Using Social PR to Increase Consumer Engagement
Braddock’s American Brasserie is an upscale restaurant in downtown Pittsburgh managed by Sage Restaurant Group, a restaurant and hospitality company based out of Denver, Colorado. With a miniscule budget for traditional media, our task was to drive ROI and consumer awareness through an integrated approach using social media, events, strategic community partnerships and PR.
Creating smart community partnerships was crucial in our event strategy. We were able to establish affiliations with community leaders and organizations such as Komen Foundation, Whiskey & Wine Festival, and YMCA. Additionally, we formed relationships with Lifestyle Magazine publishers and produced the WHIRL Magazine 10th Anniversary Party and Maniac Magazine Party. Our events have resulted in significant print and radio coverage.
On the brand evolution side, we leveraged our creative strengths to establish the brand in the community. Some items included custom designed menus, branded check presenters, bounce -back and promotional cards. To drive more traffic on-site, our team developed a concept for “Taste of PA,” a weekly beer tasting event that included the design of a custom beer sampling tray, which we heavily promoted through press releases events and social media.
In lieu of distributing a traditional press release to media contacts, we wanted to engage the new influencers of our city – food bloggers. Our team hosted an exclusive blogger dinner for the launch of Pittsburgh Restaurant, which resulted in increased exposure in the blogosphere, social networks, and consequently, the Pittsburgh dining scene. Other out-of-the-box PR has included food and wine meetups, community service events, blogger events, and press events.
What The Food Bloggers Had To Say:
“I love when you can tell how much a person loves their job, and you can tell by talking to him that Chef Brian puts his heart and soul into his work. you can tell even more by tasting his meals. So good” – 101 Achievements
“Chef Brian came out and introduced himself after the meal. He told us about various challenges he’s faced – like having two vegetarians show up for Thanksgiving dinner. He’s also accommodated vegans, making a 5 course special meal. Next time I’ll call in advance and see what he has up his sleeve!” – Clair the RD
“Chef Brian Volmrich was nice enough to serve up a plate of the house specialties in a tasting plate. It was perfect except for not being vegetarian. That turned out to be alright because he made me an awesome vegetarian version.” – The Skinny Architect
