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 […]
Our Town America Helps You Bring In New Residents
Tag: Welcome Packages
Rising To The Top In An Ocean of Offers
According to the United States Census Bureau, 11.6% of the U.S. population moved between 2010 to 2011. New movers, and all of their attendant needs and requirements, represent a sizable opportunity for marketers. But at the same time, new movers are so inundated with marketing messages that businesses have to develop sharp strategies and targeting tactics to ensure their offer grabs attention. “Marketers need to understand that new movers are not the same as existing residents, and they need to target them differently,” says Marilyn Imparato, director of sales and marketing of new mover direct marketing organization Our Town America. Read More Here … Source: Direct Marketing News, December 04, 2012 Brittany N. JohnsonBrittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations. […]
Marketing to New Residents Pay Dividends For Business Owners Of North Carolina
It is a harsh reality, but the economy is not improving and business owners in Wilmington area are feeling the pressure as businesses and consumers continue to cut costs. What can the small business owner do to survive when things get (and stay) difficult? This information may be surprising, but marketing to new residents is still the most effective lead generation instrument for small businesses. Even in today’s world of electronic mail campaigns and social media, marketing new residents has the most sustainable impact because it reaches and affects potential customers before they have established options. Eddie Zaragova, manager of General Restaurant San Felipe de Shallote, could not agree more and says his four-year relationship with Bassam Safi and his new company marketing new residents, Our Town America has been the catalyst for much of his hit. “We started working with Bassam in December 2007 and currently see an average of 25-30 certificates redeemed each month,” says Zaragova. “So we are known as the ‘best Mexican food around’.” But we would not have the opportunity to demonstrate that without the help of Our Town America to get customers to try our restaurants for the first time. Bassam and his team really know how to create and promote robust offerings that bring new residents through our door, but the actual program is successful because our food and customer service wins customers for life!” Safi could not agree more. He says the success of the Our Town America program is based on achieving new residents as soon as they arrive in the city with valuable offers. “We were able to generate such impressive results for small business owners like Eddie because they are willing to make a strong bid for its prospects,” says Safi. New residents are willing to try out San Felipe when they receive a personalized welcome package, because Eddie is willing to give them a free lunch or dinner when you redeem your gift certificate at one of its locations. “Offering free food, and completing it with great tasting options and great service as Eddie does, have a lasting impact on new residents that usually translates into customer loyalty in the long term.” Our Town America packages are also particularly effective for businesses like San Felipe that target Hispanic residents, as they can create bilingual gift certificates. According to Safi, many owners of small firms have reaped huge benefits of this unique feature. “I, too, was an immigrant when I came to America and knew limited English, so I know how much it means when someone is treating you in your language,” says Safi. “I can not tell you how many times one of my sponsors has been excited by the response they receive when working with us to create a bilingual offer.” There really is nothing more effective to raise customer loyalty than to talk to potential customers in a way that resonates. Speaking their language is definitely the best way to do it. Bassam Safi, a Lebanese-American owner and operator of Our Town America in the Wilmington, NC area, has truly carried and elevated the traditional “American Dream.” His business is truly helping businesses in Wilmington, Raleigh, Charlotte and beyond. He has become a successful franchisee in network marketing and direct sales programs. Safi and the Our Town America program help new residents and local businesses build loyal long-term relationships within their communities. If interested in marketing your business to new movers in your community, please complete a Local Business Contact Request form. Traducción Español: Es una dura realidad, pero la economía no está mejorando y los propietarios de equeños negocios en Wilmington están sintiendo la presión ya que los negocios y los consumidores siguen recortando gastos. ¿Que pueden hacer los dueño de pequeños negocios para sobrevivir cuando las cosas se ponen (y permanecen) difíciles? Esta información puede ser motivo de sorpresa, pero la nueva mercadotecnia de nuevos residentes es todavía el instrumento de generación más eficaz, y económica herramienta de generación de plomo para pequeñas empresas. Incluso en el mundo actual de campañas de correo electrónico y contratación de medios de comunicación social, la nueva mercadotecnia de residentes nuevos tiene el impacto más sostenible porque esto alcanza y afecta a clientes potenciales antes de que ellos hayan establecido opciones “Donde Ir” para sus necesidades. Eddie Zaragova, Gerente General del Restaurante San Felipe de Shallote, no podía estar más de acuerdo y afirma que su relación de cuatro años con Bassam Safi y su nueva empresa de mercadotecnia de nuevos residentes, Our Town America ha sido el catalizador para gran parte de su éxito “Comenzamos a trabajar con Bassam en Diciembre del 2007 y vemos actualmente un promedio de 25-30 certificados redimidos por mes,” dice Zaragova. “Somos conocidos como “la mejor comida mexicana alrededor.” Pero no tendríamos la oportunidad de demostrar sin la ayuda de Our Town America a obtener clientes que prueben nuestros restaurantes por primera vez. Bassam y su equipo saben de verdad cómo crear y promover ofertas sólidas que traen nuevos residentes a nuestra puerta, pero el programa es realmente exitoso porque