Content Marketing Success Stories

Transcription

Content Marketing Success Stories
CONTENT MARKETING
SUCCESS STORIES:
How Five Companies Generated Leads and Drove
Revenue With Content Marketing
Contents at a Glance
INTRODUCTION
3
WHAT IS CONTENT MARKETING? 5
CASE STUDY 1: INTELLITACTICS INC.
11
CASE STUDY 2: ROBERTS & DURKEE, P.A.
16
CASE STUDY 3: JER ENVIROTECH
24
CASE STUDY 4: ROYAL CANIN CANADA
28
CASE STUDY 5: GARDEN FRESH RESTAURANT CORP
33
CONNECT WITH US
39
ABOUT MARKETINGPROFS
40
INTRODUCTION
Welcome and thank you for downloading this MarketingProfs introduction to content marketing.
We’ve put together this report to help you understand what content marketing is and why it matters.
After all, MarketingProfs is an expert on this topic. Our fearless leader, Chief Content Officer Ann
Handley, literally wrote the book on content marketing: Content Rules: How to Create Killer Blogs,
Podcasts, Videos, Ebooks, Webinars.
So what does content marketing refer to?
Think of blog posts, articles, website copy, emails to customers, whitepapers, webinars, case studies,
podcasts, videos. What do those all have in common? To engage with their audiences, they need
engaging and relevant content (or copy or writing or script—however you’d like to describe it).
When valuable, helpful, credible content is available to customers or prospects at the right time in the
right place, it can do amazing things for your company, including improving your bottom line.
Find it hard to believe? Check out these results:
•
A business-to-business software company used content marketing to generate more qualified
leads—and boosted revenue 38%
•
A national family-restaurant chain realized a 900% increase in Web traffic, and long-term
loyalty, via a relevant and targeted email campaign that reached hearts by way of stomachs.
•
A law firm found its niche client base by developing thought-leadership content on the company
blog.
Continue reading this report to learn the basics of content marketing, and dive into five case studies
showcasing how B2B and B2C companies have used content marketing with successful results.
©2011 MARKETINGPROFS LLC • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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Introduction
Now that you’re a member of MarketingProfs, check back daily to www.marketingprofs.com for upto-the-minute thinking, tips, and advice on marketing. Our free newsletter, MarketingProfs Today, will
deliver best-practices right to your inbox.
If you want to know more about content marketing (and fast!), check out the MarketingProfs
University program on the subject: Content Marketing Crash Course. It kicks off on November 3,
2011. Class recordings will be online for a full year after that. With 14 classes taught by 18 subjectmatter experts, the course will help you learn everything you need to know about how to plan,
implement and sustain a content marketing program that will delight your customers and improve
your bottom line. Enroll at www.marketingprofsu.com.
©2011 MARKETINGPROFS LLC • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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WHAT IS CONTENT MARKETING?
As you’ve probably figured out by now, content isn’t limited to long blocks of text. You have umpteen
ways to structure your content so that it conveys your message and your story in the most interesting
and digestible format. The more creative and diverse your presentation of that content, the better your
chances of standing out.
Let’s take a look at some of the more popular content forms so that you can begin creating ways to
optimize your existing content while creating a range of new content that’s ready to meet the varied
preferences of your audience:
• B
logs: A company blog is a great place to experiment and develop your voice. It can also serve
as the hub of your content marketing program, because it is the one platform (aside from your
website) where you have complete ownership and control.
• Articles: Sure, you know what articles are, and perhaps you’ve already penned one or two (or a
dozen). But where have you been publishing them? In addition to posting your articles on your
website or blog, or sending them out in your newsletter, consider that many media outlets and
industry publications are hungry for contributed content. Sharing your articles with these channels is a great way to get noticed and build bridges to new audiences. Those articles can then
serve as reference support on a Wikipedia page, or they can be republished as a Knol (http://
knol.google.com).
Of course, external channels and publications often stipulate that the content published there be
exclusive to them, and they may limit your right republish. Although that means giving up some
control over your content and allowing the publishing site to reap the SEO rewards, it can also
mean third-party validation of your content and more inbound links to the content on your own
website.
• Wikipedia and Wikis: Are there Wikipedia articles devoted to your company, brand, or product?
If not, create them. Wikipedia is often considered a trusted resource and its pages rank well with
the search engines. Naturally, you have to make sure that your entries conform to the standards
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What is content marketing?
of Wikipedia, which means, among other things, that the subject (e.g., your company) be noteworthy, that the article feature links to external sources (and not just to your website), and that it
read like an encyclopedia article, not an advertisement. At the same time, there’s no reason not
to build your own wiki and (for example) host a communal encyclopedia of terms and trends for a
particular industry (such as yours!).
• Whitepapers: A whitepaper, in the online world, is a downloadable file (usually a PDF) that takes
a deep dive into a particular issue, topic, or trend with the intention of educating readers so that
they can make more informed business decisions. Traditionally, whitepapers have had the look
and feel of the research papers you might have written in school (well, grad school), and they
have served for years as intriguing lead-gen bait (especially in the tech and professional services
worlds). The key to producing successful whitepapers is, in a nutshell, to provide original insight
or practical information on topics relevant to your audience. Buyers tend to rely on whitepapers
during the research phase, which makes buyers’ guides that detail and compare the features and
benefits of a certain category of products particularly attractive.
• E-books: E-books are similar to whitepapers in that they serve as educational resources—but in
a less formal way, which means you can have more fun with the content and presentation (while
remaining professional, of course). Approach your e-book more as an informational short story
than as a research paper, and enhance it with infographics and embedded media. It will be a lot
more entertaining to read that way and, if done right, more shareable.
• Online seminars and workshops: Another way to serve up educational content is online seminars
(webinars) and workshops. Like whitepapers, webinars are used by buyers to research products
and vendors, and it’s common for seminar attendees to register in advance and supply contact
information in order to gain access to the seminar or workshop. Whether you choose to collect information or not, the content you provide should be useful and informative and not just a blatant
lead-gen ploy. Webinars can certainly be effective marketing tools, but they are not for the faint of
heart; they can be a lot of work, and plenty can go wrong even when they’re well-planned.
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What is content marketing?
But despite the logistical challenges, webinars are a versatile type of content that can be easily
repurposed into (a) blog posts that review the main points and answer questions gathered during
the live event; (b) dedicated microsites featuring materials from the webinar and related content;
(c) slide presentations syndicated via sites such as SlideShare (http://www.slideshare.net).
