequent messages must continue to advertise “hot” offers to keep them coming back instead of going to the competition.”
Blake Goldston, Owner
Money Mailer of Amarillo, TX

Innovation is at the heart of why McDonald’s is one of the most recognized brands in the world. The company’s culture fosters its franchisees to find new ways of competing in the marketplace. A McDonald’s franchisee in southwest suburban Houston routinely takes this to heart, coming up with new and creative ways to market his restaurant to the community he serves. Mobile marketing provided him with a new marketing channel he could use to encourage his customers to keep coming back.

The Bottom Line

To improve the amount of daily transactions and increase the revenue generated per customer, Money Mailer worked with the McDonald’s location to create an integrated marketing program encouraging customers to opt-in to receive mobile text messages.

Money Mailer’s Approach

Well aware of the fact that the McDonald’s franchisee had an affinity for trying new marketing tactics, Money Mailer introduced its mobile offering to the business owner. To announce the program, the McDonald’s location created an in-store banner with the opt-in code, which was hung near the cash registers. However, after learning that 85 percent of the location’s business was generated at the drive-thru window, Money Mailer provided the owner with counter cards that the drive-thru attendant gives to customers.

Our Advertising Solution

By introducing its mobile marketing platform, Money Mailer showcased the value that it brings to businesses. Adding on mobile at just a fraction of the cost of the overall shared mail campaign, boosted the redemption rate of Money Mailer’s offers to nearly double the amount that was being generated from shared mail alone. The mobile program accelerated rapidly once the counter cards were placed at the drive-thru window, increasing the opt-in database by more than 23 percent in the first ten days they were used.

The McDonald’s location is currently averaging 25 opt-ins each week.

The Real Bottom Line

The McDonald’s franchisee was able to achieve more than a $20 to $1 ROI with the shared mail and mobile integrated campaign. Plus, the integrated approach built McDonald’s database to nearly 300 customers participating in the mobile program. The redemption rate on the mobile messages is 17% to this highly engaged, targeted group of customers.

“Realigning our focus to the drive-thru window made a world of difference. It was a reminder to always ask the customer who their target is.”
Chris Abel, Owner
Money Mailer of Ft. Bend County and Katy (TX)

Froots in Antioch, Illinois, a healthier fast-food business, re-opened in the same location where it had previously failed. The original owner had closed its doors after less than a year in business, and a new owner has now taken over the store, re-opening the location after a six-month period in which the business had not been operating.

In addition, the store’s location is another challenge. Antioch is situated in a rural part of northeastern Illinois and has a historic downtown. However, Froots is set up a few miles outside of the downtown district, adjacent to a shopping center that opened two years ago with Wal-Mart as its anchor tenant. Residents were divided, with some favoring the new retail development and others opposing it.

The Bottom Line

Froots is a healthy alternative to traditional fast-food, offering smoothies, gourmet wraps, salads and soups. In Antioch, there are few choices for healthy fast-food. Thus, Froots wants to capitalize on its distinctive fare by sharing its generous discount opportunities to local residents who are concerned about their health, immune to the controversy surrounding the store’s location, and unfazed by the failure of the store’s first owner.

Money Mailer’s Approach

The targeted audience for the mobile campaign was Antioch’s young adult and high school crowd. With high school students frequenting the store, Money Mailer knew it would need to capture their attention while at the location. As a result, Froots’ integrated marketing campaign included not only Money Mailer’s shared mail and mobile solutions, but in-store collateral and employee training were added as critical components of the text program.

Our Advertising Solution

With the new Froots owner uncertain about using shared mail and mobile offers for their direct marketing needs, Money Mailer understood the importance of taking a hands-on approach with this client. Money Mailer made several trips to the store to train Froots’ staff, to discuss the importance of their participation and to help post in-store marketing materials. The staff’s full understanding was important because they would need to engage the high school crowd in conversation or answer their questions about the mobile text program. The high school students most likely wouldn’t learn about the program through the shared mail ad, since it would be their parents would be getting that in the mail.

