Larry Wierciak, retired engineer, and salesman for Identities, fused three proprietary systems to develop Whirpool Marketing for restaurants. The system informs, entertains, and sells to patrons while they’re in the restaurant. And local businesses and restaurant vendors pay for most, or even all of the system.
Larry was originally challenged by a local restaurant owner to come up with a way to change the restaurant’s demographic mix without costing a lot of money.
“I wasn’t bound by the usual thinking of your typical media sales person, who is forced to work within the structure of the medium they’re selling. I wanted to position the restaurant in front of current trends, so that they’d be well-positioned for now, and the near future. And, being a restaurant patron myself, I thought it was important that the system be informative and fun for the customer. The third objective was that it would be a low cost for the restaurant to put it in place.”
“The system consists of three parts: first, a secure free social Wifi connection, second,strategically placed TVs, featuring continually updating videos from the most popular YouTube channels; and third, an aggressive reputation marketing system.”
“The three parts blend with each other very well, and no one component is more important than the next. The free Wi-Fi is a bonus to customers. It’s secure, with the latest encryption technology. Customers log in with their email or social media accounts, allowing the restaurant owner to get demographic data on their patrons. As a bonus, we insert the restaurant in websites that list businesses offering free WiFi, giving them national, and even world-wide exposure to sophisticated travelers.”
“The TVs are part of a larger local video ad network. It combines fresh, eye-catching news and entertainment with strategically placed ads for local, area, and national businesses. They’re also an opportunity for the restaurant to promote more of their own offering, and they also have the choice to advertise in other non-competing businesses in the network. The ads are what offset the cost of the system.”
“Finally, the WiFi makes it easier for customers to leave reviews before patrons even leave the premises. Customers could leave a review on their smartphones, or the waitress could bring an iPad or android tablet to the table for the customers, or have one by the register. When customers log in, the system will sort the reviews automatically, steering good reviewers to selected review sites, and bad reviewers to a special page where the owner or manager can address the issue.”
Larry Wierciak is a former electrical engineer who joined his wife’s business after retirement. He brings a problem-solving approach to blending 21st century technology with traditional customer-getting techniques. He can be reached for questions or comments at Identities, (815) 434-4322 or (815) 434-4322.