Crowds | Joy of Direct Marketing

Food Trucks have been popping up all across the country. Everything deliciously sinful is on a truck. From cake shakes and fried Oreos to ginger Brussels sprouts & Short Rib Sandwiches¬…

When food truck lineups started, even better, one opened up right in front of my Alma Mater, Johnson & Wales University. The BTTR (Biscayne Triangle Truck Round-up) Miami Food Truck Events, usually about 35 trucks, get together once a week.

My friends and I have been going practically every week, and the crowds keep getting bigger. At first, it was mostly college students, and then people from all around the city started showing up.

And that made me wonder. “How did all these people hear about this?”

I decided to investigate! I started watching the trucks, more important asking questions. I came up with some surprising answers. Here’s what they do great, and what they could do:

1. They create a stand out brand personality.
The truck owners put a lot of thought into coming up with a creative name, and overall theme. The decals and truck design can make or break them. Some keep it simple and focus on making good food; others go crazy with characters and graffiti-like design. Just like in any business, standing out from your competitors is key.

2. Most of them get the word out with Social Media.
Food Truck owners use Facebook and Twitter, since they move around a lot, so people can track them down. (A lot of my friends hear about Food Trucks on Twitter or Facebook, and read reviews on which ones are best.)

3. About 75% of Food Trucks I saw have QR codes.
While people stand in line they usually have their smart phones in their hand. Food Truck owners ask them to scan the QR code to follow them on Facebook and Twitter, so they get the latest updates.

4. Missed Opportunity?
I noticed that some trucks have 4” X 6” Flyers with QR Codes linked to Facebook, Twitter, their website and phone number. Why aren’t the owners asking people to sign up for an email list? Missed opportunity? Why not collect their information and send them updates once a week about upcoming events.

5. Reviews! Reviews! Reviews!
Like most people, I have favorite Food Trucks. I’m obsessed with this mouthwatering, scrumdiddlyumptious (no real word can describe how good it is) Short Rib Sandwich. I talk about it on Facebook and my friends have all tried it! A lot of people post reviews on Yelp or their own websites, so it’s a good idea to encourage customers to review your business. Some trucks have a decal asking customers to review them on Yelp.

Any standout Marketing Ideas you’ve seen? Please share your thoughts and comment below.

Guest Blog Post from
Rachel Rodriguez
LGMG Account Exec.

Andrea and I are at New Age.

This week I was working in freezing cold New York City, and when the weekend came, my friend Andrea Nierenberg and I went up to the Catskills to the New Age Health Spa.

It was a yoga weekend, and it was calming and good to be in a place we’ve visited dozens of times. Andrea spoke about Time Management and Reducing Stress. I learned so much as she spoke about planning each day, on the night before (and saving time. She also brushes her teeth and does her squat exercises at the same time.

She also managed to help a dermatologist we met there to meet up with the person who books the speakers. The doctor really wants to practice his magic tricks, and so he was delighted. You can visit Andrea’s blog: http://thenierenblog.typepad.com

We ate fresh salads, and I dreamed of owning the place…and how I would market it so that people would flock there for a great get-away from New York. I considered their lack of a real Brand, and how I would create a waiting list for groups to use it as an off-site place for meetings. The database would build and there’d be a great loyalty program for the guests. As I dreamed about all this, I wondered about all the crowds. Would there be room for us?

I think I like New Age Health Spa the way it is. It is a good place to get together with my good friend, now that we live far away from each other. It’s a place to catch up on our stories and smell the fresh cool air in the mountains. It is a good place to escape marketing too.

Tag Archives: Crowds

Marketing: 5 Lessons I learned from Food Trucks

The joy of being with a dear friend at the Spa.

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