After two mailings, 260 opt-ins have been collected. The combination of mobile and shared mail resulted in an impressive 300 total redemptions.

The Real Bottom Line

Since integrating the mobile element of Froots’ direct marketing campaign last April, more than 300 mobile and print coupons have been redeemed. So far, 260 consumers have opted-in to the text program and asked for offers to be sent to their phones to purchase more frequently. The initial offer, as well as the two push messages that have been sent, have been aggressive, free smoothie opportunities.

“By using mobile direct marketing, we are able to offer our client a solution that connects with the area’s younger but influential consumers.”
Janet Galati, Owner
Money Mailer of Chain-O-Lakes, IL

Pat’s Pizza Family Restaurant in Dover, Delaware, a new addition to the brand’s collection of more than 50 company units throughout the Mid-Atlantic region, wanted to use Money Mailer’s mobile marketing solution to increase its customer traffic each week during normal slow periods and on holidays.

As a shared mail client of Money Mailer that has experienced the benefit of working with one of the direct marketing industry’s most reputable businesses, Pat’s was open to adding the mobile component to its limited marketing mix. Aside from Money Mailer, their only promotional outreach is through menus the location sends out on its own.

By mid-2009, Pat’s conducted five mailings with Money Mailer and has been integrating their efforts with up to three mobile offers sent out each month of the year.

The Bottom Line

Pat’s is an upscale, quick casual eatery offering carefully selected menu items made from fresh ingredients. Along with the food, the location’s modern restaurant design distinguishes it from the competition. The company maintains its competitive advantage as a leader in quality, not price. Thus, they do not present customers with substantial discounts on their menu items. However, they are willing to make offers for slow periods and holidays, and Money Mailer is used to address those times.

Through five mailings, nearly 300 opt-ins have been collected and added to the restaurant’s database.

Money Mailer’s Approach

Money Mailer of Central Delaware had a clear understanding of Pat’s market positioning and worked with the store’s leadership to design a mobile marketing program that would not diminish the value of the brand. One of the important suggestions Money Mailer made was to limit the number of mobile messages sent to customers who opted into the program. In addition, to demonstrate the value of the restaurant’s products, Money Mailer recommended a buy-one-get-one versus a free initial offer when consumers first opt-in.

Our Advertising Solution

After a brief test, Pat’s stopped using in-store marketing materials advertising the mobile opt-in offer, feeling as though the response was too overwhelming for their employees to handle. Ever since, the restaurant has solely communicated the program through its shared mail piece. The most successful mobile offer the restaurant made was a Mother’s Day promotion. Not traditionally a pizza and sandwich holiday, the restaurant was able to boost sales with a large pizza and 12 wings promotion communicated through a mobile push to its database. Nearly 20 customers used the mobile offer.

On Mother’s Day, more than 6% of those who received the text offer purchased the special offer.

The Real Bottom Line

In addition to the shared mail piece, Pat’s now sends offers three times a month to nearly 300 customers using Money Mailer’s mobile marketing solution. As a result, the new restaurant has had an easier time establishing itself in the community as a quality leader, featuring a one-of-a-kind family-pizza restaurant experience.

“Money Mailer‟s mobile solution is a very “sticky” product. Once a customer tries it, it is hard for them to leave it. It sticks with them because it’s affordable and the return on investment is consistently positive.”
Greg Makowsky, Owner
Money Mailer of Central Delaware

The owner of two IHOP franchise locations in New Jersey was searching for new ways to stimulate sales at both locations. Money Mailer of Greater Morris County had previously executed several successful shared mail campaigns for them for over a year and suggested integrating mobile marketing into the restaurants’ marketing strategy.

The Bottom Line

IHOP set out to increase sales through a compelling, convenient and low cost marketing solution. Mobile marketing met all three requirements and provided for an easy-to-track way to generate incremental revenue. Plus, mobile marketing served as a useful tool for building IHOP’s customer database. Through shared mail, IHOP advertised regularly to 50,000 area residents. The mobile integration added 20 percent greater circulation for a minimal increase in investment.

