Fort Collins Foodie Walk™
No Marketing Budget? No Problem.
With only 6 months active and $0 spent in marketing, Fort Collins Foodie Walk™ has achieved some impressive levels of engagement.
Using Carat, the 9 participating merchants of the Fort Collins Foodie Walk™ have something special here, offering free samples of culinary delights at each location. To sweeten the pot, they offer a monthly gift basket that they all contribute to, for any visitors willing to hit every stop each month.
Quick Figures
2,963
Check-Ins
8:1
Visits Per User
375
Visitors
$25K
Economic Impact*
OVERVIEW
Tons of Marketing Data was being collected and then thrown away.
As a small business owner, you are often the first one to open your doors and the last to leave, earning marginal profits from your brick and mortar operation. The time commitment and challenge make it quite difficult for many to find the time for marketing or community events. Add a monthly prize drawing to the mix where you’re collecting physical punch cards as entries, and you have a recipe for a lot of that information being thrown in the trash. This was the issue the Fort Collins Foodie Walk businesses were facing, self-administering a stellar community event while struggling to benefit from the marketing efforts they were already doing. Enter Carat - automating the processes and creating more measurable impact.
Replace the Physical Punch Card
Instead of a Punch Card, Carat rewards each business with a Carat using our Carat Rewards system. Every 9 Carats that a visitor earns, they’d be entered automatically into the monthly prize drawing conducted by the local businesses. This saves time for users as they only enter their information once, time for the businesses, as they no longer need to collect punch cards or administer punches, saves money and environmental impact by reducing the need for as many print rack cards.
Marketing Growth & User Segmentation
Unlike its predecessor, Carat doesn’t require any additional legwork from participating businesses to leverage that data into marketing growth. Through Carat’s product, businesses can export out newsletter lists directly to a CSV to import into their respective marketing channels. Additionally, this is a quick and easy way to conduct prize drawings, filtering users by Carats earned or last check-in date.
Stretch Goals for Repeat Visitors
Unlike its predecessor, Carat doesn’t require any additional legwork from participating businesses to leverage that data into marketing growth. Through Carat’s product, businesses can export out newsletter lists directly to a CSV to import into their respective marketing channels. Additionally, this is a quick and easy way to conduct prize drawings, filtering users by Carats earned or last check-in date.
Six Months of Measurable Impact
Only half a year into our program, we’ve seen incredible results so far. With mostly colder months and a nonexistent marketing budget, Carat has added almost 400 users to the platform. With nearly 3,000 check-ins recorded, we’ve got the numbers to back the story: Foodies visit 8 businesses a piece on average. These check-in rates exceed legacy platforms by significant margins in terms of overall performance.
User Experience is Key
Carat prides itself on being built user-first. Design must be intuitive and frictionless to ensure heightened levels of retention. The QR code check-in system is easy to understand and fun to use.
Wayfinding Increases Walkability
Knowing where to go next, where you have been and what all is left using our Mapping feature, Carat delivers a simple guide for visitors looking to visit the next stop on their journey. Once they have visited a business, that Carat location is marked with a check mark.
Gamified Leaderboards
Bragging rights for the top explorers at every event. Earning the most Carats keeps you towards the top of the leaderboards. Leaderboards are a fun factor, but contribute to increased engagement nonetheless. For some visitors, this is an important factor to keep coming back each month!
"I just have to say how impressed I am with how smooth it's been so far. Carat has helped elevate the Foodie Walk customer experience and given it a much needed face lift. I really appreciate being involved and I'm so proud to work with you guys! Foodie Walk 2.0, successfully launched."
Andi Rose
Rocky Mountain Olive Oil, Participating Business
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Carat is a destination and community rewards app that measures impact and user engagement while growing loyalty to local businesses and events.