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The email marketing capabilities of Image Unlimited Communications are distinctly differentiated from companies that support the simple “do-it-yourself” email marketing approach. They offer a full range of services and provide access to their large email list, which consists of some one hundred thousand subscribers.
For a restaurant or hotel wanting to reach the generation that ignores or is indifferent to conventional print media or the busy folks who view the daily newspaper as a direct deposit into their recycle bin. Image Unlimited Communications can deliver access to these folks as they sit and do their email.
We sat down with founder JP Faiella to get the details and here's what he had to say.
Q What services are you now offering to restaurateurs?
Image Unlimited is offering the integration of new-media, which is web design and e-marketing, as well as search engine optimization and other on-line services. This includes the ability for us to market to one of the largest email lists in New England. This list consists not only of industry-related people but foodies, people that are interested in hotel promotions and food promotions, as well. Our service includes design. It can be a simple HTML email blast or a much more advanced Flash animation blast.
If you come to me as a restaurateur you might have, say $1,200 to $1,500 to spend - that might get you a half-page of print advertising or maybe a 15-second spot on drive time radio. What we can offer is an email blast to your exact demographic. This delivers reliable and measurable results - results that you can look at. You receive a report that says we reached out to 120,000 people; 65,000 people opened it; 30,000 people read it; 20,000 people clicked on it, and it resulted in this much business. I think this is something that both large restaurants and small restaurants are interested in. Everyone wants measurable results.
Q If a restaurateur wants to use their own email list, how does that fit in with what you are doing?
Well, we can host the restaurant's own list and blast just to their list for them. Or, we can send out emails to our master list, which is in the neighborhood of a 100-and-something thousand emails.
Q If I wanted a particular demographic - say I have a cigar restaurant, and I want males 35 and over, can you offer that demographic?
Yes we can. Our list consists of people that have opted in for like products and services. According to the “canned spam” act, as long as they are already opted in for “like-interest” products and as long as you provide a way of them opting out, then you can email them.
Q If I’m a restaurateur and I’m interested in this service. What kind of message do I send out?
I can only speak to what historically we’ve seen, which is a lot of event marketing promotions. What I think is obnoxious and doesn’t work is sending an email blast every single time you have something going on in the restaurant, like “lamb is on special,” - people have busy lives, and their in-box is a very personal thing. To get them to open it, see it, and not be annoyed by the content is pretty important.
So I always tell people, “Be careful.” It’s really important to me that if a subscriber gives you their email address and trusts you, then you have to respect that. They have completely different feelings in their personal life about media. I think it’s an honor when I see the same person - via the reports - looking at and clicking through things on every different promotion. They’ve given us the opportunity to keep them on the list, you have to respect that - you really do. So typically, to return to your question, I think that they should use it for special events, strong promotions, openings, and branding items, but not use the list so often that they lose people.
Q So, how do you integrate this into a broader marketing mix?
It’s important that people realize that no one of these marketing activities stands alone. To have a truly integrated program, you have to show the client that you understand new technology. We are the first PR agency to start integrating new media into our programs and combining it with marketing.
Many restaurants find themselves paying an in-house marketing person, paying an e-marketing company like Constant Contact and having to pay a designer to design their emails. In addition, you have your print media buys with print magazines and other publications. The difference is that we will do everything - we’ll handle your media buys, your graphic design, your website as a complete package.
Q Given all the Spam everyone is getting, do you feel that in the same way direct mail became junk mail that this is what's happening to email at the moment?
I think that everyone thinks they’re an e-marketer with things like Constant Contact and iContact. Obviously it is popular. You’ve seen the numbers of how Constant Contact has grown in the last couple of years. But I think that it’s dangerous. I think that, as I have said, a person's in-box is precious. I think everybody with a list of 100 people and a $52.00 membership to Constant Contact thinks they’re an e-marketer and will just send garbage.
We are launching a different kind of medium here. Instead of static email offering “50% off on this product”, etc. We’re going to be doing full animation in the emails and integrating an entertainment facet to it, which I think is really important.
You’re taking 30 seconds out of that person’s day, and this is pretty valuable in today’s society - so you better give something back. And if they’re impressed like I am when a marketer goes above and beyond, it’s going to result in a call to action. So that’s what I’m excited about.
You can reach JP at 781-369-1504 or on the web at www.imageunlimited-boston.com
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General Business 
