About the Company:

In 1981, there were 1,117 Sambo’s restaurants in 47 states. Now the original location remains alongside West Beach in Santa Barbara, serving up the same delicious pancakes that it did over 40 years ago. Sambo’s is a local favorite and has a prime location for tourists alike, but it is also their history that brings them such a loyal following. Sambo’s wanted to find a way to connect with fans across the United States and keep the patio packed all year round. Their Facebook page already had several thousand fans eagerly awaiting word from one of their favorite restaurants, but they were not hearing much.

What ZeeBlu Did:

ZeeBlu and Sambo’s developed a digital marketing strategy that utilized their social following and email capture potential. The rarely active Facebook page now posts on a weekly basis, providing information and specials for local patrons as well as #ThrowbackThursday photos for longtime fans to enjoy. Their email list grew into the hundreds within the first few months, collecting emails with a simple fishbowl strategy a the restaurant counter. Other gift card and memorabilia contests across social have generated several hundred email addresses for the restaurant, creating two crucial platforms for the business.

ZeeBlu also developed three full-length videos for Sambo’s to accompany their already successful short, 30-second video strategy utilizing ZeeBlu’s Video Day. The on-location videos were designed to offer fans and customers a more personal and in depth look at the restaurant both in history and in present time. A drone was used to capture to the true current essence of Sambo’s beachfront location and historical photos and anecdotes were used to tell the true story of Sambo’s directly from the family themselves. All three videos are for use on social, email and the website, surely to generate thousands of views and shares by those who love the restaurant.