IHOP’s mobile campaign has resulted in over 445 opt-ins since its launch, for an average of over 100 per month

Money Mailer’s Approach

Money Mailer worked closely with IHOP’s management to create in-store marketing collateral supporting mobile and to train employees on how to discuss the promotional opportunities with customers. Through Money Mailer’s guidance, IHOP launched the campaign by welcoming opt-ins with a free-pancakes offer, which worked so well that IHOP continues to use the offer. Customers who opted-in received new offers every other week, including free soup or salad with
purchase of an entrée, and a free sundae with the purchase of a dinner entrée.

New messages remind customers to visit IHOP on Fridays for Clown Nite and Character’s Nite. Money Mailer helps IHOP monitor consumers’ response to the offers, providing guidance on the type and timing of new offers.

Our Advertising Solution

In addition to the shared mail offer, Money Mailer reinforces the campaign with in-store collateral pieces, including window clings and table tents to drive customer opt-ins. In addition, the mobile campaign opened the door to an employee contest where servers are awarded for generating the most opt-ins over a given period. Plus, the mobile opt-in offer and code is being painted onto store windows.

Staff morale is higher and customers are becoming more inclined to visit the stores more frequently because of the flexibility mobile coupons offers complementing shared mail.

The Real Bottom Line

IHOP’s mobile campaign has resulted in 445 opt-ins since its launch. Nearly 10 percent of those receiving the mobile coupons have redeemed them. Money Mailer’s shared mail pieces are being redeemed frequently as well, at the rate of 250-300 per month at one location and 160-250 per month at the other.

“In my client’s eyes we have gone from a direct mailer to a direct marketer. Working together, we are opening up new marketing channels. My client is more willing than ever before to try new things.”
Susan Mann, Owner
Money Mailer of Greater Morris County

Sanders Restaurant and Pancake House in Skokie, Ill., has been an independent, family dining fixture since 1984 that enjoys a loyal customer base. While some guests come in two to four times a week, dinner sales were lagging on multiple weeknights as the economy tumbled. Money Mailer’s task was to design an integrated program that would bring customers in during slow periods.

The Bottom Line

The family-dining segment of the restaurant industry has grown increasingly competitive as the large chains and small, independent restaurants alike try to increase sales during all day-parts. The primary focus for Sanders Restaurant was driving traffic during the slow, weeknight dinner period.

The combination of shared mail and point-of-purchase displays has generated more than 320 opt-ins and growing.

Money Mailer’s Approach

Because Sanders Restaurant is a longtime client, Money Mailer knew their previous challenges and successes and recommended a new marketing solution. Money Mailer’s representative explained the advantages of integrating the restaurant’s direct-marketing program with mobile coupons. This would add another dimension to the restaurant’s marketing strategy and differentiate it from competitors. The investment would be minimal, the impact would be significant.

Our Advertising Solution

Money Mailer began advertising Sanders Restaurant’s first mobile coupon offer in shared mail envelopes in January 2009. In-store point-of purchase material also promoted the mobile opt-in program. The number of opt-ins would be measured to analyze how well this new tactic worked.

The combination of shared mail and point-of-purchase material generated more than 320 opt-ins. Based on the results, the mobile-coupon strategy was deemed a success. Future plans include expanding the mobile program into a larger communications strategy to promote new menu items as well as holiday offers and other savings.

The Real Bottom Line

Client’s Marketing Challenges

TCBY’s Salisbury, Maryland location, situated adjacent to Salisbury University, turned to Money Mailer for two reasons:

1. To help it grow its college student customer base
2. To help it sustain its current level of sales from family households in the area.

Previously, Money Mailer had successfully carried out two mailings per year for TCBY to area households in its popular shared mail envelope. With a trusting relationship established, Money Mailer worked with TCBY to turn this year’s campaigns into integrated programs that combined mailings with mobile marketing. Since integrating their campaign with the mobile element in 2009, TCBY has carried out three campaigns already this calendar year.

