With convenience stores buzzing about marketing tactics such as geofencing, beacons and social media, it might seem like traditional marketing tactics are out of the picture. Many operators, however, continue to rely onold-school, time-tested strategies when it comes to boosting profits, especially in the pizza category.
We caught up with one c-store owner, Bruce Huseth of Underwood Quik-Stop, in Underwood, Minn., who has taken a hybrid approach to marketing, combining traditional tactics while also embracing social media outlets such as Facebook as a way to connect to today’s customers.
A long-time Piccadilly Circus Pizza client, Huseth added on a full-service restaurant two years ago, serving made-to-order subs, roasted chicken, burgers and other menu items in addition to fresh pizza slices and whole pies.
“During the transition, we didn’t need to do too much marketing because customers from the road could see the building going up,” says Huseth. Pretty soon, however, Huseth says he needed to figure out a good marketing strategy to introduce the new restaurant and menu items and keep the pizza program top of mind.
Direct Mail
Leveraging direct-mailing lists to send out printed information can supplement digital marketing methods as a yet another way to reach customers who may not always be tied to their computers or smartphones.
Customers of Land Mark Products’ Piccadilly Circus Pizza program have the unique benefit of receiving access to the company’s crafted lists, which target a specific c-store’s postal area(s) and give retailers an opportunity to send postcards, flyers, coupons and more to the immediate area.
“The most successful use of these direct mailings for us was when we would run our $10 for any large pizza and $12 for any specialty pizza promotion four times a year,” Huseth says. “We just about double our pizza sales when we run that promotion for the entire month.”
Huseth admits he was at first wary about selling pizzas at a lower cost, but he says the volume and corresponding marketing program has made up for it in volume revenue. Often, customers will even purchase two pizzas instead of just one because of the price.
Outside of distributor marketing services, some third-party marketing companies sell, or, for a lesser cost, rent, lists to c-stores to build, boost or supplement their own customer databases.
Banner & Printed Advertising
In addition to direct mailers, Land Mark Products provides Huseth with banners to hang in his store to promote his pizza program and restaurant.
“We are limited as to what we can hang outside, because we have a branded Shell gas station, but the banners do draw attention to our pizza offerings right as customers walk in the store,” he says, noting the banner is also particularly effective during that $10 and $12 pizza promotion period.
Huseth says he’s currently investigating digital and video marketing options at the pump, but he notes that banners can stand in as effective, traditional marketing pieces when that technology is not yet available for certain c-stores.
Rewards Coupons
Not every c-store has a robust, digital loyalty program, and that’s where traditional coupons come in. And, when supplemented by regular, ongoing community outreach and involvement, they only add to a c-store’s traffic-boosting potential.
“We have a reading program at the school next door through the Piccadilly Pizza program, and we offer coupons for free pizzas throughout the year to kids who do especially well,” says Huseth.
Underwood Quik-Stop also hands out promotional coupons while selling pizzas at the concession stands during sports and other events at the school to encourage customers to visit the store for pizza during the week and weekends. As a result, Huseth continues to see traffic increases after these events.
Although there’s a case to be made for marketing via social media and other digital strategies, age-old marketing tactics and traditional ads are still a viable way for retailers to boost profits.
This post is sponsored by Land Mark Products