Local Store Marketing 101
Making your Sonic “MySONIC”
The “Rings” of Local Store Marketing
• RINGS = experience, loyalty, guests, sales and
profit
• Guests experience the brand and talk to their
friends
• Our guests are like rings; individuals, similar
experience, linked, leaving a mark
• Every experience creates more rings
• LSM Creates Quality & Increases Quantity
DRINK VARIET Y
FUN
DRIVE-IN
RED BUTTON
CARHOP
SKATING
STALL
MADE AFTER YOU ORDER
HAPPY HOUR
HANGING OUT
What is Local Store Marketing?
• Purpose: Provide a superior guest experience
through consistent top-notch service, quality and
community involvement.
• Improve the guest experience by:
– achieving operational excellence
– exceeding guest expectations
– creating loyalty to “MySONIC”
among guests within
the local trade area
– providing the best brand experience
What is Local Store Marketing
• Local Store Marketing has two primary goals:
– Drive Loyalty
• provide the best experience to EVERY guest who pulls onto
the lot through food quality, exceptional service & complaint
resolution.
• Take an active role to build your local community
– Drive Traffic
• invite and inform potential guests in a 3 mile radius around
your drive-in (the most likely to pull on-lot) to visit for
special offers or to fill a specific menu desire.
The Most Important LSM
is the Easiest to do!
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Cleanliness
Speed of Service
Order Accuracy
Complaint Resolution
Skating
Consistency
Friendliness
Word of Mouth
Operational Readiness
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Guest Experience
Guest Interaction
Training/Promotional Prep
Food Taste/Quality
On-Lot Events
Knowing Your Trade Area
Sampling
Relationship Building
Community Involvement
What LSM Can Do For You!
• Local Store Marketing:
– Provides the Most Cost Effective Advertising
– Generates Word of Mouth
– Identifies SONIC as a caring part of the community
– Allows Pro-active Complaint Resolution/Feedback
– Creates Location Awareness
– Builds Emotional Ties to your Guests
– Clarifies the Drive-In Concept
Find an LSM Manager to lead your
local efforts & define responsibilities
FIRST – ASK YOURSELF
• Who is the F.A.C.E. of Sonic at your drive-in?
– Find a dedicated crew member with a friendly outgoing personality
• FACE – Friendly, Accessible, Customer-Oriented, Energetic
• Willing & Qualified
• Other Qualities – Inquisitive, Outgoing, Comfortable with People, Engaging, Understands
the business
• Must be 18+
• Good driving record
• On-Lot LSM Responsibilities:
– Manager – address operational readiness
• #1 Get your drive-in POP correct with the sonic marketing plan
• Complete curb appeal checklist
– LSM Manager – look through the customers’ eyes
– Remember to communicate and to openly listen to feedback
• Off-Lot LSM Responsibility:
– LSM Manager – visit locations with lots of people
LSM can be managed in small time
increments
Your LSM Manager should go off lot:
• 30 minutes to 1 hour
• To a pre-planned location/make appointment
• One day a week
• During normally scheduled work hours
A few simple questions to get started.
LSM has dozens of solutions.
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Look at Your Daily Sales - Are there any parts of the day that need a boost?
• What daypart needs focus?
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Define Your Trade Area
• 3 mile radius
• Geography (natural and man-made) – bridges, railroad tracks, etc.
3.
What are the highly concentrated traffic areas around your drive-in?
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Businesses
Schools
Apartments
Residential Areas
What local events are scheduled that you could tie in to?
• Fairs
• Sporting Events
• Holidays
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Develop a trade area map & set priorities
Is my local event “Trackable”?
• Counting coupon redemption, “secret phrases,” ticket count, etc.
905 W. WILLOW
4913 OWEN K.
GARRIOTT
1502 E. OWEN K.
GARRIOTT
1617 south VAN
BUREN
14
Where do I do Local Store Marketing?
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On-Lot
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Operational Focus
Bouncebacks/Coupons
Proven Promotions (Classic LSM)
Surprise and Delight
Guest Service
Off-Lot
– Where are the largest pools of people?