• Case studies: Customer success stories are an excellent way to demonstrate the virtues of your
product or service. When the story is told in a meaningful way and it addresses real issues that
potential customers are facing—and when it provides practical advice rather than a sales pitch—
it can say a lot about your expertise and everything your company has to offer. But remember:
Rather than focusing on you and your product, case studies should always focus on the customer,
emphasizing the successful outcomes that the customer achieved.
• Photos: It’s been said that when photos accompany blog posts, those posts perform better than
those without photos; however, increasing pageviews, likes, and “shares” is not the only reason
for producing photographic content. Photos can be a great way to tell the story of your brand or
explain your product development cycle or illustrate anything that might be important to customers and clients.
Photos also shine a light on the people behind your brand and help to personalize it. Go beyond
photos of the management team or your corporate bloggers: Introduce your critical employees—and, above all, your customers—to the world with pictures. Upload all your shots to Flickr
(http://www.flickr.com), share your albums on Facebook, and spontaneously post to Twitter using
Twitpic (http://twitpic.com).
• V
ideo: Video is perhaps your best chance at going viral, but that certainly shouldn’t be your
primary purpose for choosing this medium. Video is extremely engaging. It brings visuals, sound,
and interactivity into your audience’s experience and enables you to demonstrate ideas and
procedures much more quickly and clearly than words typically can. It’s also a valuable tool for
educating people about the use of your products and allowing your subject-matter experts to
show off their smarts.
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What is content marketing?
Like photos, videos can be used to record company and industry events and spotlight customers.
And video doesn’t have to stand on its own—it is choice for spicing up your articles, blog posts,
and e-books. Some sites such as YouTube and Facebook allow you to record directly to their sites
using a webcam, but in most cases you will need a few tools to get started, including a camera
(it doesn’t have to be expensive, but it should have an external microphone jack for good sound
quality), a microphone, a tripod, and some decent lighting.
Editing software, such as iMovie (http://www.apple.com/ilife/imovie), Movie Maker (http://
explore.live.com/windows-live-movie-maker), Camtasia (http://www.techsmith.com/camtasia), or
CamStudio (http://camstudio.org), is also helpful, unless you plan to use a live video format for
interviews and the like. Additional resources you may want to look into include Ustream (http://
www.ustream.tv), Livestream (http://www.livestream.com) and qik (http://qik.com) for recording live-streaming video, and Wetoku (http://www.wetoku.com) for creating side-by-side video
interviews.
• Podcasts: Think of a podcast as your own radio show. It allows you to regularly present topical
discussions and interviews with subject-matter experts. It can take the form of downloadable
audio that you can make available on your site or, even better, in the iTunes Store. Not as hairraising as webinars (unless you really go with the radio metaphor and stream it live—which has
its benefits), podcasts nevertheless do require some technical expertise.
For assistance on getting it right, check out PodcastAlley (http://www.podcastalley.com/forum/
forumdisplay.php?f=108). From a programming standpoint, go with knowledgeable, articulate
guests who, ideally, have some kind of audience to which they can promote your show.
• Slides: Extend the life of your presentations by uploading and sharing them via sites such as
SlideShare (http://www.slideshare.net), SlideRocket (http://www.sliderocket.com), and Scribd
(http://www.scribd.com). Just make sure the content can speak for itself. A bulleted list of talking
points can be confusing without the the accompanying dialogue or script. Your title slide is what
©2011 MARKETINGPROFS LLC • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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What is content marketing?
pulls people in, so give it an eye-catching design and intriguing title.
• Infographics: Infographics depict processes, complex thoughts, or sets of data in ways that
can be quickly understood, consumed, and shared. Browse the examples featured on Cool
Infographics (http://www.coolinfographics.com) and Infographics Showcase (http://www.infographicsshowcase.com), then ask yourself this: What story or insight could we best communicate
with a well-designed, info-rich graphic? Once you have a good idea, hire a gifted graphic designer
to get it done.
• Games: Online and mobile games are being used for brand engagement, and though they can
be expensive to produce (we’re talking $30,000+) they do drive group consumption (since the
fun is in competing with others, right?) as well as individual “addiction.” If structured correctly,
games can motivate users to involve their friends in a way that goes beyond sharing a laugh or a
snippet of breaking news.
To grab that gold ring of mass adoption, however, you need to invest quite a bit in game theory
and design. A few services are willing to lend a hand with that—for a fee—including Gameloft
(http://www.gameloft.com) and GrinLock (http://www.grinlock.com). Check out the Facebook
(http://developers.facebook.com) and iPhone (http://developer.apple.com) developer portals for
additional guidance and information.
• Website content: Just because you’re pushing new and different stuff out there doesn’t mean
your website copy should remain dry and lifeless. You need to continue winning over potential
prospects when they venture to your site to learn more, so whip out those FAQs, product descriptions, and About Us pages and revise them with customer intent in mind.
Provide the straightforward, easy-to-understand answers and facts they’re really after, not just a
bunch of marketing-speak. Give your pages personality and make them friendly. And—always—
make it clear how they can contact you directly for more information.
©2011 MARKETINGPROFS LLC • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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What is content marketing?
• Curated content: There’s value in pulling together the best information available on a topic so
that your audience can access it all at once. RSS feeds and listening tools such as Google Alerts
make it easy for you to tap into that content as it becomes available. There are also Web-based
platforms, such as Curata (http://www.getcurata.com), that allow you to build websites of
curated content.
Note that curated content—usually consisting of 100-or-so-word excerpts and links back to the
original sources—does best when it is presented alongside your own original content, including
commentary on, and responses to, the curated content you are sharing.
• User generated content: Remember, your own customers and fans can be fabulous and influential content producers. Inevitably, their opinions will carry more weight than yours, since theirs is
independent and unbiased. Favorable reviews, ratings, testimonials, and endorsements are gold
(for SEO, too!) and can be integrated into your other content, even when gleaned from third-party
sites (with proper permission, of course).
You can sometimes get customers to contribute content simply by asking (“Send us a picture you
took with the camera you just bought from us!”); but if you want a lot of submissions, consider
running a contest or a crowdsourced project, either on your own or with the help of an application such as Wildfire (http://wildfireapp.com).
Excerpted from Content Machine: The Street Guide to Building a Successful Content Marketing Program in 7 Weeks, a
MarketingProfs How-To-Guide.
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CASE STUDY 1: INTELLITACTICS INC.
How a B2B Company’s Content Marketing Improved Qualified Lead Generation, Boosted Revenue 38%
by Kimberly Smith
Company: Intellitactics Inc.
