Smart Recession Marketing

Let's face it, during recession times folks think twice about going out to eat anywhere much less indulge in fine dining. High-end gourmet restaurants are certainly feeling the economic squeeze and managers are being forced to find new ways to attract patrons.

When times are tough it's all the more reason to focus on strategy and smart marketing. Here's one success story.

ABC is a small business fine dining restaurant tucked in a quaint city some might consider as being "out in the country." On average, patrons travel 20-30 minutes to enjoy ABC's gourmet delights. This past year, with many area restaurants closing, ABC needed to re brand itself in a way to make it attractive to a larger audience - especially during lean times.

Enhancing their menu offerings with the addition of economically-friendly-priced small plate entrees, introducing "buy 1 get 1" specials on select weekdays, and hosting casual patio dining Saturday afternoons with a pre-set BBQ menu, ABC opened their doors to a wider group of patrons.

While ABC cut back on wait staff they increased spending on email marketing. Specials were unveiled on a weekly basis to their opt-in list - a list that has been steadily increasing despite the recession. With a notable increase in reservations and positive customer feedback, ABC continued to invest not only in email marketing but ongoing SEO. People still get married, despite the state of the economy, and extra effort was made to reach searchers looking for onsite and offsite catering. There too, ABC experienced positive ROI and continues to survive -and at times even thrive- when so many others are struggling.