When talking about new mover marketing programs, we often mention proven offers. But what are proven offers and why do they matter? We all get coupons in the mail- it’s practically a fact of life. We are all familiar with the coupon books and bundles delivered in our mailbox every week. Most of these coupons are for a fixed dollar amount off a purchase, buy one get one free offers, or a percentage off. These coupons are often mixed and it requires effort to go through them all. We know that these types of coupons and mailers carry low response rates. Only a tiny percentage of people will redeem an offer for a free soft drink with a purchase or a dollar off a lunch buffet. A tiny percentage of people will redeem an offer for a free soft drink with a purchase… Since 1972, we have worked with hundreds of thousands of businesses to bring new customers through their doors with our new mover welcome package. This welcome package is full of gift certificates that invite the new mover in to various local businesses to try their products and services. While that may sound simple, there is a science behind it. Our goal is to make our new mover marketing program bring you great results, so how do we determine what works and what doesn’t? Through our proven offers! So what are proven offers? Our proven offers are gifts to new movers which historically have an exceptional response rate, which allows us to accurately determine future response rates. To put it another way, let’s look at an example for pizza shops. When we set up a new mover marketing campaign for a local pizzeria, we look at what has worked in the past. We know offering a free large pizza is all but guaranteed to get redeemed over a coupon for 25% off the customer’s entire purchase. Imagine for just a moment you have recently moved to a new city. You only know of major pizza chains in the area and you know nothing about any of the locally owned pizza shops. If you’re like me, the national chains are fine if that’s all there is, but there is nothing like a great locally owned pizza shop. You get a coupon in the mail for 25% off an entire purchase at a national chain and a gift certificate for a free pizza at a local pizzeria. Which one are you going to be quickest to redeem? If your family has the opportunity for a free pizza at a local pizza shop, no strings attached, do you think you would act upon it? You bet you would! Each redeemed certificate contributes to the data used to calculate our proven offers. The same holds true for other industries too! Which would you make a priority to redeem: $5 off a haircut or a free haircut? $10 off an oil change or a free oil change? You get the picture. We compare the certificates scanned to the number of mailings that have gone out… How do we know these certificates get redeemed? Through our TruTrak® software, each business scans certificates and our database instantly updates to reflect the redemption. We compare the certificates scanned to the number of mailings that have gone out to help determine if an offer is successful. We have over 45 years of historical data on-hand to help us accurately predict the success rate of every new mover marketing campaign. That’s data from millions of certificates redeemed at thousands of businesses at our disposal so we know what works and what doesn’t. This all plays an important role in how we determine a proven offer. Besides knowing which gifts are being redeemed, we take it a step further. Each new mover is invited to take part in a new mover survey which gives us unbiased ratings and reviews for the businesses in the welcome package. The data collected from the survey allows us to know exactly what people are saying about the offer they’ve redeemed and their experience at the business, good and bad. If an offer has a high response rate, but a low customer satisfaction rate we know that there are adjustments to make. We receive thousands of survey results every month and they are all reviewed by real people. Using proven offers is vital to your new mover marketing campaign and we have nearly half a century of data at our fingertips to make the best recommendations for your business. Contact me today for a free, no-obligation market analysis so we can determine which of our proven offers will make your campaign a success! Steven SgroiSteven is Our Town America’s corporate sales manager and oversees the national sales team. www.ourtownamerica.com […]
Steven is Our Town America’s corporate sales manager and oversees the national sales team.