Contact: Pam Casale, chief marketing officer
Location: Reston, VA
Industry: Software
Annual revenue: Confidential
Number of employees: 90
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Quick Read
When Reston, VA-based Intellitactics, a provider of security incident and events management (SIEM)
solutions, wanted to increase lead generation, it had to confront today’s reality: Prior to contacting
any vendor, prospects are relying on the Internet to research major purchases.
To work its way into that early-research stage, the company first focused on creating a library of
vendor-neutral information, then used that content as bait to attract potential prospects.
It also used Manticore Technology’s automation platform to track which recipients were interested
in which content, and employed a scoring methodology to pinpoint precisely when those prospects
would be prime for a sales call. Only then was the lead given to Sales.
That combination of timing and insight has resulted in a 33% higher lead conversion rate and 38%
increase in revenue year over year.
Challenge
Intellitactics specializes in security incident and event management (SIEM) products that help companies achieve cost-effective regulatory compliance, mitigate risk by automating security operations,
and accelerate incident resolution to ensure the availability of critical business services.
©2011 MARKETINGPROFS LLC • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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Case study 1: Intellitactics Inc.
It’s no secret that more and more
companies have been turning to the
Internet to research and evaluate products
on their own and gather insight and
recommendations from other users before
contacting vendors of interest.
In April 2008, the company unveiled Intellitactics SAFE, a suite of security appliances designed to
assist in log management and compliance and decrease the number of security- and compliancerelated incidents.
With a significantly lower price point than previous lines, Intellitactics SAFE had the potential for
broader market appeal, but the company now needed to get the word out to a larger audience and
generate new leads without exponentially increasing marketing costs.
The pressure to attract new leads was also coming from the company’s then-recent transition from a
purely direct sales approach to a fusion of direct and third-party sales, compelling Intellitactics to also
make good on its commitments to new partners.
Concurrently, the company decided to increase lead quality, not just volume, to help partners and
internal sales improve productivity and usher a higher percentage of leads into the active sales cycle.
Campaign
Because of its lower price point, the Intellitactics SAFE line not only appealed to a larger market
segment but also shortened the sales cycle. To maximize its opportunity, Intellitactics determined that
it needed to engage prospects earlier in the buying/selling process.
It’s no secret that more and more companies have been turning to the Internet to research and evaluate products on their own and gather insight and recommendations from other users before contacting vendors of interest.
“They’re like anonymous buyers halfway through the traditional definition of a sales cycle,” noted
Intellitactics Chief Marketing Officer Pam Casale, who realized the opportunity in educating and building a connection with prospects during that initial stage. Accordingly, Intellitactics took a whole new
approach to content, said Casale.
©2011 MARKETINGPROFS LLC • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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Case study 1: Intellitactics Inc.
“We chose the path of knowledge-sharing.
Our content wasn’t fluffy, and it wasn’t
heavy-handed.... Our differentiation was
in getting prospects to understand the
product and what they would do with it
after the purchase was made.”
To differentiate its solutions from those of the 22 companies with which it competes, the company
enlisted the help of noted experts in the security field to develop fact-intensive whitepapers, podcasts,
and other content designed to assist prospects in educating themselves on SIEM issues and solutions,
with the hope that prospects would then be predisposed to trying the Intellitactics product.
“We chose the path of knowledge-sharing,” explained Casale. “Our content wasn’t fluffy, and it wasn’t
heavy-handed.... Our differentiation was in getting prospects to understand the product and what
they would do with it after the purchase was made...the problems they were going to anticipate, and
how to solve those problems regardless of whether they were using us or another solution.”
The company then used Manticore Technology’s automation platform to build targeted email outreach
campaigns that contacted prospects every six to nine weeks and alerted them to the availability of
a specific piece of content. (Prospects included leads previously put on hold because they had not
yet been ready to buy, as well as those newly brought in via search engines and AdWords marketing,
tradeshows and events, select list purchases, etc.)
The Manticore platform went on to track and score recipients according to response and behavior
toward those communications. When a prospect reached the appropriate point value predetermined
to signify a qualified lead, only then was that prospect flagged and passed on to either the sales team
or one of the Intellitactics sales partners.
In addition to passing along only qualified leads, the system provided the company’s sales reps with
insight into prospect behavior, including which pieces of information they had potentially read, thus
allowing for more intelligent and informed initial contact and the ability to accelerate the sales cycle.
Results
Intellitactics has realized a 171% year-over-year increase in qualified leads through this program.
Furthermore, the conversion rate for qualified leads that move from opportunities into the active sales
cycle has increased year over year from 42% to 75% and continues to trend upward.
©2011 MARKETINGPROFS LLC • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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Case study 1: Intellitactics Inc.
Intellitactics was able to get its brand in
front of potential prospects and plant
the seed of trust early in the decisionmaking process by providing the types
of information those customers were
themselves seeking: unbiased content
intended to educate and inform about SIEM
solutions in general.
Revenue increased 38% between 2007 and 2008—an achievement Casale said is particularly
noteworthy considering the Intellitactics SAFE line’s much-lower price.
Lessons Learned
Offer valuable content as a means of demonstrating your own value
Intellitactics was able to get its brand in front of potential prospects and plant the seed of trust early
in the decision-making process by providing the types of information those customers were themselves
seeking: unbiased content intended to educate and inform about SIEM solutions in general.
“People are skeptical when a whitepaper is about a product instead of a process,” said Casale. “I’m
betting we got points from prospects for providing information in a vendor-neutral way.”
Conserve your sales resources for when the moment is ripe
Tracking prospect behavior and allocating point values provided an objective means of identifying a
qualified lead and enabled Sales to focus its efforts on only the most promising of candidates. The system
also equipped Sales with the insight to make strong first impressions and streamline the sales process by
understanding prospects’ specific needs before a conversation was even initiated.
Invest in technology if it will lead to a competitive edge that results in profits
In today’s economy especially, nobody wants to spend more than necessary, but the Intellitactics example
illustrates how smart investments can more than make up for their costs. Using Manticore’s automation
platform, Intellitactics not only brought in a much higher number of leads but also ensured that those
leads were active before passing them along to sales. That, in turn, led to a 200% increase in the sales
team’s phone connection rates, a condensed sales cycle (Intellitactics reports an approximate 30%
decrease in length), and a satisfied sales team, to boot.
The company has also been able to reduce its marketing spend 25% as a result of this program and was
able to achieve breakeven ROI on the technology just two months after implementation.
©2011 MARKETINGPROFS LLC • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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Case study 1: Intellitactics Inc.
Have you found a clever way to decrease marketing spend and still boost sales? Tell us about it.
