How The Dock Reeled in a 36% Growth in Email Subscribers

CHALLENGE:

The Dock at Crayton Cove is a beloved waterfront dining destination in Naples, Florida. During Q4, audience potential surges in the region and there is an increased opportunity for The Dock to capture audience members ahead of their annual holiday specials. As a result, The Dock aimed to attract new guests while also improving engagement with existing ones. Recognizing the value of a strong and engaged audience, Pushing the Envelope, Inc. (PTE), planned to grow The Dock’s email subscriber list while simultaneously increasing open rates and enhancing overall interest in its specials and offerings. To achieve this, PTE developed a strategic campaign designed to drive meaningful engagement and promote long-term guest retention.

OBJECTIVES & STRATEGIES:

To position The Dock for continued success, PTE launched the “Subscriber Splash” campaign, which set out to achieve the following key objectives:

• Expand the restaurant’s email subscriber list by at least 10% during Q4, ensuring a larger audience for promotional messaging.

• Improve email engagement rates, maintaining an open rate at least 1% above the industry average for each distribution.

• Drive increased interest in The Dock’s offerings, measured through higher digital engagements and website traffic.

PTE executed a multi-channel strategy to meet these objectives, including:

• A dedicated and visually appealing email registration page was activated to streamline the sign-up process and enhance the appeal of subscribing.
• A limited-time promotion encouraged users to sign up for The Dock’s email list for a chance to win a $100 gift card, leveraging organic social engagement to build the subscriber base.
• The Dock partnered with The Scout Guide, a well-respected local publication, to incentivize sign-ups for Naples-area businesses. This initiative helped The Dock capture new contacts within its target demographic.

RESULTS:

The “Subscriber Splash” campaign exceeded expectations across all key performance indicators, delivering outstanding results:

• Subscriber growth far surpassed the goal. The Dock gained 3,600 new email contacts in Q4, reflecting a 36% increase—more than three times the initial objective of 10% growth.
• Email engagement rates significantly outperformed industry benchmarks. The Dock’s email distributions during Q4 achieved an average open rate 11% greater than the industry average, demonstrating a highly engaged audience.
• Digital engagement and website traffic saw substantial gains. Compared to the same period in the previous year, The Dock recorded nearly 2,000 additional website sessions and 2,500 more engagements across organic and paid social media posts.

CONCLUSION:

The campaign not only achieved but far exceeded its goals, reinforcing the effectiveness of strategic digital marketing in driving both immediate and long-term business growth. Through a combination of targeted promotions, compelling collaborations, and optimized engagement strategies, The Dock is now better positioned to connect with new and returning guests well beyond the campaign’s duration.