The Bottom Line

TCBY’s top priority for the campaign was to build its database of college students so it could regularly market to the captive audience passing by its store onto campus each day. TCBY incorporated the offer into its point of sale (POS) system to track results from the campaign.

20% of the mobile messages have been redeemed.

Money Mailer’s Approach

Once the campaign began Money Mailer consulted on a regular basis with the TCBY location’s owner to create a new offer each week. Money Mailer also worked closely with the TCBY location’s owner to routinely monitor consumers’ response to the offers being made. As with all of its clients, Money Mailer served as a local marketing agency capable of supporting its clients with strategic, integrated promotions.

Our Advertising Solution

Money Mailer kicked off each of the three integrated campaigns that it executed for TCBY with a mail piece in its widely circulated shared mail envelope. The ad provided an opt-in code for recipients to text on their cell phones to a designated number and receive special offers from the TCBY location.

In addition, Money Mailer’s in-store table tent cards and window clings also advertised the opportunity for customers to participate in the mobile program. Money
Mailer provided TCBY with extra pieces that it could hand out on campus, and the client had special stickers printed that it stuck to cups with the keyword printed on it.

Opt-ins were collected for a week and then sent a text message offer. As the opt-ins grew, so did Money Mailer’s credibility with its client. The mobile component presented Money Mailer with an opportunity to collaborate with its client and create a symbiotic relationship — Money Mailer earned more of TCBY’s marketing spend and TCBY grew its customer base.

The Real Bottom Line

The mobile component, still new to many small business owners, has consistently exceeded customer expectations. TCBY has grown its college student customer base with more than 300 opt-ins through the first two months of the integrated campaign. Moreover, nearly 20 percent of those receiving the mobile coupons have redeemed them.

“I am very excited to offer this cutting edge program to the local small business community. When I share it with my clients and prospects they get excited right along with me.”
Susan McMullen, Owner
Money Mailer of Delmarva

ABC news story featuring TCBY and their Money Mailer mobile coupon campaign.

Pizza Planet, a locally-owned business in north-central Texas with two locations, needed a new and exciting way to get its message in front of a larger audience. They were particularly interested in targeting a younger demographic: ages 16 to 30. Pizza Planet was seeking an integrated direct marketing approach to connect with consumers at multiple touch points to attract new customers and turn them into frequent guests, while retaining existing customers.

The Bottom Line

Money Mailer introduced Pizza Planet to mobile text couponing and its benefits when integrated into the direct marketer’s popular shared mail solution. Mobile marketing is a proven tool for attracting younger consumers who are showing an increased preference for receiving messages through their cell phones and over the Internet. With Money Mailer’s guidance, Pizza Planet recognized that they had to communicate with the 18-35 year-old crowd differently than it did with older consumers.

Each opt-in generated $2.50 in profit per customer

Money Mailer’s Approach

Money Mailer, which has been working with Pizza Planet for more than 10 years, suggested to the company’s owner that he try something new: integrating mobile text messages with the shared mail campaign he has traditionally called upon Money Mailer to provide. Money Mailer put a bold call-to-action in the mailed piece, asking consumers to opt-in to receive text messages about Pizza Planet’s discount offers.

Our Advertising Solution

Money Mailer promoted Pizza Planet’s mobile coupon offer through its core solution, shared mail, at the start of 2009. Within just a few weeks the integrated approach generated more than 350 opt-ins to the text messaging program, which was easily tracked in-store. Messaging that encouraged customers to opt-in to receive text offers was also noticeably visible in the restaurant: on table tents, door clings, banners and on fliers attached to the top of the pizza boxes. The mobile program combined with the shared mail solution clearly differentiated Pizza Planet in a competitive restaurant segment.

The Real Bottom Line

Pizza Planet achieved nearly $3,000 in sales just from the mobile coupons. Each opt-in generated $2.50 in profit per customer. As a result of this success, Pizza Planet will increase its push text marketing messages to weekly instead of every two or three weeks.

“Pizza Planet’s goal was to get enough new people in the door to pay for the program. It far and away exceeded that.”
Blake Goldston, Owner
Money Mailer of Amarillo