Zipscene launches first data management platform geared to restaurants

Cincinnati-based restaurant marketing company Zipscene has launched zDMP, the first and largest data management platform (DMP) specifically for the restaurant industry.
 
Many restaurants use customer relationship management software to handle newsletters, loyalty programs, waiting lists, point-of-sale and online ordering. zDMP broadens typical data analysis by using that software to dig deeper on existing customers and reach people who aren’t current customers.
 
“The zDMP collects and analyzes a customer relationship management system’s database or list to understand the behaviors of those customers,” Zipscene Director of Strategic Marketing Tony Blankemeyer says. “It then works across our data warehouses of more than 250 million identified profiles to enrich the information on those customers and then leverage the combined insights to better communicate with them in the future.”
Sameer Mungur
This targeted approach to data collection and analysis can be a powerful tool for restaurant owners, particularly as they consider how to allocate marketing dollars.
 
“Data can be a restaurant’s most valuable asset,” Zipscene CEO Sameer Mungur says. “The zDMP was built to put restaurant marketers in control of their data and their results. Many restaurants are using marketing and advertising programs, but if it’s all being done in separate silos they stand to lose from not being able to see the full picture of their data.
 
“With our zDMP and expert analysis, we give restaurant marketers the ability to use their marketing spend as a function of the value of each of their guests. Instead of wasting budget on marketing to those who don’t respond, there’s finally a way for restaurants to invest in their guests, and potential guests, who make the largest impact on sales.”
 
Zipscene clients include 60 national restaurant chains. Each receives solution sets customizable to their unique data sources and collection strategies. As restaurants learn more about their current clients, they’re better able to target their marketing outreach, like not sending coupons for steak to vegetarians.
 
Although Zipscene currently is working primarily with large clients, Blankemeyer says, “in the long term we hope to provide a solution for independents and smaller restaurant groups. Big or small, we believe that by decoding the dining decision we can help influence buying behavior through smarter marketing.”
 
In addition to improving relationships with current customers, zDMP also helps restaurants reach new customers. By crunching vast quantities of data, zDMP can find potential customers based on current customer profiles and provide guidance on how to reach them.
Tony Blankemeyer 
“Examples of data points we collect and analyze include 400-plus unique demographic data points, 40 socio-economic segment groupings, 40-plus unique buying behaviors and social media that are all tied back to the individual customer,” Blankemeyer says. “We factor in restaurant location attributes such as menu, cuisine types, price, rating, hours of operation and amenities such as wi-fi, valet and more. We also connect relevant information regarding points of interest in relation to the customer or the location such as sporting events, airports, hotels, theaters and more.”
 
Data collection and interpretation is an ongoing effort with every client, he says. As each campaign is completed and evaluated, the results are added to zDMP, then used to refine the next campaign.
 
Although perfection may not be a realistic expectation, Zipscene knows significant improvement is possible with the right data.