Creating a buzz with a promos

I live in Portland, Maine, where the winters are dark and long. As I write this in early April, snow is in the forecast.
Imagine the audacity of a local public relations firm, inspired by big cities like New York and Denver, to plan a Maine Restaurant Week promotion in the height of winter—in a down economy no less. Restaurants—everything from the local brew pubs to the James Beard nominated Fore Street—participated in the promotion. Taking advantage of social networking, the organizers set up a Web site listing all the participating restaurants and their Restaurant Week menus. It also created a Facebook group and a Twitter feed to keep everyone in the loop.
Hungry for excitement and a good meal, diners bucked the stay-at-home trend and went out to eat. Restaurants were booked solid, even on Tuesday night, and one participating restaurant that had to turn away hungry diners extended its special menu and pricing through the entire month.
In the end, the promotion was a success, according to local reports. And as a multi-night participant, I wholeheartedly agree. I braved the winter forces to test out new restaurants and to visit favorite standbys. My only complaint is that I didn’t get to try all the restaurants on my wish list.
My point in telling you this is that well-executed promotions work. They create interest and drive sales—even in what’s being called a “reset economy.” So put on your thinking cap and get creative to drive traffic to your retail store.

Anna Wolfe, editor
awolfe@gourmetnews.com