The first company to sign up for Google Ads was a lobster delivery company started from scratch by Dan Zawacki in Chicago with only $1,000 in 1989. The company now generates approximately $6 million in revenue with 26 employees. Originally conceived as an affordable way to gift clients with exquisite lobster instead of traditional wining and dining during the booming 1980s, Lobster Gram emerged as one of the pioneering mail-order seafood and gourmet food businesses on the internet, coinciding with the rise of the dot com era. Quartz interviewed Christine Lopez, Lobster Gram’s vice president of operations since 1998, to delve into how the company leveraged internet tools, such as search and Google Ads, to propel its growth.
Quartz: How did Lobster Gram begin?
Christine Lopez: Lobster Gram was established in 1989 by Dan Zawacki, a salesman who specialized in selling thermostat parts. He required gifts for his customers and, for some reason, had a strong fascination with lobsters. He came up with the idea of flying in lobsters to give to people. He had a shipment of lobsters flown in from Maine, and went door to door giving them out to his customers along with a stick of butter, saying, “Merry Christmas.”
One of his customers was so impressed and considered it the best gift they had ever received. They encouraged him to turn this concept into a business. Dan quickly put together a business plan, obtained an 800 number, and promoted his new company on a Chicago radio show.
Quartz: How did Google Ads contribute to Lobster Gram’s digital transformation?
Lopez: Back in 1989, we started with a pamphlet for ordering. This eventually evolved into a catalog that we would mail out millions of copies per year to raise awareness of the Lobster Gram brand. When Google AdWords (now Google Ads) became available on the internet, it allowed us to transition from being solely a catalog company to becoming more focused on digital marketing.
Google AdWords was the initial step for us to establish a presence on the World Wide Web and gain recognition for Lobster Gram. Over the years, we have gradually expanded our digital presence to the point where we now operate exclusively online. We utilize platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and the Meta universe, in addition to still using Google Ads. Shifting to a digital platform with Google Ads and other online tools has proven to be more cost-effective for us. It enables us to better evaluate
Denial of responsibility! Vigour Times is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