nuestros alimentos y servicio al cliente gana a aquellos clientes de por vida!” Safi no podía estar más de acuerdo. Dice que el éxito del programa Our Town America se basa en alcanzar nuevos residentes tan pronto como llegan a la ciudad con valiosas ofertas. “Hemos sido capaces de generar esos resultados impresionantes para dueños de pequeños negocios como Eddie porque están dispuestos a hacer una oferta fuerte para sus perspectivas,” dice Safi. “ Los nuevos residentes están dispuestos a probar San Felipe cuando reciben nuestro paquete de bienvenida personalizado, porque Eddie está dispuesto a darles un almuerzo o cena gratis cuando redimen su certificado de regalo en una de sus localidades. Ofrecer una comida gratis, y completándola con opciones de gran sabor y un servicio fantástico como Eddie lo hace, tiene un impacto duradero en nuevos residentes que normalmente se traduce en la lealtad del cliente a largo plazo”. Los paquetes […]
New Movers Are the Key to Attracting and Keeping Loyal Customers
Retail Merchandiser Blog, August 27, 2012 – In today’s world, local businesses have more marketing tools at their fingertips than ever before. The explosion of online marketing concepts has made a big impact on the way consumers think about and react to campaigns. In fact, the emergence of social media gives consumers the power to influence and shape the brands they know. This has fundamentally changed the game because marketing is now as much, if not more, about controlling the message than shaping it. Read More Here… Source: Retail Merchandiser Blog Steven SgroiSteven is Our Town America’s corporate sales manager and oversees the national sales team. www.ourtownamerica.com […]
Grocery Headquarters – Food Forum: Moving Targets
According to the USDA, the average family spends upwards of $954 a month on groceries, so it is no exaggeration when grocery stores claim each one is a valuable customer. The problem is, our most recent Census suggests that more than 40 million people move each year, costing each grocery store a sizeable chunk of valuable patrons. Where can grocery stores turn to replace loyal customers who have skipped town? Today more than ever before, the answer is new movers. As a recent brand loyalty survey by ClickFox suggests, almost half of American consumers (48%) claim the most critical time for a company to gain their loyalty is when they make their first purchase/begin service. For those consumers, that means their first experience is the deal-maker or deal-breaker as far as becoming a committed customer with the store. This makes it imperative for grocery stores to reach and positively impact new movers. Established residents are likely to have already had their first experience and have made a commitment to a store they are unlikely to break. New movers, on the other hand, are looking for a business to step up and deliver a strong first impression. Many grocery store managers do not pay enough attention to the fact that these first impressions start long before the first purchase. When deciding on the establishments they would like to patronize, new movers take a look around, talk with their neighbors and do their research online. Today’s consumers have the ability to shape each grocery store’s reputation more than ever before and it is hard for brands to establish a voice in these early stage conversations. It is not time to wave the white flag. There are still marketing avenues through which grocery stores can impact the conversation, too. Social media, e-mail marketing, and mobile marketing programs can be effective if managed correctly, but new mover direct marketing programs are still the most effective way to reach and influence these new movers. Unlike other marketing programs, these direct marketing programs enable grocery stores to deliver valuable gift certificates in warm and inviting envelopes that make the new movers feel appreciated and welcomed in their new environment. Sparking a “warm and fuzzy” feeling for prospective customers may seem trivial, but the numbers back up its effectiveness. This is particularly true for regional or local stores trying to compete with national chains. Hollywood Supermarkets, which operates seven stores in the Greater Detroit area, has been working with Our Town America since 2007. With an investment of less than $400 per month per store location, Kim Welch and the Hollywood Supermarkets team saw 10,423 new customers who walked in the store and redeemed their certificates, which is an overall response rate of 9.8%. These customers spent an average sale of $51.11 over and above the $10 gift certificate redeemed by each new customer. These numbers are powerful. For four years, new mover direct marketing has generated, on average, more than 200 first time visits a month for Hollywood Supermarkets. As ClickFox’s figures suggest, that first visit presented Hollywood Supermarkets with a prime opportunity to gain the loyalty of almost half of those new movers. Additionally, just by getting the new customers in the door, the new mover marketing program generated significant sales for the store even if they didn’t become loyal customers. In the Hollywood Markets example, the 10,000-plus new customers actually spent more than $530,000 total on their first visits when they were redeeming their Hollywood Supermarkets certificates. Taking that into consideration, as well as the average of almost $1,000 that any new loyal family would spend each month, and the financial impact these new mover marketing programs can have is hard to ignore. The average American moves 11.7 times in a lifetime for any variety of reasons. Grocery stores cannot control the customers they lose each year to those re-locations, but they can control the prospects they target to replace them and the manner in which they reach out to them. New movers have yet to develop customer loyalties and are actively seeking new relationships with local brands. Grocers can take advantage of that rare opportunity to replace lost customers with prospects eager to be impressed and it will pay dividends. Read Article Here… Source: Grocery Headquarters Brittany N. JohnsonBrittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations. […]
Sisters Find Success Helping Local Businesses