Email [email protected]
Related Links
• Intellitactics site: http://www.itactics.com
• Manticore Technology site: http://www.manticoretechnology.com/
Intellitactics learned that providing unbiased content for prospects can be a great way to generate
qualified leads. MarketingProfs PRO Members can check out Bringing New Color to the Gray World
of Whitepapers LQWKH0DUNHWLQJ3URIV/LEUDU\WRGLVFRYHUZD\V\RXFDQLPSURYH\RXUZKLWHSDSHUV
to increase their effectiveness. PRO Members may also enjoy viewing How to Make Your B-to-B
Website a Lead Generation Machine in the MarketingProfs Seminar Library.
We hope those resources help you optimize your lead-generation efforts.
Excerpted from http://www.marketingprofs.com
.
©2011 MARKETINGPROFS LLC • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
15
CASE STUDY 2: ROBERTS & DURKEE, P.A.
How One Company’s Thought-Leadership Content Is Driving New Business, Exposure
by Kimberly Smith
Company: Contact: Location: Industry: Annual revenue: Number of employees:
Roberts & Durkee, P.A.
C. David Durkee, Partner
Coral Gables, FL
Law
Confidential
Confidential
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Quick Read
In June 2010, The Wall Street Journal reported a surge in social media use by law firms interested in
connecting with potential class-action plaintiffs. If you were to take a close look, you’d see that many
of the approaches used present viable marketing lessons for businesses of all types.
Take, for example, the case of Roberts & Durkee, P.A., a Florida-based firm. It has effectively created
widespread public awareness around the problem of toxic Chinese drywall and has assisted affected
homeowners on multiple levels while generating valuable exposure for the firm and facilitating relations with potential clients.
Not all businesses can easily link their marketing efforts to this particular problem, but the firm’s
strategy, along with the individual tactics pursued, offer some best-practices for launching a welltrafficked corporate blog and establishing yourself as a trusted authority in the marketplace.
Challenge
The United States began importing drywall from China in 2001 because of supply shortages during
the housing boom. The product looked normal but let off foul, toxic emissions that may have caused
myriad health problems among those whose dwellings used the drywall.
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Case study 2: Roberts & Durkee, P.A.
Step 1 was being able to communicate
with the public in mass volume: “We have
a very specific, very educated group of
people who are going through the biggest
crises of their lives, all with the same needs,
all needing the same information… and I
needed to be able to get that information
out in public very quickly.”
Following a series of hurricanes in 2004 and 2005, including Hurricane Katrina, massive rebuilding
efforts in the Gulf states led to a high concentration of contaminated homes in the region, where
warm, humid temperatures only worsen the issue.
Residents, many of whom poured their life savings into their new homes, started suffering respiratory
problems, headaches, and other afflictions. In some cases, household appliances began breaking
down from the toxicity, and their silverware turned black.
When the source of the problem was pinpointed, residents learned that the only remedy is to completely
gut their homes—a costly and time-consuming process that insurance companies are reluctant to cover.
Many of those homeowners were quickly overwhelmed, with little access to ready answers as to how
to proceed or where to turn for help.
Attorney C. David Durkee, a partner at Roberts & Durkee, was intent on helping, but he also knew
this would be no ordinary civil-litigation suit.
“This is mass litigation involving people with very acute needs that cannot be addressed by a plodding court system,” he said. “I knew this would require advocacy outside of the courtroom and have
much more far-reaching effects than what we normally do.”
“This situation involves families living in toxic environments, and we were going to have to try to advocate and clarify certain laws as far as tax codes, property tax codes, building codes, even whether
people would be able to keep their insurance. We knew from the start it would be a long, hard fight,”
he explained.
Step 1 was being able to communicate with the public in mass volume, Durkee said: “We have a
very specific, very educated group of people who are going through the biggest crises of their lives, all
with the same needs, all needing the same information… and I needed to be able to get that information out in public very quickly.”
©2011 MARKETINGPROFS LLC • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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Case study 2: Roberts & Durkee, P.A.
“If you feel you’re an expert in the area,
don’t spend three years figuring it out,” Hart
advises. “Buy your URL, plant yourself, and
start moving forward.”
“In the old days, if we wanted to accomplish that, we would have had to go to the media and hope
somebody listened, hope that that message would get out there,” Durkee explained.
But Jolie Balido-Hart and Jacques Hart of Roar Media, a Miami-based digitally minded publicrelations (PR) firm, let Durkee in on a not-so-little secret: Today, there is a quicker, better way of
informing the masses.
Campaign
Led by Roar Media, Durkee’s communication strategy involved launching an informational blog and
resource website. The following five-step plan helped make the campaign a success.
Step 1: Be quick to market
In spring 2009, when the connection between Chinese drywall and public health issues was becoming apparent, Durkee wasted no time in devising a plan and registering the campaign URL: www.
chinesedrywallproblem.com.
“If you feel you’re an expert in the area, don’t spend three years figuring it out,” Hart advises. “Buy
your URL, plant yourself, and start moving forward.”
Step 2: Generously offer relevant information of value first and foremost
Both the blog and resource site are designed to be content-rich, with useful information that benefits
all affected parties, not just the firm’s clients.
Content is in English and Spanish, and includes an overview of the issue and historical information,
current and breaking news, a current assessment of the situation facing homeowners, and details of
their legal rights.
©2011 MARKETINGPROFS LLC • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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Case study 2: Roberts & Durkee, P.A.
The comprehensive information offered via
the blog and site helped to position Durkee
as a credible go-to source for information
on the issue. That helped Durkee gain
traditional-media coverage, in turn resulting
in more credibility for the firm.
To stay abreast of any new announcements or trends, Roar Media set up Google alerts for 50 Chinese
drywall-related terms, all of which are directed to a shared RSS reader so that both Durkee and the
Roar Media team can quickly collaborate and post new information as soon as it’s available.
For example, one of Durkee’s blog posts covered an important IRS clarification regarding tax deductions for losses sustained because of the crisis and included a scanned image of the letter from
Florida Senator Bill Nelson that affected parties should take with them when discussing the issue
with their accountants.
“It is proof of that authority, not just ‘Durkee told me,’” Durkee explained. “We were able to get it
online and make it available to everyone for free almost immediately.”
For business purposes, a contact form was conveniently placed in the left margin for visitors who
have additional questions or are interested in acquiring legal representation based on the information
provided.
Step 3: Work with the press
Roar Media embarked on a full traditional PR campaign, raising awareness for the issue in general,
as well as for Durkee, his firm, and the newly launched blog and site.
