Brands are always looking for ways to connect with new customers and retain the ones they have. Ooni branched out into two new ways this week with the addition of a podcast and a customer rewards program.
Ooni Podcast
Ooni started a podcast called Pizza Pod Party, that’s hosted by Alfred Schulz and Ooni’s Head of Pizza Content, Arthur Bovino. Their first episode from July 25th features hilarious comedian Roy Wood Jr.
In the 42 minute debut episode, Roy Wood Jr talks about how pizza tastes better with a knife and fork. He likens folding your pizza (NY style) to a quesadilla.
An podcast is a great way for an outdoor cooking brand to stay connected with consumers. Most brands have blogs with outdated stories and recipes, but a podcast keeps a steady stream of fresh, original content.
As we learned from Greg Rempe’s interview with Traeger CEO, Jeremy Andrus, on The BBQ Central show (at the 57:27 mark), it’s an idea that Traeger has explored before. Jeremy Andrus is even an investor in zencast. Traeger has such a strong brand affinity that I think they’d do really well with a podcast.
Ooni Rewards
Another way that Ooni is trying to market is through a new rewards program that they rolled-out. As far as reward programs go, it’s different than others in that it promotes maintaining contact with the brand.
Customer receive reward dollars for things like following Ooni on various social media platforms. They also receive award dollars for their birthday, leaving a review and downloading the Ooni app.
It’s a pretty lucrative program that should drive engagement. Beyond rewards, it also has a referral component. If you refer someone, they get 10% off their first purchase, and if they spend over $200, you’ll receive a $20 reward credit.