Print+Promo’s Case Study Spotlight: Radius Marketing Solutions

There’s an underlying theme that runs through the stories we write every month for Print+Promo: effective problem-solving. Think you can offer an attractive price and call it a day? Think again. Today’s corporate culture demands a deep understanding of client goals. This means conducting research, asking the right questions and anticipating roadblocks. Print and promotional distributors are doing this and more—and we’ve got the proof. For the next few weeks, we will be highlighting case studies that show the importance of exceeding expectations. The full collection is published in our June issue.

“Bounce Back” Program
Submitted by Chris Clark, managing director, Radius Marketing Solutions, Warner Robins, Ga.

The Client: An undisclosed franchise restaurant chain based in southeast U.S.

The Goal: This particular client promotes a “bounce back” program that runs from November through December of each year. The ultimate goal of the promotion is to generate return sales in each of the chain’s units during the slower months of January and February. In years past, the client has experienced measurable results with the promotion through the use of custom scratch-off cards and custom perforated “window” cards; however, this past year, the client desired a different solution that would achieve several different objectives: provide a custom mix of 10 different standard prizes, including several free menu items, retail items and apparel; boost the number of return sales for each of the units; provide a custom, eye-catching solution that was different from those of previous years; and provide a way for return customers to enter a sweepstakes for several prizes, including a new truck through a sponsorship with a local dealership.

The Solution: While working with the client on the project, we determined that a custom-printed card, including a random assortment of standard prizes, with a perforated piece that included a unique code to be entered into its kiosk-based loyalty program system for entry for the sweepstakes prizes, then inserted and sealed into a custom-printed and converted envelope would be the best option for the promotion. The client, excited with our proposal, agreed, and we shipped more than 380,000 pieces to its franchise units. We also provided all of the point-of-purchase advertising for the promotion, as well as the apparel prizes for the promotion.

The Challenge: We ran into a turnaround issue on the job. Our client was using a new graphic designer for the promotion and the deadline to provide the art was missed by nearly two weeks. Additionally, the art for the envelopes was not laid out correctly; it was not going to line up once it was converted. We quickly corrected the art for the envelopes, which basically involved taking their elements in Photoshop and redesigning the entire piece. We were still left with the issue of the missed deadline, which would have had the pieces delivered to the franchise units nearly two weeks after the promotion was to have started. The envelopes were being printed at a partner facility in central Florida and then being forwarded to an outside converting facility, also in central Florida. We quickly found a converting facility in Georgia and had the flat sheets palletized and shipped to the converting facility in Georgia, and then palletized and shipped back to central Florida for inserting and sealing. We were able to meet the client’s original in-hands date, even with the delay in receiving the artwork, because of our relationship with our partner and third-party facilities.

The Outcome: At the end of the promotion, after all prizes had been redeemed, our client determined that more than 91,000 pieces (slightly over 25 percent) had been redeemed at its units. As previous promotions had yielded a less-than-20 percent return rate, our client was very excited about the overall increase in returns; an increase of slightly more than 5 percent was deemed a success for the promotion by our client. Our client is already looking forward to using the same style of promotion this year and we are already working with them to better perfect the promotion to increase the return early next year.