The comprehensive information offered via the blog and site helped to position Durkee as a credible
go-to source for information on the issue. That helped Durkee gain traditional-media coverage, in turn
resulting in more credibility for the firm.
“Credibility is important for building trust with visitors, and the media coverage we received went a
long way in providing that,” Durkee said.
©2011 MARKETINGPROFS LLC • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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Case study 2: Roberts & Durkee, P.A.
Search engines are often the first place
people turn to when seeking information
on a major issue, so both paid-search
advertising and search-engine optimization
(SEO) were employed, with SEO eventually
replacing paid search once the site’s natural
ranking started to rise.
Durkee makes himself available for all media interviews, no matter how last-minute. He also works
with Roar Media to ensure his media presentations resonate with the general public and don’t
become weighed down with jargon that could cause people to tune out.
Step 4: Focus on SEO
Search engines are often the first place people turn to when seeking information on a major issue, so
both paid-search advertising and search-engine optimization (SEO) were employed, with SEO eventually replacing paid search once the site’s natural ranking started to rise.
SEO has gone beyond incorporating commonly searched terms into the site’s content. For example,
Roar Media uploads all media coverage featuring Durkee to the site so that those stories will continue
to be accessible if the media outlets later remove them from their own sites.
It also optimizes any video clips by including popular terms in the associated meta tags and description tags. Metadata for each page, such as the URL strings on top and all H1 and H2 tags, is similarly optimized.
Moreover, the company reaches out to the media to request that Durkee’s resource site be linked
within their stories, thereby collecting quality links that help boost the site’s natural rankings.
“On-page optimization accounts for about 10% of a good SEO program. The rest is link popularity
and link building,” Hart said.
Step 5: Use social-networking tools to spread the message further
Durkee also uses his personal Twitter account and a campaign Facebook page to draw attention to
new blog posts and breaking news featured on the site.
©2011 MARKETINGPROFS LLC • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
20
Case study 2: Roberts & Durkee, P.A.
These content marketing efforts have also
helped the firm and the Chinese-drywall
issue in general to gather more press
attention.TIMEmagazine,ABCWorldNews,
The Wall Street Journal, The Associated
Press, and CNN’s Lou Dobbs, among others,
have featured or quoted Durkee.
Results
Durkee’s blog and resource website now consistently rank in the top 10 organic search results for
related keywords, and they receive an average of 3,000 to 4,000 monthly unique visitors—who, for
the most part, hang out and read the information posted rather than quickly clicking off, indicating
that the appropriate market is being reached.
Since the launch, affected homeowners have reached out to the firm in droves, resulting in more than
150 new cases to date.
“We probably get about 50% of our leads through the blog and website, [which] are very important
in helping people get in contact with me,” said Durkee.
These content marketing efforts have also helped the firm and the Chinese-drywall issue in general
to gather more press attention. TIME magazine, ABC World News, The Wall Street Journal, The
Associated Press, and CNN’s Lou Dobbs, among others, have featured or quoted Durkee in their
coverage of the issue.
The blog and website “allow...media to find this information and get it even more publicized,” Durkee
said.
Above all, this level of coverage has helped Durkee’s firm and the victims of the crisis make important
strides.
For example, when Citizens Insurance, which is the last resort for homeowners who are denied coverage by private insurance companies, announced it would no longer renew coverage for contaminated
Florida homes, the blog was immediately updated with a story of how one homeowner was being
canceled with nowhere else to go—a situation that would likely lead him to lose his home since a
lack of insurance would violate his mortgage policy.
©2011 MARKETINGPROFS LLC • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
21
Case study 2: Roberts & Durkee, P.A.
Content rules. Good content drives inbound
links, site traffic, and views, all of which
boost natural search rankings, which
increases traffic, which... It’s a synergistic
cycle that begins with the quality of the
content you put out there. So make it good.
The story was picked up by several media outlets that encouraged their audiences to call on the
state’s governor and other key contacts to act. Within the month, Citizens Insurance altered its entire
policy for the state of Florida, enabling affected homeowners to renew their insurance.
“It was one of my proudest moments,” Durkee recalled. “Without even walking into a courtroom, we
created a huge change for these victims, who otherwise would have been forced into foreclosure. It is
true testament to the power of how a blog can be utilized.”
Lessons Learned
A thoughtful blog can bestow thought leadership. Follow Durkee’s lead and impart useful knowledge to
position yourself as a credible source for potential clients, the media, and anyone else looking for a good
spokesperson.
Don’t forget to keep that content current with regular updates so that people continue to use it as a trusted
resource. Also, put some effort into optimizing that content, and the site it’s posted on, for search visibility.
Blogging can save you time. Durkee found that by providing all this information in one place that was
easily accessible to all, he could answer many people’s queries at once.
Many clients became accustomed to checking the blog first when they had a question, which enabled
Durkee to spend more time focusing on the cases themselves and allowed clients to gather what they
needed whenever it was most convenient for them.
Moreover, as more content was added and optimized, the site’s natural search rankings rose, which
helped to steer new clients and publicity in Durkee’s direction without additional PR or ad spend.
Content rules. Good content drives inbound links, site traffic, and views, all of which boost natural search
rankings, which increases traffic, which... you get the idea. It’s a synergistic cycle that begins with the
quality of the content you put out there. So make it good.
©2011 MARKETINGPROFS LLC • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
22
Case study 2: Roberts & Durkee, P.A.
Related Links
Campaign website: http://www.chinesedrywallproblem.com/
Campaign blog: http://www.chinesedrywallproblem.com/category/blog/
Roberts & Durkee, P.A. website: http://www.rdlawnet.com/
Roar Media website: http://www.roarmedia.com
Excerpted from http://www.marketingprofs.com.
©2011 MARKETINGPROFS LLC • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
23
CASE STUDY 3: JER ENVIROTECH
How One Whitepaper Generated 500 Leads and Significant PR for a B2B Manufacturer
by Nettie Hartsock
Company: Contact: Location: Industry: Annual revenue: Number of employees:
JER Envirotech
Marc Hoelscher, former Dir. of Marketing and Communications JER Envirotech;
Robert Cooper, Strategic Director/President of PlusROI
Delta, British Columbia, Canada
Raw Materials, B2B
Confidential
30
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Quick Read
JER Envirotech is a custom formulator and manufacturer of environmentally friendly thermoplastic
biocomposite materials. Competing against traditional manufacturers with its nascent technology was
challenging. The company wanted to develop a whitepaper to help build credibility for its offerings.
Understanding the hesitancy of manufacturers to use recycled and still-unfamiliar materials, the
company wanted a whitepaper that could serve as an educational tool at tradeshows as well as an
ongoing lead-generation tool on its website.
