Warning : May contain more than your daily recommended allowance of randomness
It’s been a while since I’ve posted funny pictures, so it’s way overdue. Plus, the first one has relevance based on current world events, if you’ve heard about Russia’s “takeover” of Crimea (part of the Ukraine). Then there’s the usual randomness.
To see more funny pictures, click on the “Funny Pictures” category in the sidebar.
I was recently in the Denver, Colorado, area for a week, and I stayed two nights at a Comfort Inn. When I first arrived and checked in, I was impressed by a basket filled with warm cookies, including the chocolate-chip variety. That makes a great first impression! Sadly, the cookies had limited availability at other times, sometimes with no basket there whatsoever. It appears you just had to be lucky to be there when there were cookies.
I realize having a cookie buffet will result in some customers taking multiple cookies, some even hoarding some for later, but surely the value of positive word-of-mouth (such as this) would be much greater than the cost of a few cookies! So why don’t more places do this?
Imagine how great the world would be if more places offered warm cookies for free…
Here at Buffet o’ Blog, I usually write about funny stuff — whether original humor or linking to something that’s humorous. But there is the occasional public service announcement, particularly when it comes to food. Not only is food important (it’s part of a balanced breakfast), but it can be quite an enjoyable experience.
There have been numerous discussions with the staff here that turned to Arby’s food, especially their curly fries. (We also had an excellent idea for how Arby’s could gain more impulse customers by using the natural wafting action of the aroma of their curly fries. But so far they haven’t contacted us.) Anyway, I’m going to speak about Arby’s again, just so you are in the know.
At a recent visit to Arby’s, the back of the receipt told of a survey you could take to get a free sandwich — a Regular Roast Beef or a Beef ‘n Cheddar. Those are both around $3, so that’s something to speak of (hence the post). The survey is really easy to complete and takes only a few minutes. I’ve used one already to get a free sandwich. And the best part is, upon redeeming my free sandwich, I got another survey, which led to another promotional code. (I did make a purchase in addition to the free sandwich — had to have some curly fries!)
I don’t guarantee that this offer will last or that all receipts include the survey. But since I’ve gotten two in a row, I figure the odds are good, and you might want to stop by there some time. It’s nice to get free food.
I thought of a great marketing scheme for restaurants that have foods with a particular olfactory “signature”. By that, I mean they have a certain recognizable smell that makes people think of that restaurant. The example I will provide is Arby’s, where I ate earlier this week with some of the Buffet o’ Blog staff. Their curly fries are scrumptious, and even the smell of them is good.
So I think places like Arby’s should give promotional (read: free or discounted) meals to a few folks at each company in town every so often, around 11:15, with the restrictions that they eat it at their desk. Imagine the smell of Arby’s curly fries wafting over the cubicle walls, causing co-workers to drool over the appealing aroma. This would surely increase sales at Arby’s, because some people would go that day because “it just sounds good” (even though they were unknowingly coerced), and some people would get the idea in their head and start looking for the next convenient time to stop by there.
I think this would work. They spend a lot of money on TV commercials and other ads, and they have their place, but the smell of curly fries and one of their famous roast beef sandwiches would bring in more people, I think. It’s easy to overlook TV commercials and radio jingles, but it’s difficult to put aside the idea of Arby’s after smelling those curly fries.
I volunteer the services of the entire Buffet o’ Blog staff (all 3 of us) to participate in this venture. We will conduct market research and report the effectiveness of our campaign. Arby’s just needs to provide the food on a recurring basis. (So if any Arby’s rep is reading this, have your people contact my people.)
Buffet o' Blog 