Marketing Plan Gone Wrong...

I recently found the coolest "silverware" to use for my catering jobs. It comes in a disposable cutlery kit-- containing a knife, fork, spoon, napkin, salt & pepper. The eating utensils are heave-duty plastic, but they appear to be real silver! The kits cost about 3 times more than the usual kits containing flimsy white plasticware, but I figured it would be a great marketing idea to use something different and upscale. I thought that something like "disposable silver" would stick in my client's minds and they might re-order from me just to get to see the incredible plastic ware once again.

I've used these silver plasticware packs on all of my first time customers. They've all commented-- they've all told me how people were eating their breakfast with their fingers just so they could save the "good stuff" to take home with them. That's cool!

Now my phone is ringing off the hook again-- but it's not clients calling.... it's other caterers. "Where did you get those silver cutlery kits? How much are they? Do you have the item number?" I get several phone calls and emails each day, all with the same questions... from the competition!

I'm afraid that silver plasticware might become the standard in Atlanta catering now. I'll never be able to go back to the cheap stuff.

It is cool though. I know it would stick in my mind if I were the recipient.