JER Envirotech turned to online marketing firm PlusROI, which helped create the education-focused
whitepaper for $4,000. That relatively small investment allowed the company to capture 500 leads
via downloads of the whitepaper in the first 60 days of its being featured on the company’s site. It
also scored major coverage in the leading industry publication in the form of an article, which was a
result of the whitepaper.
The Challenge
JER Envirotech is a custom formulator and manufacturer of environmentally friendly thermoplastic
biocomposite materials (polypropylene combined with organic materials such as sawdust, rice husk,
©2011 MARKETINGPROFS LLC • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
24
Case study 3: JER Envirotech
One of the company’s largest challenges
was figuring out how best to highlight
the durability of its recycled-material
products to other manufacturers hesitant
to use “green” materials. [It] decided that
a whitepaper could present the company
to a larger audience, initiate possible leads
for reaching new customers, and build
credibility and awareness.
and palm fiber). One of the company’s largest challenges was figuring out how best to highlight the
durability of its recycled-material products to other manufacturers hesitant to use “green” materials.
In August 2007, the company decided that a whitepaper could present the company to a larger
audience, initiate possible leads for reaching new customers, and build credibility and awareness for
JER Envirotech.
The whitepaper was intended for a B2B audience, focused on the benefits and durability of recycled
material products.
The company tapped Rob Cooper, founder and strategic director/president of PlusROI, to help create
the whitepaper for debut at a large plastics-related B2B tradeshow, the Leading Edge Molding
Conference, and for use as a lead-acquisition tool on a download page at JER Envirotech’s website.
The initial cost of the paper was $4,000.
Marc Hoelscher, at the time the director of marketing at JER Envirotech, noted, “We were hoping to
generate additional credibility for our company, but did not initially have a specific target number of
leads in place. We wanted the whitepaper to also be on our website with the goal of developing new
contacts for our opt-in database and new leads for as long as the content was relevant.”
The Campaign
Working together, Cooper and JER Envirotech Vice-President Bill Hunnicutt produced the whitepaper
within a month.
The eight-page document, titled “Injection Molding with Thermoplastic BioComposites,” was placed
on the company’s homepage for download and highlighted on the website with a distinctive download box.
©2011 MARKETINGPROFS LLC • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
25
Case study 3: JER Envirotech
“We focused our whitepaper on one of
our clients and their unique application of
our technology. We were careful to keep
the spotlight on them and not ourselves.
This allowed the paper to be much more
objective.”
The paper also served as the foundation for the presentation by Edward Trueman, president and CEO
of JER Envirotech, at the Leading Edge Molding Conference in September 2007. Trueman presented
the education-focused whitepaper in conjunction with a PowerPoint presentation.
Moreover, the whitepaper was the primary sales collateral in the company booth at the same conference.
“We focused our whitepaper on one of our clients and their unique application of our technology. We
were careful to keep the spotlight on them and not ourselves. This allowed the paper to be much
more objective,” noted Hoelscher.
The Results
During Trueman’s presentation at the conference, an editor of Plastics Technology Magazine, which
has a readership of 85,000 readers, found the content of the whitepaper and Trueman’s presentation
compelling enough to offer to become the first magazine to publish an article about it. The magazine
even helped JER Envirotech edit some of the content, which was then revised in the whitepaper as
well, Hoelscher said.
“What was great about the magazine approaching JER Envirotech about running the key points of
the whitepaper in article form is at the same time we were in the process of researching the cost to
run an ad highlighting the whitepaper, with the cost of [the ad] anywhere from $1,000 to $5,000,
depending on placement,” noted Cooper.
The bylined article, titled “Injection Molding Wood-Plastic Composites,” was written by Hunnicutt and
appeared in the December 2007 issue of Plastics Technology Magazine.
Hoelscher said the whitepaper and its subsequent reach were much more than the company had
initially hoped for: “More than 500 leads have been generated from the whitepaper, as well as
enormous exposure in the industry’s leading trade magazine, Plastic Technology Magazine.
©2011 MARKETINGPROFS LLC • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
26
Case study 3: JER Envirotech
Always keep in mind the possibilities for
repurposing the content of collateral for
press releases or bylined articles to gain
more exposure and a higher return on the
initial investment.
“The article generated from the whitepaper was featured as an inset on the front cover, [a] feature
photo in the table of contents, and a five-page full-color spread, all at no charge—and worth an
estimated $50K.”
The paper also helped strengthen relationships with clients. “One of our long-standing accounts,
Rolco, Inc., became much more active with us after reviewing the whitepaper on our site. The
whitepaper was also a fantastic means of developing customer loyalty. Given the potential size of the
accounts with our customers, the cost of the whitepaper was relatively insignificant,” Hoelscher said.
“The benefit of creating this document and hosting it on our site is that it will continue to develop
new contacts for our opt-in database and new leads indefinitely—or at least as long as the content is
relevant, anyway. Unlike investing in an advertisement, the whitepaper has a long shelf life and has
the potential to create opportunities for our company for years to come,” he concluded.
Lessons Learned
Whitepapers are an excellent way to convince potential customers of the benefits of your products or
services, especially if they’re new to market and not well understood by the potential target market.
Consider the whitepaper an educational tool.
“Ensure your whitepaper is heavily focused on the educating readers about the solution and its contribution, rather than on the company. The closer the document is to editorial vs. advertorial, the more acceptance it’s going to receive from trade magazines, partners, and potential customers,” said Hoelscher.
Always keep in mind the possibilities for repurposing the content of collateral for press releases or bylined
articles to gain more exposure and a higher return on the initial investment.
©2011 MARKETINGPROFS LLC • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
27
CASE STUDY 4: ROYAL CANIN CANADA
How a Pet Food Company Is Building a Loyal Customer Base via Highly Targeted Emails
by Jennifer Nastu
Company: Contact: Location: Industry: Annual revenue: Number of employees: Royal Canin Canada
Andrew Cannon, Direct Marketing Associate
Toronto, Ontario
B2C
Confidential
125
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Quick read
Royal Canin Canada puts an enormous budget behind creating customized, breed-specific pet food
that is sold in specialty stores. But many pet owners don’t realize how much their dog or cat could
benefit from a food that is specially formulated for their pet’s breed. The company needed to educate
customers to gain their loyalty and prevent them from purchasing less-expensive brands.
By creating a loyalty email program that was extremely targeted with information on specific breeds,
Royal Canin was able to earn the role of trusted adviser. Only eight months old, the email program
now reaches about 8% of current customers, maintains a remarkable 80% click-through rate for its
articles, and has an unsubscribe rate of less than 2%.
