Dining Incentives: The Way to Consumers' Hearts (and Business) August 27, 2008 Edited by Stacy Straczynski
The addition of incentives into business strategy has become a central approach for companies looking to maintain growth and obtain successful ROI on marketing efforts in a sluggish economy. But with reduced budgets and tightening wallets, many marketing executives are finding that implementing a successful rewards program is oftentimes easier said than done. Now, executives feeling the pinch have a viable option when creating their merchandise catalogs—restaurant gift certificates at a discounted price.
Arlington Heights, Ill.-based Restaurant.com now offers wholesale savings via its new business-to-business Web site (http://CorporateSales.Restaurant.com), where $25 restaurant gift certificates are available for corporate purchase at a 60 percent added value of $10 or less.
"Now is the right time to show what some of our customers have known for years: that restaurant gift certificates are a perfect way for companies to acquire new customers and sell more products. Our program stands out with clear cost advantages and a broad national restaurant selection for recipients," says Cary Chessick, Restaurant.com president and CEO.
Restaurant.com partners with companies to offer restaurant gift certificates, cards and codes as sales incentives, customer acquisition tools and client gifts for every type of business. Since 2004, the company has developed corporate sales and marketing programs mainly offline as a brick and mortar service. Now, through its new Web site, the company is expanding its Web presence and reaching for marketers to obtain restaurant gift certificate savings. Businesses can reward their customers with a shopping cart full of credit to spend on restaurant gift certificates at the Restaurant.com restaurant of their choice.
"We've had other incentive programs, but this partnership with Restaurant.com has been a big win-win for both parties. Restaurant.com offers great value, service and delivers our orders on time, which is vital to the success of this effort," said Dave Drap, director of strategic marketing for Lifetime Fitness.
The site hosts information about the customizable dining products, which plug into promotional, loyalty and incentive marketing campaigns. Restaurant.com gift certificates and cards can be customized with a company logo or marketing message. Recipients then visit a redemption-only Web site and enter their unique code to apply the credited amount toward the gift cards. The site also shows a preview of more than 8,500 participating restaurants nationwide where recipients can select to redeem.
Restaurant.com has a wide variety of industry partners with many different incentive goals: Retailers present the gift certificates as rewards for customers who spend a minimum amount, sign up for membership or complete an action; Marketing research companies tap the program to motivate consumers to take surveys; while realtors use the certificates as an incentive to lure in house hunters and as stay-in-touch gifts. Restaurant.com counts Lifetime Fitness, United Airlines, David's Bridal, Staples, GMAC Real Estate, Office Depot and Sears among hundreds of corporate sales clients.
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