– Maximize impact
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Schools/Libraries
Businesses/Offices
Churches
Sporting Events/Parks
Neighborhoods/Apartments
Malls/Shopping Centers
Local Events
Chamber of Commerce
Example - Cross couponing
Trading coupons with Other businesses
Great recruiting opportunities (skating rinks)
The Easy Path to LSM Success
Your LSM Manager Should…
1. Identify Opportunity Location
– Call Ahead/Set Appointment
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Choose Your Message
Gather Resources/Promotional Items
Have Fun
Follow Up
– Call/Letter/Checkback
6. Business Cards
Most Common Mistakes That Limit
LSM Success
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Take time to develop a plan
– Shortcuts limit success
– Use Your Imagination (but Keep it Simple) – ex. Float Night
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Train and Support
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It’s not about a manual and a seminar, though those are important
Select the right LSM Manager
Talk to your guests to learn what they want and expect
Follow-up with your LSM Manager
Involve the Manager/Supervisor
– Communicate up and down the chain of authority
– Everyone from supervisors to other crew members should be involved
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Allow “One-on-One” Marketing
– No interference with operations
– Do-It-Yourself
– Keep your finger on the pulse of your community
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Don’t take on too much too soon
– Think it Through
– Plan and Prioritize
– Look for “Low-Hanging Fruit”
Most Common Mistakes That Limit
LSM Success
• Keep it Simple
– Practical, Easy, “Low-Hanging Fruit”
– Easy for you to understand=easy for the guest to understand
• Be Realistic
– Local Marketing works in stores with solid operations and good customer
service
• Know your goal
– Sales (Traffic) vs. Awareness (Loyalty)
– LSM Map & Priority Schedule
• Give it Time
– Not an overnight program
– Look for ways to track
• Don’t Be Afraid of Discounts
– Find a Balance
– Business Cards instead of Coupons
Case Studies #1
• Business Cards can be used as awareness and traffic drivers
– Special Invitation
• Tire Dealer targets bald tires
• Come in for 10% Off
– Sign & Offer
• Convenience Store Manager drives traffic to her store
• Free Coffee or Drink
– Pass it On
• Stockbroker pays tolls to save people $$$
• Surprise and Delight
– Fishbowl Drawings
• Keep those cards after the drawing
• Collect, Draw & Map
• Find out where your guests are coming from
Case Studies #2
• Chic-fil-A
This competitor has fully maximized the power of
LSM by training and certifying single unit “LSM
Managers” to work almost exclusively within the
community generating good will and loyalty.
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Unit Marketing Directors
Certification Classes
Communication with General Manager
Planning LSM
One good event creates another
Case Studies #3
• Fundraiser Nights
• Donate a % of sales to a school or
local organization
• Rely on them to get the word out & fill the lot
Look at some sales comparisons from recent fundraisers…
Average Co-op sales compared to same day last year:
Drive-In #1
Drive-In #2
Drive-In #3
-$58.59
-$22.54
-$38.17
Drive-In #4
-$44.83
Sales from Fundraiser Drive-In compared to last year:
$234.96
$199.42
$434.65
$286.32
Store participating in fundraiser outperformed its co-op by:
$293.55
$221.96
$472.82
$331.15
Case Studies #4
• Try this at your drive-in TODAY!
• Carhop Magnets
– Higher level of customer service
– Individualized Magnets
– Handwritten
– Personalized Service
– Encourages additional orders and checkback
Classic LSM Ideas for Your LSM Manager
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Business Cards
Crewpons / Involve the Crew
Fundraiser Nights
Secret Stall
Accent on Kids
Decorate the Lot
Inflatables/Costume Characters
Sampling
Sonic One Stop Site for
Off-the-shelf Marketing Tools
Select Tools that Reinforce Your Message.
There are Dozens of Inexpensive Options
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After you select your event/location
– Define what you are trying to achieve (OBJECTIVE)
– To determine what you want to use (TOOLS) to impact your sales?
Objective
– Information
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Influence (groups or events)
Invitation
Sampling
Surprise & Delight
– Building Relationships
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Other Tools You ALWAYS Need
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Business Cards
Sonic Mints
Smiles
Skates
Marquee / LED Sign
Sonic One Stop / Partnernet
Tools (examples)
Mini Menus/Ad Slicks
Breakfast Menus
POP
Crewpons/Promo Items
Coupons/Ad Slicks
Food/Coupons
Promo Items/Coupons
Balloons
Community First Cards
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Summary
The ideas presented here are guidelines
– Thought starters
– Tested programs
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You know your drive-in and trade area better than anyone else
– You are your best resource
– Use that knowledge to drive sales
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Two Simple Steps
– Get Your House in Order
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Operational Excellence must come first
Look through your guests’ eyes
– Invite the Masses
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Off-Lot Traffic Drivers
Select a Local Store Marketing Manager for your Drive-In
– Find the F.A.C.E. of your drive-in
– Communicate with them often
– Empower them to drive the business
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Look for “Low-Hanging Fruit” LSM Ideas
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Easy to do – don’t make it complicated
What are you doing now? – with a couple tweaks, that may be just the place to start
Low-Cost – LSM shouldn’t cost a fortune
Maximize reach – go where the people are
Start at the drive-in – your guests will stand behind you
Need More Information/Assistance
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Multi-Unit Leader
Franchise Marketing Contact
Market Leader
Lane Fields – Local Store Marketing Manager
800-569-6656 x5754
lane.fields@sonicdrivein.com
Resources:
– Heritage 800-888-4356
– My Dr. Pepper Funds – MyDrPepperFunds.com
– Sonic One Stop - sonic.saepio.com
(links through Partnernet)
You can start creating your rings today
• Come up with two ideas you can take back to
your store tomorrow.