Articles by Steven Sgroi:
Pizza marketing doesn’t have to be a challenge. Two things are inevitable: everyone moves at some point in their life, and everyone needs to eat to survive. And, while maybe not applicable to every single person in the US, MOST people like pizza. In fact, pizza is a $30 billion per year industry. So, as a restaurant owner or marketer for a local or chain pizzeria, it seems like a no brainer to advertise your product to new residents in your market/area/city. But why haven’t you started yet? You do Facebook marketing and sometimes you stick a sign about an event you’re hosting on your business lawn, but these methods are not necessarily geared towards new movers. What if your prospective clients don’t have internet yet or simply haven’t driven by your storefront to see that sign? In fact, getting new, working internet can take up to 2 weeks after moving into a new residence. …Partnered pizzerias and pizza restaurants can see response rates over 27% This is where New Mover Marketing comes into play. While we can’t speak for all New Mover programs, Our Town America’s partnered pizzerias and pizza restaurants can see response rates of 27.66% (based on our historical data). This means over 27% of new movers who receive gift certificates are redeeming them. That number is unheard of! ‘How the heck is that even possible? Isn’t direct mail dead?’ You may be thinking to yourself. Very far from dead, actually. According to the U.S. Postal Service, 98% of Americans check their mail on a daily basis. While email can get overwhelming with hundreds of promotional emails received daily, direct mail is delivered just once a day. Many people actually look forward to opening a tangible envelope that was placed in their personal mailbox. Furthermore, the Our Town America envelope is personally addressed to the new mover by name – not to “current resident” or “owner”, but to ‘The Robinson Household’, for example. Unlike other mailers, the Our Town America New Mover Welcoming Package is received only once – not periodically, eliminating the possibility for consumers to see it as a bother. Not only will your prospective customers be inclined to open this piece of mail addressed directly to them, but they will also be intrigued by the “Housewarming Gifts from Your Neighborhood” text on the front of this beautifully crafted, oversized envelope. Your pizzeria will stand out from others in your area, as you will be the only pizza restaurant in your chosen zip codes’ package. This is key, as you are introducing your business to new movers before your competition even has a chance! Your new mover gift certificate offer is decided upon by you with the help of our skilled New Mover Experts who have access to 46+ years of historical response rate and offer data at their fingertips. Once your new customers redeem their one-time housewarming offer, the gift certificate is scanned to gather accurate tracking data, as well as trigger the second loyalty mailing. This loyalty mailer is a one-time postcard mailed to the new mover shortly after they redeem their New Mover Gift Certificate. This loyalty mailer allows you to present new residents with a second offer, or just simply thank them for stopping in and invite them back. This is seen as an extra touch, as not many pizzerias will go out of their way to thank their customers for stopping by, or even know who is new to their establishment. This shows that you are in tune with your business, the neighborhood, and that you go the extra mile. If you are looking for a way to ramp up your pizza marketing, look no further than in your own backyard. While there are many ways to market your business, there is no other like our New Mover Marketing program; a one-time mailer to new residents, personalized by name, offering free offers (not just discounts), trackable, full color, exclusive to your pizzeria and offering a second follow-up mailer. If you are looking for a way to ramp up your pizza marketing, look no further than in your own backyard. Our Town America is available in all US markets, and would love for you to gain new, loyal customers while creating a bridge between your business and consumers. Want to get started? Contact me at 800-497-8360 and let’s discuss how we can develop a pizza marketing strategy that will work for you! Steven SgroiSteven is Our Town America’s corporate sales manager and oversees the national sales team. www.ourtownamerica.com […]
Did you know new movers spend more in their first six months than established residents spend in two years? New mover marketing works and we know why. […]
The Gold Rush of the 1860s brought thousands of people to what is now Colorado, all trying their luck at striking it rich. Towns sprung up like Butterfly Milkweed flowers, including Denver, where prospectors panned for gold in Cherry Creek and the South Platte River. […]
Any business that wants to grow has two ways of doing this: 1) by growing your customer base, or 2)by increasing your average sale. To grow your customer base, you must reach out to new potential customers and engage them in your brand. Today, there are more marketing options than ever before such as digital marketing, email marketing, social media and direct mail. […]
