If you've been following the news this week, blizzard conditions engulfed The Midwest. In the Kansas City / Overland Park area, we've received anywhere from 1.5 to 2 feet of snow from January 31st to February 1st.
Readers of this blog know I'm a huge fan and advocate of David Meerman Scott and his latest book, Real-Time Marketing & PR. In David's book, he discusses how individuals or businesses can create business opportunities by capitalizing on real-time news events.
I received via email the 20% discount offer you see on this post on Wednesday, February 2nd from KC Hopps, Ltd. KC Hopps, Ltd. runs a number of successful restaurants here in the Kansas City area.
Why KC Hopps, Ltd.'s Real-Time Marketing & PR Offer is Noteworthy:
1. Real-time news events (e.g., the current KC weather conditions) created this business opportunity
2. Most importantly, KC Hopps, Ltd. extended this offer to their current and existing Guest Rewards Members
Did it work? Did this "old-school" e-mail marketing campaign motivate KC Hopps, Ltd. Guest Rewards Members to leave their warm homes, drive on slick snowy streets, and brave below zero temperatures?
Last night, my family went to one of our favorite KC Hopps, Ltd. properties: The 810 Zone on 4800 W. 119th Street in Leawood, KS. We probably waited around 20 minutes before getting seated because the place was packed!
Here's a picture from the restaurant (and this is a small section of a vast restaurant space so it doesn't do my description complete justice):
Our hardworking, server, Mason N, said tons of Guest Reward Member families like ours printed and brought this 20% offer to dine at The 810 Zone.
Conclusion
You Don't Have to Be Social Media Sexy to Achieve Online Marketing Success. This promotional offer was an email-driven campaign to current and existing customers. Yes, email! Not Groupon, not Foursquare, not Twitter, not Facebook!
Who would've thought a "dinosaur" technology like email could possibly succeed against sexier social media platforms possessing billion dollar market valuations.
Good Things Happen When You Focus on Existing Customers. This is the bigger marketing and pr lesson here. I commend KC Hopps, Ltd. not only for their creativity in leveraging real-time events but also for their foresight to focus this offer on their existing customers.
P.S. #1: My family enjoyed a great dinner and our server Mason N was fantastic. The poor guy worked so hard, and the entire team at 810 Zone Leawood pitched in to handle the huge influx of patrons.
P.S. #2: I highly recommend the Chicken Fried Chicken with mashed potatoes and a side order of the Six Cheese Mac & Cheese with a glass of Boulevard Pale Ale. It was delicious, and I slept like a baby last night.