Challenge
Royal Canin has spent an enormous amount on research and development—far more than it did on
marketing—to create customized food for a variety of dog and cat breeds. Yet it has been difficult to
convey that message to consumers because its product offerings were so broad: It sells 150 products
just on its retail side.
Even getting the message across on the bags of pet food proved difficult. “We have German shepherd food, so we slap a German shepherd picture on it and people think it’s a marketing ploy,” said
©2011 MARKETINGPROFS LLC • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
28
Case study 4: Royal Canin Canada
This was the challenge that the company
faced: How to educate consumers about
the benefits of a diet created for specific
[dog] breeds while letting them know that
these benefits were backed by scientific
research—and how to do so cost-efficiently.
Andrew Cannon, direct marketing associate for Royal Canin. “That’s one of our big consumer myths
we have to overcome.”
The products may have looked as though they were created by a marketing company, but Royal
Canin spends many millions of dollars on research to create the breed-specific pet food.
This was the challenge that the company faced: How to educate consumers about the benefits of a
diet created for specific breeds while letting them know that these benefits were backed by scientific
research—and how to do so cost-efficiently.
Campaign
Cannon and his team decided to test a highly targeted, content-rich email program, dubbed Pet First,
designed to educate its current customers in Canada. The goal was to bring in high-quality subscribers—those who would be active, loyal members—rather than large numbers of them.
If the test met with success, Cannon planned to roll out the Pet First program on a larger scale, hoping to reach potential customers.
Cannon and his team knew they wanted to impart the detailed research on pets that the company
compiles. They incorporated a couple of smart features into the Pet First program:
Element No. 1: Incentives to join
To gain subscribers, Cannon had stickers attached to the bags of pet food and signs placed in stores
pitching the program. The stickers said, “Learn about what makes your pet unique,” and drove people
to the website to join the Pet First program.
He tested the stickers both with an incentive—the chance to win a year’s amount of pet food—and
without one.
©2011 MARKETINGPROFS LLC • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
29
Case study 4: Royal Canin Canada
Each segment received content that was
highly relevant to it. Breed-specific content
included articles, videos, and quizzes on
topics such as “How well do you know
your German Shepherd (or Dachshund, or
Labrador,orCavalierKingCharlesSpaniel...),”
and “Your growing puppy: different age,
different needs.”
Element No. 2: Highly detailed targeting
Using email delivery company Lyris, Cannon decided to segment the new list of subscribers to literally
dozens of groups, based on a number of attributes he learned from the signup form on the website,
including these:
• Animal breed
• Animal age
• Size of pet
• Customer geographic location
• Indoor/outdoor pet
He also targeted emails based on the level of activity within the Pet First program: Subscribers who
tended to read most of the articles or tended to download the videos were sent special offers, such as
incentives for referring a friend.
No two program emails are the same, because they are all personalized to the pet owner and targeted
based on the pet profiles. (Subscribers could enter up to 10 pet profiles when they subscribed to the
program.)
Element No. 3: Top-notch content
Each segment received content that was highly relevant to it. Breed-specific content included articles,
videos, and quizzes on topics such as “How well do you know your German Shepherd (or Dachshund,
or Labrador, or Cavalier King Charles Spaniel...),” and “Your growing puppy: different age, different
needs.”
Element No. 4: Trigger-based emails
©2011 MARKETINGPROFS LLC • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
30
Case study 4: Royal Canin Canada
The campaign...has an open rate of more
than 95%. Of course, the open rate can be
a tricky metric.... Cannon prefers to look at
his click-through rate, which is also high:
Of those who receive the email, 80% click
through to read an article.
The emails in the Pet First program were not sent in large batches. Rather, they were sent based on
triggers, such as when a pet reaches a certain age—so that no two Pet First members received the
same email at the same time.
Pet First members receive emails, on average, 1.5-2 times per month.
Results
The campaign, eight months old, has an open rate of more than 95%. Of course, the open rate can
be a tricky metric. Some email providers show an email as opened if a user views it in the preview
pane. Cannon prefers to look at his click-through rate, which is also high: Of those who receive the
email, 80% click through to read an article.
“With the core group of subscribers we’ve attracted over past few months, it’s been extremely
successful,” said Cannon. He knows subscribers love the content not only because of the high clickthrough rates but also because he receives many responses via email. In fact, one member of his staff
is designated each day to respond to reader emails.
Royal Canin’s Pet First program has attracted about 8% of its customer base (a figure arrived at by looking at the overall bags of pet food sold and dividing that by how much food each particular breed eats).
Interestingly, the offer to win a year’s supply of food did not increase the number of subscribers
significantly. People who buy Royal Canin’s food tend not to be concerned about price, apparently.
Now, says Cannon, as he is ready to begin reaching out to consumers who shop at grocery stores for
their pet food, the incentive may be more successful.
©2011 MARKETINGPROFS LLC • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
31
Case study 4: Royal Canin Canada
Build in more resources for content.... From
the emails sent by customers (often with
stories and pictures of their pets), [the
company] learned quickly that subscribers
wanted even more detailed and targeted
information. That meant more content
needed to be created.
Lessons Learned
The right email delivery provider is critical. Cannon originally was using a different provider, but it wasn’t
able to provide all of the customization he wanted. “So we pulled the plug. Having the right tool is really,
really important.”
Build in more resources for content. At first, the Pet First program was divided only into certain breeds,
and by dog and cat. “But we have a very engaged group of subscribers, and that’s where we learn a lot,”
said Cannon. From the emails sent by customers (often with stories and pictures of their pets), he learned
quickly that subscribers wanted even more detailed and targeted information. That meant more content
needed to be created.
Related Links
• Royal Canin Canada: http://www.royalcanin.ca/
• Lyris Email Marketing: http://lyris.com/
Excerpted from http://www.marketingprofs.com.
©2011 MARKETINGPROFS LLC • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
32
CASE STUDY 5: GARDEN FRESH RESTAURANT CORP
How Garden Fresh Realized a Huge Gain in Web Traffic and Longer-Term Loyalty via Email
by Laurie Lande
Company: Contact: Location: Industry: Annual revenue: Number of employees:
Garden Fresh Restaurant Corp.
Jill Drecker, Manager of Guest Loyalty
San Diego, CA
Retail (B2C)
Confidential
6,000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Quick Read
Garden Fresh Restaurant Corp., which manages a chain of 102 family-style buffet restaurants in 15
states, had a sizable email loyalty club. Its “Club Veg” totaled more than half a million members,
all of whom had voluntarily signed up to be notified about upcoming food promotions. But Garden
Fresh wanted these members to do more than receive emails—it wanted them to visit its website and
learn more about the restaurant’s offerings. In short, it wanted to be more interactive with its email
members.