Six years ago, sisters Heather Wahl and Jess Damiani were both unemployed and wondering how they’d make ends meet for themselves and their children. Today, Wahl and Damiani are supporting their families — while helping new families get acquainted with their communities. Wahl and Damiani are franchisees with Our Town America, a nationwide company that connects local businesses with new residents in their communities through direct mailings of gift certificates and free product offers from local companies. “It takes the trauma out of moving into your new home,” said Damiani. “It’s a vehicle for mom-and-pop stores to reach out to their local community. It’s also a vehicle for national companies to have that small-town feel.” The sisters have been so successful — they’ve been top franchisees for the past three years — that CEO Michael Plummer surprised them during the company’s national convention by giving them a new territory, for free. “I wanted to give them something that’s equal to their efforts and allows them the opportunity to grow,” said Plummer, who also presented the sisters with personalized watches. “I wanted to give them more than a trinket. They earned it.” Wahl, who lives in Warrington, was the first to discover Our Town America. After losing her job in commercial construction, she started a vending company and was looking to buy routes when she stumbled upon the company. “I went over to Jessica’s and said ‘Hey, what do you think about this?’ She was like, ‘OK.’ It was that simple,” Wahl said. “It fit into our lifestyle, the flexibility of it, being able to make our own hours. It wasn’t a big investment. There was no overhead, no brick-and-mortar storefront. It couldn’t have been better for us.” They scraped together the money to buy franchise territories surrounding their own neighborhoods. They scheduled visits with businesses around their children’s schedules. “It was easy for us to pick the kids up, drop them off at school, go on field trips,” said Damiani, who lives in Lower Providence. “We were still very close to home. As we became more successful, we expanded that (territory).” Today, their territory includes all of Bucks County and parts of Montgomery, Chester and Delaware counties and parts of New Jersey. About three years ago, the sisters hired an assistant who makes cold calls to local businesses and schedules their one-on-one appointments. But it wasn’t always so easy. A few times, they were tempted to give up on the business, Wahl said. “My skill sets weren’t built yet,” Damiani said. “I didn’t have the experience under my belt. I don’t think I had found my groove.” But the sisters kept at it, driven by their desire to succeed and a healthy dose of competition. “It was hard,” Damiani said. “And it was scary. But once we got our feet wet and saw we could do this, we really took off.” Wahl, 42, and Damiani, 43, said being in business together has strengthened their relationship and allowed them to be there for their kids, who range in age from 9 to 13 years old. “It’s giving me a lot of freedom to be the mom that I would want to be for my kid,” Wahl said. “I ran the book fair at her school. I volunteered every Monday when she was in third and fourth grade. It’s allowed me to give the appearance of a stay-at-home mom for my daughter but also work. There’s no amount of money that can replace that. And financially, we’re doing well. People ask me, ‘How good can that be?’ It supports two families. You tell me.” Read article here as well… Source: PhillyBurbs.com Brittany N. JohnsonBrittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations. […]
Hy-Vee Store Sets Sights on Its Newest Neighbors
Moving to a new area is always a stressful event, and most businesses recognize the importance of making a good first impression on new customers. So, being the first supermarket to greet a family to town and offer them free groceries as an incentive to visit a store can be a great way to generate loyalty as those customers begin establishing new shopping habits. Brad McAnally, store director for Hy-Vee here, explained that people who have recently moved to the area can be otherwise difficult to reach with traditional circulars or other print ads. “When new people come to town, the first thing that they do isn’t getting a subscription to the newspaper,” he told SN. “They like to feel things out. So, you’re generally going to miss them for a period of time when they move to town.” “That first moment is key. The hardest part of running a grocery store is getting them in the door. And it’s hard for people to switch grocery stores. So if they’re new to town, how do you get them in your door first?” McAnally addressed this challenge at his location by developing a locally exclusive partnership with Pinellas Park, Fla.-based Our Town America, a national new mover marketing company that sends targeted mailers with high-value coupons to families that have just moved to the Saint Joseph area. According to information supplied by Our Town America, his store’s program costs about $150 per month and targets an average of 114 New Movers per month. Of those who receive the mailers — generally coupons for $10 of free groceries — the response rate is almost 22%, or about 24 potential new customers each month. “They can use the coupon however they want to,” he said. “It’s a $10 bill basically, asking them to come check out our store.” These new shoppers also tend to browse the entire store and check out different departments, McAnally has noticed. The coupons have also provided a source of customer feedback, which is almost always positive, he said. “The cool thing is when they get done using these coupons, there’s a questionnaire that they can fill out. And I get a lot of those back. Out of the hundred or so that we send out per month we get about 10 back. They say, ‘We love your store, glad we got the coupon, I’m a loyal shopper.’ And I’ve had people over the years tell me, ‘Hey, the first time I came into your store was because I got that welcome thing in the mail.’ I hear that all the time.” Register for Supermarket News to read article article. Source: Supermarket News Brittany N. JohnsonBrittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations. […]