Business Observer (Feb. 2014) – Three days after his father’s untimely passing in 2009, Michael Plummer Jr. found himself sitting in his dad’s office signing payroll checks. “Sitting in his chair, using his pen, the last check in the book was signed with his signature,” Plummer says. It was the hardest moment of his life, but he knew someone had to keep his dad’s business, Our Town America, rolling. That day, “most checks went out with tears on them.” Learning from the military “to suck it up and do it,” was the only thing that kept him going. Plummer’s father, whom he had worked with side by side for the previous eight years, founded the business 42 years ago, sending a one-time personalized packet of offers to new residents. The packets feature deals from both mom and pop companies and national chains. Our Town America limits its offerings to one type of business in each zip code, so there can’t be two pizza places or two dry cleaners in one packet. Read More Here… Source: Business Observer, February 28, 2014 Steven SgroiSteven is Our Town America’s corporate sales manager and oversees the national sales team. www.ourtownamerica.com […]
Successful Business News: Featured Top Story (Jan. 2014) – The most recent Census reported that 40 million Americans move each year, forcing millions of folks to find brand new “go-to” retail options. After moving to a new area, potential clients are actively seeking replacements for their favorite pizza shop, neighborhood hardware store, and family pet store they trusted in their former town. They need help locating reliable retail business owners who can help them get on track. What tools exist to help small businesses make a lasting impact on these impressionable movers? Read More Here… Source: Successful Business News Steven SgroiSteven is Our Town America’s corporate sales manager and oversees the national sales team. www.ourtownamerica.com […]
As a jewelry retailer, nurturing your existing clientele is crucial—but netting new customers is equally important. One way to market to new movers who’ve never set foot in your shop is through new mover marketing. The idea Connect with residents that recently moved to your town and establish yourself as their personal jeweler from the get-go. Michael Plummer, owner of Our Town America, a Clearwater, Fla.–based marketing firm that’s been specializing in mover marketing since the 1970s, says marketing to recent transplants has a phenomenal response rate—from 10 percent to 30 percent on any given campaign, in his experience. After all, “17 to 20 percent of the population moves every year,” he says. “And those people are looking for a whole new set of things: a new grocer, a new auto mechanic, a new seafood place. They’re in that searching mode.” How to capitalize on that brief moment of flux Get your brand name in front of their face with a discount card or gift certificate. Our Town America culls data on relocaters from various sources to find out who’s new in town, says Plummer, adding, “The data is out there—it’s been out there for years. Utility hookups, phone hookups…everything you do transmits a move. You have to change credit card billing, your USPS changes, magazine subscriptions change….” But he insists his agency does more than buy a list and do direct mailings. “It’s not that simple,” he says. “There’s a science to it. If a college-age child moves home again, she or he is not really a mover. And a retailer doesn’t want to reach out to her with a gift certificate. There’s a lot of quality in what we do, sifting through the data we receive.” His firm creates oversize envelopes that are mailed to new residents; they’re chock-full of offers and discounts from local businesses. But Our Town sends only offers and gift certificates from a single vendor in any given category. So you would never be competing with another jewelry store. “We want to give away something meaningful,” says Plummer, “so every envelope is personalized for the Jones Family or the Smith Family. It’s never ‘to current resident.’ ” The initiatives get strong responses, he says, because, “every single month you have a brand-new audience to reach out to. And people are looking—they’re saying ‘I’m new in town, and man, I have to get my watch fixed.’ ” Our Town America is certainly a great source for retailers looking to market to movers in their city. But if there’s zilch in the company coffers for marketing initiatives, don’t hesitate to research ways to get addresses lists for new residents in your town. Diligent Google searches can often yield wonders. Source: JCK Magazine Steven SgroiSteven is Our Town America’s corporate sales manager and oversees the national sales team. www.ourtownamerica.com […]
