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| "Sweet!" ~Brenda Meller, Randazzo's shopper |
As a marketer, I thought this technique was pure genius. Yes, they are in a way "buying" their votes in the contest. But who better to vote for your business than a frequent shopper? If I didn't shop at their store regularly, I probably would've pitched it right after seeing it.
They are not giving you $5 cash for your vote. They are giving you $5 off your shopping order of $30 or more. Now for me, I tend to spend right around this amount so this is a nice little incentive for me.
Why Randazzo's?
I buy my staples at Kroger's or sometimes Meijer's once a week. When I want a better vegetable and fruit selection -- or simply to avoid a "big" shopping trip, I go to Randazzo's.
I think Randazzo's is one of the best fruit markets in metro Detroit. There are several Randazzo's within a 15 mile radius of where I live, so admit I'm partial to them because of proximity. I remember when I was younger we used to shop at Randazzo's and I loved going on trips with my mom to pick out fruits and veggies. I remember buying the little plastic containers of nuts and sweets from way back then, and how in the summer they would open up their garage-style windows to let in the fresh air. Now that I have a child, I bring my son with me to Randazzo's and he counts out the brussel sprouts as he puts them in the bag, and sometimes we buy a fruit or veggie that we've never had just to try something new. Or we'll buy a few olives from their olive bar, just because.
They are not perfect by any means. My lettuce was a bit wilted from last night's trip - but it was cheap and my trip's to Randazzo's are always convenient. I'll let that lettuce slide because they make up for it over time. Last week, for example, I visited the Randazzo's at Metro Parkway and Garfield and they have a complete ready-made, hot dinner counter there (reminds me of Boston Market, but the Randazzo's buffet is much better IMO). I picked up eggplant parmigiana for me, chicken wings and homemade mac n cheese for my son, and pork loin for my husband. Plus a side of orzo pasta salad. Best $30 on a "homemade / carryout dinner" EVER. Plus it tasted homemade (not processed) with no effort on my part aside from opening the containers at home.
But I digress....
I Voted...Did You?
So tonight I went onto the Hour Detroit website to vote for Randazzo's and to earn my $5 coupon. Yes, it took a few minutes of effort and they're not listed so you have to manually type in their name on the appropriate category. But my handy flyer from Randazzo's gave me simple instructions on where to find them on the ballot, and what I should type in.
Less than 5 minutes later, I printed my confirmation page, shared a message about my vote on Facebook thanks to the Hour Detroit "share" button, and that's it.
Now I've got a voting confirmation page that earns me $5 off my next shopping trip at Randazzo's. (Do I sound like a walking commercial yet?) And I'm thinking I can't wait to treat myself to some homemade eggplant parmigiana again.
So yes, Randazzo's - you can buy my vote. And thank you for giving me an incentive to visit your store again soon.
1 comment:
I love Randazzo's ... I try to go once a week to pick up the fresh stuff, and I was happy to vote for them and get my $5! It does, however, reinforce for me that the magazine-based ratings are not always an objective vote. The interesting contrast for me was that it was the first time I really thought of a "best of" contest from a consumer's point of view... as a marketing professional in the health care field, I get a lot of ad solicitations for publications doing their "best docs" listing... we don't put a lot of stock in the ratings, but do tend to support the larger pubs with some advertising. I'm just not convinced it means anything to a consumer.
(On a side note, two weeks ago I saw a sign posted above the produce, noting that there was a freeze in California that affected the price and quality of the produce they were receiving; they expected it to be resolved in a few weeks.)
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