After successfully boosting the ranks of its online loyalty club to more than 700,000, Red Lobster plans to take the next step this fall by enhancing the program to allow members to record purchases online and earn rewards.
The upgrades to the Overboard Club are set to coincide with the launch of a revamped Web site for the Orlando, FL-based seafood restaurant chain, said interactive marketing manager Mike Friedman.
E-mail service provider Blue Hornet is working with Red Lobster to create a system where Overboard members would be able to register their dining visits on the Web site, allowing the restaurant to track the information. Red Lobster is hoping to quantify what members are worth to the organization, and create an environment where members can participate online at a higher level, earning rewards, offering feedback and taking part in polls, said Friedman.
Red Lobster’s average customer skews a bit more affluent than that of competitors like Applebee’s, T.G.I. Fridays, Chili’s and sister chain Olive Garden, said Friedman. Usually in the 35- to 54-year-old range, the chain’s average diner is married and has two children. Customers usually visit four times a year and a typical dinner check is $17 per person.
The Overboard program has been in operation for about three-and-a-half years. Sign-ups initially were slow
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