Upscale restaurant chains are starting to tap social media marketing.
Some are finding their efforts on sites such as MySpace.com, Facebook.com and Twitter.com translating into sales.
“Social networking allows us to get in touch with the customers interested in our brand on a personal level versus a print or radio ad where it flies out there into the great unknown,” said Lisa O’Neill, director of marketing for Arizona’s Eddie V’s Restaurants Inc., which runs Wildfish Seafood Grille in Newport Beach.
W.B. Doner & Co.’s Newport Beach office recently started a social media campaign for Newport Beach-based Roy’s, a Hawaiian fusion restaurant chain that’s part of Florida-based OSI Restaurant Partners. The campaign using Facebook and Twitter has led to results for the chain, according to the ad shop.
Wildfish, which had dabbled in social networking via Facebook pages, recently started a more comprehensive social media strategy for all of its high-end restaurants in California, Arizona and Texas.
“I created all the Facebook pages myself, but I’ve now hired companies to maintain them and keep the dialogue going with our customers,” O’Neill said.
Irvine-based Morgan Marketing and Public Relations LLC is handling social media marketing for Wildfish.
The restaurant plans to use Facebook and Twitter to unveil menu items, promotions and happy hour specials. The hope is to attract diners who’ve pulled back in the downturn.
“It’s intended to spur customers to give us another look,” O’Neill said.
Fast food chains have been trying to figure out social media marketing for a few years.
Irvine-based Taco Bell Corp., part of Louisville, Ky.-based Yum Brands Inc., and Irvine-based In-N-Out Burger Inc. were listed as the most social restaurants in the U.S., according to marketing firm Atlanta-based Virtue. Taco Bell has more than 550,000 friends on Facebook and In-N-Out has nearly 400,000 who regularly post their love of the burgers.
Small Business Road Trip
Irvine-based WebVisible Inc. is trying to reach out to small businesses that may have been left behind by Internet marketing.
The search engine marketing company did a grassroots study into how small businesses use the Internet in their marketing efforts.
It sent Chief Marketing Officer Kevin Ryan on a road trip to interview a range of small bus-inesses, from UFO tour operators to knife makers.
“I interviewed several businesses along Route 40,” which runs from Utah to New Jersey, Ryan said. “In the process I discovered there is a giant gap between how big businesses approach Internet marketing and small businesses, which see it as a barrier.”
The recession has had a hand in increasing interest in Internet marketing.
“It’s an indicator of growth as more people are trying to get their arms around the Web,” Ryan said. “For the most part, people want to get involved, but they are cautious.”
Motorcycle Marketing
Costa Mesa-based Ducati Newport Beach, a dealership for motorcycles from Italy’s Ducati Motor Holding SPA, is targeting social media and local business partnerships to drum up sales.
The dealership is looking to search engine marketing and motorcycle Web forums to get targeted publicity.
“We don’t see the need to spend money marketing to people who aren’t interested in buying a Ducati,” said Michael Guerin, president of the dealership and a former auto salesman.
Most Ducati owners aren’t first-time motorcycle owners. Nearly 95% are professionals guys interested in owning a high-end motorcycle.
The motorcycles don’t come cheap as entry-level bikes start at around $9,000 and can cost upward of $60,000.
The dealership has been working with businesses in Newport Beach and Costa Mesa.
Newport Beach-based Aston Martin Newport Beach and Costa Mesa nightclub Sutra Lounge each have featured the bikes.
The product placements have paid off, Guerin said.
“There is something about when people can see and touch these bikes,” Guerin said. “We’ve already had a couple of sales thanks to showing the bikes off at these locations.”
Bits and Pieces
A segment for USA Network’s Character Fantasy program by the Aliso Viejo’s Most Brand Development & Advertising and Chicago’s National Association of Realtors’ has been delayed by production issues. The spot was set to run this month but has been delayed until the second quarter of next year … Santa Ana-based Carson Marketing Inc. has won branding work for Irvine-based Yamaha Music Centers, schools offering music lessons in Laguna Niguel, Irvine and Torrance. Carson will be producing marketing materials and a Web site for the schools. The shop also picked up Newport Beach-based Spa Otani, formerly Spa Da Vinci. Carson will be helping with the name change, Web site and promotions… Newport Beach-based Orange Label Art + Advertising has been hired by Irvine-based Newport Pacific Capital Co., a property management and development company for manufactured home communities, to help increase occupancy at one of their Texas developments.
