Cracker Barrel 2012 Annual Report Download - page 5

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Cracker Barrel launched several programs throughout the
year to further connect with our guests. Our music program
included exclusive arrangements with favorite artists, new
and old. The DVD/CD set from Dolly Parton went gold,
which was a first for Cracker Barrel.Other artists included
Daily & Vincent, whose album debuted at #1 on the gospel
chart, Ronnie Dunn, Edens Edge and the Oak Ridge Boys.
In May,Cracker Barrel stores and guests teamed up to
support our troops through the USO,whose mission is to
lift the spirit of troops. Guests could purchase select Jelly
Belly jelly beans at all Cracker Barrel locations to donate
to the USO, and additionally Cracker Barrel donated $1.00
to the USO for each bag of Jelly Belly jelly beans donated.
In recognition of our participation in several programs
supporting our troops, Cracker Barrel was awarded the
inaugural “Business with a Purpose” Award from Lipscomb
University’s Dean Institute for Corporate Governance
and Integrity.Also, Cracker Barrel is participating in the
national EV Project, which encourages the use of electric
vehicles and is sponsored by the U.S. Department of
Energy, and has installed electric vehicle chargers in select
locations in two states.
Another component of connecting with our guests was
our increased use of social and digital media to extend the
Cracker Barrel experience and interact with our guests
outside the store. Our digital media strategy focuses on
delivering brand-oriented content and information. Our
Facebook follower base increased substantially during the
year.Our Twitter participation grew rapidly throughout
Strategic Plan
In our first quarter of fiscal 2012, we announced the six
business priorities that drove our focus throughout the
year: (1) introduce a new marketing message; (2) refine
our menu and pricing; (3) enhance the restaurant operating
platform; (4) drive retail sales growth with innovative
tactics; (5) reduce cost; and (6) apply a balanced
approach to capital allocation.
The first business priority was to introduce new
marketing messaging to reinforce the authentic value
provided by Cracker Barrel. To accomplish this, we hired
a new advertising firm and rolled out our “Handcrafted by
Cracker Barrel” campaign with national cable TV and spot
radio ads. For the first time, we had TV advertising that
covered 100% of our stores’ markets. In addition, our new
radio ads reached approximately 70% of our markets. We
focused broadcast media support around our peak sales
periods, the holiday and summer travel seasons. Our
over 1,600 billboards continued to be a major part of our
marketing campaign. Recently,the creative content on
our billboards was updated to match our “Handcrafted by
Cracker Barrel” theme.
the year,and in April, we launched a page on the
online pinboard, Pinterest. We continued to reach guests
through our website, as well, and over the course of the
year ran several online sweepstakes,which exceeded our
expectations for guest engagement.
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