The document provides guidance on creating an effective email marketing program for restaurants. It discusses best practices such as making signups easy, setting clear expectations, promoting across channels, using consistent relevant messaging, and evaluating each email sent. The anatomy of an effective email is then outlined, including tips for the pre-header, header, call to action, body copy, footer, restrictions, and frequency. Common spam triggers and questions to ask before sending are also presented.

1. Creating a Winning Email
Program
Presented by Chris Munz, Director of Sales
Communication and Rolf Gehrung Regional Vice
President, Sales
Fishbowl, Inc.

2. About Fishbowl
• The leading provider of on-demand marketing software and services to
the restaurant industry
• Serving over 40,000 restaurant client locations
• Managing an opt-in member database of over 50 million guests
• Over 1.5 billion email messages distributed annually
• Technology and services designed specifically for the restaurants
• Key partnerships:

3. What Makes a good email Marketing Program
• Make it easy for members to sign up (in-store and online)
• Set expectations early and often
• Cross Channel promote. Create synergy between your online and
offline strategy.
• Create consistent relevant messaging
• Use email as a two way communication channel.
• Always evaluate your program each time you send a message
• Make sure your messages can be read in different environments

4. Anatomy of an email Message
Why the “From” Name might matter more then ever?
– Attention spans are shrinking
– Restaurant goers, inboxes are flooded with messages commercial and personal
– Subject lines are sometimes truncated based on where the message is being
viewed (mobile, online web mail etc.)
– The From Name is a representation of your company/brand. Keep it simple and
easily identifiable. Localize it!
Just a reminder:
73% make the decision to click on the "report spam" or "junk" button using the from
line. - Email Sender and Provider Coalition, 2007

5. How to get your Email Subject Line Right!
•Read the Newspaper
•50 - 60 Characters is what you have to work with
•Support the From Line
•List Key info First
•Personalize (Studies show that Location Based subject lines outperform)
•Urgency Drives Action
•Lead your Member base to take action
•Test, Test and Test more then measure performance
Rules for a Great Subject Line

6. Subject line Examples
From: Mimis Café – CA Dublin
Subject line:
Mimi’s Price Fixed Menus for the
post Valentines Day pocketbook
blues

7. Subject line Examples
From bd’s Mongolian Grill
Subject line: Introducing bd's iPhone App!

8. Subject line Examples
From: Quizno’s Toaster
Subject line: Win a trip to Colorado

9. Subject line Examples
From: Las Iguanas
Subject line: Cinco de Mayo! 2 for 1
Mexican Mayhem at Las Iguanas

10. Anatomy of an Email Message – Pre-Header
Pre-header
– Most brands use this for whitelisting (address book instructions) and
online version clicks
– Since most restaurant brands send image heavy mailings this is a great
place for:
• call to actions,
• mobile device support
• Forward to a Friend or Share with your Network
• coming soon advertisement.

11. Anatomy of an Email Message – Pre-Header
Pre-Header

12. Anatomy of an Email Message – Pre-Header

13. Anatomy of an Email Message - Header
Header
– Website or social Navigation with well placed logo at the top left
side of the message
– Make the logo Pop!
– Code the links properly so they point to the right place
– Pay attention to above the imaginary fold and get the most bang
for your buck with well placed logos and links.

14. Anatomy of an Email Message - Header

15. Anatomy of an Email Message - Header

16. Anatomy of an Email Message - Header

17. Anatomy of an Email Message – Call to Action
What is a call to action?
– Is a banner, button, or some type of graphic or text within a email message that is meant to
prompt a user to click it and continue down a conversion funnel.
• Typical call to actions for restaurants
– New Menu Items
– Special offers (2 for 1 offer, lower price point)
– Limited Time offers
– Special Occasions (Birthday’s, Holiday’s, Anniversary)
– Sporting Events
– Any action that you think will drive your members to take action could be offer related or
not.

18. Body Copy
• Test Copy Length (consider where your guest open your messages (desktop
vs. mobile)
•Keep in mind the length of the preview text
•Varies depending on the email client (i.e. Gmail: 100 characters; iPhone:
140 characters)
•Do not use all images for the message*
•Use descriptive ALT tags (for example: 20% off on Thursday instead of
image2)
•Include, above the top part above the fold, some type of call to action and
not just an image
Anatomy of an Email Message – Call to Action

19. Building A Great Email Message
Offers (Body Copy)
Once again, test, test, test
•Bogo vs half off vs. 50% off (BOGOs performed best!)
•Vary offers based on customer segment
•Jump though vs. in the email
Offers that work:
•Limited offers or one-of-a-kind products
•New product launches
•Limited time, discount offer
Mix offers with value-added content:
•Advance notification of events, LTOs
•Invite to taste panels, feedback on menu items, new items, radio/tv ads, etc.
•Charity events/involvement
•Helpful tips/recipes