Even in the recession resistant hair care industry, a rapidly changing economic environment has many salon and barbershop owners searching for answers. They’ve tried every marketing tactic in the book and still can’t find a way to separate their salon from the competition. That’s not the case for Milwaukee-based Sport Clips owner, Wally Sauthoff, and Tampa-based boutique salon owner, Geo Sweeney, and hundreds of other salon owners around the country who benefited from Our Town America’s unique new mover marketing program in 2012. As Wally and Geo suggest below, Our Town America works particularly well for hair salons because their warm gift certificate packages reach men and women shortly after their move, right when they are seeking their new go-to hair care partner. In order to build off that success in 2013, Michael Plummer Jr. and the Our Town America team announced their enhanced loyalty program to their sponsors that mails additional offers to new movers who redeem their first gift certificate. As Plummer suggests, this loyalty program works particularly well for hair salon owners who must make a consistent impression on clients who demand the perfect haircut each and every time. “While the hair care industry is recession resistant, it is also fiercely competitive and salon owners face local markets that seemingly get more crowded each day,” says Michael Plummer Jr., CEO of Our Town America. “Executing a category exclusive new mover program that is supplemented by a powerful loyalty program is one of the few ways these owners can secure a significant competitive advantage over other hair care companies in their area.” “All new movers, regardless of sex, are seeking their new hair care partner and they need an answer fast,” says Plummer. “Reaching them first with an aggressive offer in a warm welcoming package is the best way to make a strong first impression that gets customers in the door. Following that up with offers rewarding them for their first visit, and delivering quality haircuts and customer service, is what inspires long term loyalty.” Epsilon’s New Mover Reports help to draw similar conclusions – direct marketing is highly valued by new movers. The report, which reached just under 1,000 movers and non-movers nationwide revealed the following information that supports that conclusion: More than 53 million people move each year. Most movers are younger people moving great distances who have little knowledge of the local businesses that can provide the products/services they need. Contrary to popular belief, direct marketing, specifically new mover marketing, is highly valued by Gen Y millennials. The number of people moving has increased steadily since 2009, but new home sales from 2011 suggest an 80% in the past seven years. This means the pool of renters has increased substantially and people move more often. “While these numbers can, and do, apply to any industry, it is especially important for hair care companies who must reach and impact new movers to remain profitable,” says Marilyn Imparato, Our Town America’s Director of Sales and Marketing. “To generate the biggest bang for their buck, it is imperative for hair care companies to understand how to reach out to today’s new mover in order to make a strong impression. Simply sending a casual coupon won’t make them feel special – they must be willing to make a good will gesture that makes a big statement illustrating that they sincerely want to welcome them to the community and would like to have them as a long-term, loyal customer.” Milwaukee-based Wally Sauthoff, profiled above, agrees that nothing says “welcome to the neighborhood” like a free haircut. “We have a unique business model at Sport Clips in that we focus exclusively on the male consumer,” says Sauthoff. “However, too few potential customers understand that we deliver a unique, old-school barber shop experience and an MVP experience well worth a few extra bucks. The Our Town America package has allowed us to deliver that message to men along with a free haircut as soon as they come to town when they are actively seeking a new hair care partner and it’s made all the difference.” The numbers back him up. In the last three and a half years, Wally has realized an overall response rate of more than 8%. Similarly, Tampa-based Geo Sweeney, also profiled above, has thrived using Our Town America’s program as his only marketing tool for the last fourteen years. “My salon is located in a high end residential area where people are constantly moving in and out of nearby condos,” says Sweeney. “Because of that consistent customer turnover, an effective new mover marketing program is critically important to my success. I have been with Our Town America for more than fourteen years and don’t even have to pay attention to the specific monthly fee or ROI because the ROI has been consistently there. I know it’s working because I see new faces bringing in the certificates each month who really appreciate the genuine offer and will come back for more appointments if we deliver a quality experience. What more could I ask for?” Sauthoff and Sweeney aren’t isolated examples either. According to Our Town America, hair care sponsors using their new mover program have seen response rates as high as 8% very often. For more information on Our Town America, complete a Contact form. Source: CBS Money Watch/ Yahoo! Finance Steven SgroiSteven is Our Town America’s corporate sales manager and oversees the national sales team. www.ourtownamerica.com […]
able PDF Source: PMQ Magazine, January 2013 Steven SgroiSteven is Our Town America’s corporate sales manager and oversees the national sales team. www.ourtownamerica.com […]
