Serving Up Results for VeriFone’s ON THE SPOT

Overview

VeriFone Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:PAY), the global leader in payment solutions systems, designed a new suite of products, ON THE SPOT, for the North American restaurant industry. ON THE SPOT allows consumers to pay with their debit and credit cards right at the point of sale (table, curbside and drive thru). In early 2006, Cookerly was retained to launch ON THE SPOT via the media.

Objectives

Cookerly was charged with creating visibility and demand for ON THE SPOT, as part of the marketing program to drive sales.

Strategy and Tactics

Cookerly devised a two-pronged media campaign targeted at trade and consumer media. The Cookerly team developed smart, timely messaging focused on ON THE SPOT’s ability to eliminate identity theft in restaurants, a growing concern of diners. Cookerly launched ON THE SPOT by capitalizing on VeriFone’s presence at the National Restaurant Association trade show. The agency executed an on-site press conference and secured 22 media interviews, hitting all of the major hospitality trades and the Chicago Tribune.

To attract consumer reporter interest, Cookerly enhanced its identity theft solution angle by adding a “face” to the story by identifying victims of restaurant identity theft and allowing them to serve as the consumer voices. The agency secured third-party endorsement from a TransUnion representative who served as a media expert on the dangers and proliferation of identity theft in restaurants.

Results

In less than one year, Cookerly secured more than 90 placements in trade and consumer media, including top-tier trade publications Nation’s Restaurant News, Hospitality Technology and Fast Casual.

In the first three months, three local Atlanta television affiliates featured ON THE SPOT, as well as the front page of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Coverage extended to Boston and Los Angeles broadcast stories, and a front page business section story in The Baltimore Sun that made its way into more than 20 additional markets. An Associated Press story was picked up by more than 250 print and online media outlets across the U.S. and abroad.

Most importantly, media coverage generated sales for VeriFone, with the signing of Ray’s Restaurant Group in Atlanta directly attributed to media coverage of ON THE SPOT.