20. Anatomy of an Email Message - Footer
Footer
– Unsubscribe Link
– Address Phone number
– Privacy policy
– Terms and Conditions of message offer
– Share with your Network, Forward to your Friend
• Make it clear to them on what actions they can take in your footer

21. Anatomy of an Email Message - Footer

22. Building A Great Email Message - Restrictions
Restrictions
Minimum Purchases: Best way to deter fraud is to ensure the offer contains a
minimum purchase that makes it a standalone profitable transaction. By doing so, the
restaurant is still making a profit even if the offer is re-used.
Expiration Period:
- The standard is 14-30 days -- prevents ongoing abuse and encourages an
immediate visit for redemption.
- Shorter expiration periods with Limited Time Offers can also be employed
(same day, 2 day) to drive large amounts in traffic during short periods of time,
and are usually employed for more aggressive offers.
- Be sure you are driving traffic at times you need traffic, i.e. Mon-Thurs or lunch
time, 11AM-4PM).
- “Cannibalization” By discounting on busy days like the weekends, you are not
increasing sales, you are discounting the guests that are already visiting your
restaurant.

23. Building A Great Email Message - Restrictions

24. Building A Great Email Message - Frequency
Frequency
•In the search for greater ROI from email marketing campaigns, brands often default
to simply increasing the frequency of their email sends. Although this approach
increases monthly gross revenue, there are additional charges that can wipe out any
gains.
•Adhere to the expectations for frequency and content that were set at point of
collection (Meet your subscriber expectations)
•Have a preference center in your online marketing mix to give subscribers message
frequency options.

25. Building A Great Email Message - Frequency
Why Frequency can hurt your email program
• Higher frequency’s unsubscribe rate is 140% greater than that of the lower
frequency one
• The spam complaint rate per emailing increases by 600%, and over a full
month, the increase is 1,300%
• High Frequency Email Sends Can Cost You More Than 1/3 of Your List Per
Year
- The unsubscribes plus the spam complaints will cost you 3.05% of your list every month, or
36.6% a year. That’s more than a third of your subscribers gone, and with a bad taste in
their mouths as well. In less than three years, there might not be a single original name left
from your list today!

26. How the send Day affects viewership

27. The Changing Landscape of Email Marketing
Return Path data shows
that the majority of email is
still accessed on PCs. The
leading platform for viewing
email is webmail with 48%
of the total. Desktop use is
a little more than 36% of
views with mobile access
coming in around 16%.

28. The Changing Landscape of Email Marketing
Consistent with research
around the industry, data
shows an 81% growth in the
accessing of email via a
mobile device.

29. Why is this important for my Restaurant Marketing?

30. Spam Filter Triggers
Avoiding these items do not guarantee messages will be safe from spam filters, but excessive use of these words
in subject lines or the body of the mail may result in your message getting blocked or sent to the spam folder.
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31. Spam Filter Triggers
Other Phrases and Design Triggers to avoid:
Avoid CAPS
Use of the terms “Click here” or “This e-mail was sent to you because.”
Excessive placement of the word “unsubscribe” and the links to do so.
Use of “$$$” or the multiple use of “$” throughout.
Excessive use of “!”
Subject contains "advertisement"
Body contains "money back"
Body contains "cards accepted"
Body contains "removal instructions"
Body contains "extra income"
Subject contains "!" AND Subject contains "$"
Subject contains "!" AND Subject contains "free"
Body contains ",000" AND Body contains "!!" AND Body contains "$"
Body contains "Dear friend"
Body contains "for free!"
Body contains "Guarantee" AND "satisfaction" OR "absolute"
Body contains "more info " AND Body contains “visit” AND "$"
Body contains "SPECIAL PROMOTION"
Body contains "one-time mail"
Subject contains "$$"

32. Question you should ask before sending
• My subject line clearly conveys value of message
• My body copy answers Who, What, When, Where and
Why and clearly conveys What’s in it for the Guest
• There have been no messages sent to my store (national
or store level) within the last week
• This message will help build sales.

33. Question you should ask before sending
• Would you open the message if it was in your inbox?
• Did you create the right message for the right audience?
• Is it “share” worthy?
• What are the goals that you have put around it?
• Have you tested it?

34. Presented by:
Chris Munz, Director of Sales Communication
Rolf Gehrung Regional Vice President, Sales
cmunz@fishbowl.com
rgehrung@fishbowl.com
Fishbowl, Inc.