View Full Version : The Mantel starts podcasting



metro
12-13-2005, 10:53 AM
Eatery touts podcasting promotion

The ubiquitous iPod is doing more than expanding the musical horizons for millions of Americans. The owner of The Mantel in Bricktown sees it as a device to bring new customers to his restaurant.
The Mantel has produced a short promotional clip that soon will be posted on its Web site and downloadable to the new video iPods as a podcast, owner Randy Meyer said. The video should be posted on www.themantelokc.com before Christmas, he said.

The idea was proposed to Meyer by Michael Berkeley, a cook at a local restaurant who seems to have a vision for cutting-edge promotional concepts.

"Our customers have been telling us for a long time that Web-based things are very important to them," Meyer said. "Michael brought us this idea that he read about that was happening and helped us get it set up.

"Hopefully, people who have these things, the new video iPods, will have something to do with them. And since they are really portable, they will be able to bring the message that we put out back to us and we will reward them accordingly."

The reward for customers who show their waiter they have The Mantel's message on their iPod: free dessert. Meyer also has ownership interest in three other Oklahoma City restaurants and may spread the podcasting promotion to those venues.

Other trendy local spots have bought into the concept, Berkeley said. A local nightclub and an athletic club also are producing videos for podcasts, he said.

And he's taking it to other cities, including Dallas and Miami, Fla.

"It's a local retail play to have people offer video from their Web sites that may or may not have done that before," Berkeley said.

Business Writer Jim Stafford

asta2
12-13-2005, 04:13 PM
Okay, sersiously. What are the advertising possibilities here? I'm thinking more in the coupon form. No one wants to watch more commercials but a short commercial that's a coupon could work. Think about how many Ipod will be out there after this Christmas not to mention what the competition is coming out with future. Do you think this would work?

metro
12-14-2005, 07:21 AM
And who said OKC wasn't trendy and hip?