Working with online marketing agency Red Door Interactive, Garden Fresh tried two interactive email
campaigns tied to a monthly food promotion at its restaurant chains. The first encouraged Club Veg
members to visit the chain’s homepage and learn more about the cherry dishes being featured that
month; the second campaign featured a clock counting down the days, hours, minutes and seconds
until a popular chicken pot pie menu item would be available.
In both instances, Club Veg members had a chance to win free meals by clicking on the link in the
email and visiting the homepage.
The two promotions led to a huge increase in site traffic to the company’s homepage: The cherry
email campaign garnered a 906% increase in site visits on the day the email was sent, while the
chicken pot pie menu initiative led to a 1,430% increase in visits.
©2011 MARKETINGPROFS LLC • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
33
Case study 5: Garden Fresh Restaurant Corp
By setting up an interactive and fun email
campaign offering customers the chance to
win free meals and giving them recipes of
their favorite dishes, Garden Fresh aimed to
elicit more customer loyalty.
The Challenge
Garden Fresh Restaurant Corp. had an asset that any B2C company would envy: a database of
more than half a million consumers who had voluntarily asked to stay informed about changes to
the menu, ongoing promotions, and other relevant information. The company knew that this was an
untapped asset; it wanted to reach out to this group and get them more involved without alienating
valuable customers.
By setting up an interactive and fun email campaign offering customers the chance to win free meals
and giving them recipes of their favorite dishes, Garden Fresh aimed to elicit more customer loyalty.
The company hoped that more Club Veg members would visit its website to learn more about upcoming promotions, encouraging them to send emails to their friends about the restaurant and also visit
the outlets more frequently.
The Campaign
Garden Fresh Restaurant Corp. operates 102 casual-dining buffet-style restaurants in 15 states under
the name Souplantation or Sweet Tomatoes. The company’s niche positioning is to have a different
food theme each month. One month’s menu may feature “buffalo chicken” items, whereas another
month apple items might be featured.
The company began its “Club Veg” email club in March 2005, in part to keep customers informed
about current and future themes of the month. Patrons could sign up by giving their contact details at
the restaurants or by going to the Souplantation website. Within 18 months of its launch, Club Veg
boasted half a million members.
With so many members having joined Club Veg, Garden Fresh realized that it was time to try to do
more than just send them emails. “We wanted to be more interactive with our online club,” said Jill
Drucker, director of customer loyalty.
©2011 MARKETINGPROFS LLC • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
34
Case study 5: Garden Fresh Restaurant Corp
With so many members having joined
Club Veg, Garden Fresh realized that it was
time to try to do more than just send them
emails. “We wanted to be more interactive
with our online club,” said Jill Drucker,
director of customer loyalty.
In August 2006, Garden Fresh sent its first interactive email to Club Veg members to promote its
Cherry month. The personalized email featured artwork and invited readers to go to the Souplantation
website and visit its cherry tree. “If a [website] visitor put their mouse over a cherry on the tree,
either a fact about cherries or information about one of our cherry-related menu items would come
up,” recalled Drucker. The email also offered the chance to win two free meals.
On the day that the email was sent, traffic to the Souplantation website jumped 906%, said Drucker.
She and her team then decided to try another initiative.
In October 2006, as the company geared up for its annual November Chicken Pot Pie theme, Garden
Fresh sent its members an email with a link to a clock on the Souplantation homepage; the clock
counted down the days, hours, minutes, and seconds until chicken pot pie became available in its
restaurants Nov. 1.
“As this is one of our most popular menu items, we wanted to create even more excitement about its
availability,” said Drucker.
The personalized email offered Club Veg members a chance to win 30 free meals if they visited the
countdown clock after it launched Oct. 20, 2006. On Nov. 1, the clock changed, instead counting
down the exact time left until the end of the month, when the item would stop being served.
The chicken pot pie email blast led to an impressive 1,430% jump in traffic to the Souplantation site
on the day of its launch.
Garden Fresh now constantly looks for opportunities to be more interactive with Club Veg members.
“We’ve learned it helps to get them excited about going to our site,” said Drucker.
During a subsequent eight-week “Passport Promotion” featuring dishes for two weeks from each
of four places—Asia, Greece, Italy, and Mexico—members were sent emails inviting them to come
©2011 MARKETINGPROFS LLC • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
35
Case study 5: Garden Fresh Restaurant Corp
The success of the campaigns has also
encouraged a dialogue with customers,
which is invaluable in engendering and
maintaining customer loyalty.
to the Souplantation site and personalize an email postcard inviting a friend to meet them at the
restaurant.
Each two-week period had a different fun experience. Members could personalize a fortune cookie
during the Asia promotion, dress a Greek God during the Greek promotion, draw a Mona Lisa for the
Italy promotion, and use a donkey to invite a friend to a fiesta during the Mexico promotion.
Results
Each interactive email campaign led to a huge jump in email traffic for Souplantation—906% for the
cherry campaign and 1,430% for the chicken pot pie initiative. Those results encouraged Garden
Fresh to think about ways to be more interactive with its Club Veg members at all times, from offering
them fun trivia games to chances to win free meals.
The success of the campaigns has also encouraged a dialogue with customers, which is invaluable in
engendering and maintaining customer loyalty.
Drucker has kept an email she received last year from a Club Veg member after the company sent out
a recipe for its Classic Greek Salad. She wrote, “I’m just as happy to get this recipe as if you had sent
a coupon,” according to Drucker.
©2011 MARKETINGPROFS LLC • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
36
Case study 5: Garden Fresh Restaurant Corp
Lessons Learned
Vary your email promotions to keep them lively. Now that Garden Fresh has seen the value of interactive
emails, it tries to keep its emails different and fun. Some may offer recipes or the chance to win free
meals, while others try to increase excitement about a menu item, such as a current countdown clock to
next month’s featured food item.
Reward your most loyal customers. Club Veg members are Souplantation’s most loyal guests, and they
are rewarded by coupons, the chance to win free meals, and recipes to their favorite Souplantation dish.
The company’s customer base tends to consist of women who have children, and so they particularly
appreciate such rewards.
Related Links
• www.souplantation.com
• www.reddoor.biz (Garden Fresh’s online marketing agency)
Excerpted from http://www.marketingprofs.com.
©2011 MARKETINGPROFS LLC • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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