A few weeks ago after a business meeting, I was having lunch with the meeting attendees (M.A., B.K., S.R.) at The Blue Fish Restaurant. As one of them was paying the bill and handing their credit card to the server, I noticed something sticking out that looked a little odd.
Under the itemized bill and under the two credit card receipts was a card that read (look to the right)
ENERGIZE YOURSELF WITH A RED BULL TO GO! $4
I like the picture of the keys hanging off the tab of the opened can.
Of course I paused for a moment and discussed the card, idea, strategy, execution and everything else behind the marketing activity The Blue Fish Restaurant was trying to do.
At the end of the day, I love what they were trying to do, but the execution (more appropriate poor execution) kind of turned me off.
I love the idea of selling a product to go. I love the idea of increasing revenue that has few internal expenses attached to it, and I love the idea of establishing a potential revenue stream.
But:
- Why didn’t the server mention the promotion and hand us the card?
- Why wasn’t there anything on the bill highlighting and supporting this activity?
- When the manager came over and asked us how our meal was why didn’t they say anything?
- Why wasn’t the card on top of the bill instead buried beneath it so no one noticed?
Certainly I have lots of questions and hoping you can share your comments and answers with me.
I look forward to hearing from you.
PS – Do you like this strategy? Would you buy a product to go from a restaurant if the product was something you liked?
Karen Dawson says:
Personally, I would find it offensive if the restaurant “pushed” this on me, by having a waiter mention it, or the Manager. My thought process would be…”Is this a restaurant I’m eating at? or at the local 7-11 pushing the latest promotion?” If it has nothing to do with the Dining experience THERE, it shouldn’t be pushed. Now if I was at a Margaritaville restaurant, and they were doing a promotion with selling Jimmy Buffet’s Key Lime Pie to take home for the holidays….I’d get it. And that would be perfectly OK.
Bob Kaplitz says:
Merrill’s insight is on target, revealing what I find is often the case. A company develops a strategy, which makes great sense. Then they check it off their “To Do” list, failing to set up a process that ensures successful execution and ongoing assessment of effectiveness.
For example, the wait person likely wasn’t told about the value of putting the card on top of the bill or even mentioning it. So it doesn’t happen.
Perhaps the biggest missed opportunity is the value of the manager saying “You might be interested in that card…”
But I must take responsibility for an ever bigger missed opportunity. Taking Merrill, who I later learned doesn’t like sushi, to a sushi restaurant with my two colleagues. Yes, a little quick research on my part would’ve been smart — “What do you prefer for lunch?” — but Merrill wouldn’t have this insight to share!
Ed Sugar says:
To follow on what Karen states above, Red Bull is not a product produced by The Blue Fish Restaurant. If the wait staff and management at this restaurant are not properly executing this promotional campaign, the onus of it being successful lies with Red Bull and its regional distributor.