Superb Restaurants Play An
Important Role In ValueCard�s Success!
Smilingly stating the obvious, Mike Ecks, Senior Account
Executive of ValueCard�s media department, exclaimed, �We
certainly can�t create diners.
�However, we can provide an advertising campaign that
enables our restaurant-owner clients to create an awareness
of their establishment--thereby attracting new customers
from the universe of restaurant patrons.�
In
short, restaurateurs in San Francisco face the same
situation as do restaurant owners across America. That is, a
finite number of diners within a given location.
But,
according to Ecks, in San Francisco there�s even fiercer
competition, given the thousands of full-service, sit-down,
dining establishments available.
�In
this city,� he pointed out, �you can get a fabulous gourmet
meal at midnight--so we�re close to Manhattan (NYC) in that
respect.�
An
in-depth interview (issue #18) with restaurant owners across
the United States, titled �Why and How Savvy Restaurateurs
Trade,� showed that successful restaurant owners typically
allocated 4% to 5% of their gross sales to on-going
advertising and promotion.
Ecks
says the same percentages hold for ValueCard clients. And
with some of San Francisco�s finer restaurants doing $6 to
$7 million a year in business, that translates into a
considerable media appetite.
For
the past two years Ecks, a communications graduate from
Marquette University, has been ValueCard�s point man,
interacting with and assisting 90 or so of the 125 member
restaurants, who regularly spend the bulk of their trade
dollars on advertising.
�The
big users of trade are heavily into media. Some of our
restaurants spend nearly 100% of their trade earnings on
advertising. I�d say the average spends 60% to 70%. It�s a
very cost effective expenditure,� Ecks asserted, �for them.�
The
process to determine what�s needed begins with an in-depth
conversation between Ecks and the restaurant owner. �And
it�s their business we talk about, not mine,� Ecks
emphasized.
�Although my contribution is perceptible, it�s also
quantifiable,� he added. Analyzing a particular restaurant�s
needs, and then putting together the right advertising
campaign, is what makes ValueCard�s services so valuable.
�After
all,� Ecks reasoned, �our restaurant clients are in the
business to make money, and the only way to make money is
through sales.�
Ecks
says he works with his clients by always focusing on what
their goals are for the coming year, instead of asking them
what their media budget is.
�Right
from the beginning, I�m interested in their business--such
as where they want to be a year from now with the number of
covers.1 My job is to help them improve their profits.
�Depending on their input,� he noted, �the location of the
restaurant, plus the other variables involved, we analyze
their situation.
�Our
years of experience in this business enables us to construct
an appropriate advertising campaign--targeting specific
markets--aimed at expanding sales volume to bring in the
desired number of additional customers to meet their goals,�
he explained.
�Often
the campaign includes a mix from our media inventory of
print (magazines), cable car ads, taxi-top displays,
billboards, outdoor wallscapes and radio.
�Over
the years,� he continued, �we�ve performed. So we�re quite
confident in our ability to add value for them. That�s
really the bottomline, when all is said and done.�
Ecks
emphasized that restaurants are a very important part of
ValueCard�s 263 different product categories.
�Virtually everyone enjoys fine dining. And our extensive
media clients are often entertaining (their many clients),
as well. Having superb restaurants keeps everything moving.
This is really a circular business when you think about it.�
(ValueCard
was sold to Intagio since the time this article was
written.) |
