Section 1: Putting Cause-Related Marketing to Work for Your Restaurant
Cause-related marketing allows you to help charitable organizations within your community and reap the rewards from the publicity surrounding charitable events.
• Establish a connection with a community-service organization to galvanize positive public perception about your business. Possible activism ideas include: working with a local homeless group; organizing a used-clothing drive; enlisting customers and employees to take part in walk-a-thons; cleaning a local park; donating your restaurant's space and staff for a charity fund-raiser; contributing to a tasting to benefit the homeless; answering phones for a pledge drive; and training your employees to serve as mentors.
• Be sure the charity or event promotes your restaurant or else the community might not learn of your efforts.
• Ask charities about the time and resource commitment they require of sponsors to help you decide which charitable organization best fits your needs.
• Find charitable organizations via your customers, your employees, your vendors, your competitors, or through the "Volunteer Services" or "Social and Human Services" sections in your local phone book.
• Pick a cause that employees are excited about so they will continue to participate in your community-service project.
• Spark employee activism by promising them an afternoon or evening off in exchange for donating a certain number of hours to charity.
• Maximize publicity by printing T-shirts with your restaurant's logo for employees to wear while they perform volunteer service.
• Distribute bumper stickers urging the public to support your chosen organization. The stickers should include your establishment's name and logo.
• Post a bulletin board in your restaurant where customers can see photos of your staff's volunteer activity. Display fliers urging patrons to sign up as well.
• Include your charitable activities in your restaurant's newsletter.
• Network your restaurant's good deeds through your contacts in the community - the chamber of commerce, local clergy, alumni organizations or other civic groups. They'll help you get the word out about your good deeds.
• Have staff wear buttons promoting your charitable organization or event so customers will inquire about it.
• Join the list of exhibitors at your community's local fair, major sports event or cultural event. Serve food samples; offer free desserts to diners with a ticket stub from the big game; or place an ad in the programs for various local sporting and entertainment events.
• Remember to get the mailing list of attendees to the charity events you sponsor. Follow up with mailings regarding the charity, but don't push your restaurant too much.
Once you have linked up with a community-service organization, you must promote your activity in the media to garner publicity. The next section will help you earn positive publicity for your restaurant.
Section 2: How to Write an Effective Press Release
A press release is often the best way to gain the attention of local newspapers and television stations. This section will help you write a press release that gets your restaurant noticed.
• Read the local newspapers and listen to local radio stations to get a feel for what they cover. Your restaurant's charitable work can be newsworthy, because the press is always looking for human-interest stories.
• When deciding which media to target, don't neglect small weekly papers that might be hungrier for stories than major publications or television stations.
• Prepare a press release after you have determined which media to contact. Keep it short and to the point. Place the most important information at the beginning of the press release so editors can quickly access the critical points. Top the release with a headline that summarizes the story. Include photos of the event.
• Think of yourself as a reporter for the media when writing the press release: Be objective and give the who, what, when, where, why and how.
• Follow up press releases with a phone call to journalists to see if they have further questions or will be attending your event.
• Get a reprint of a newspaper's story about your restaurant to gain future attention about your charitable efforts. Ask for reprint permission from the publisher and copy the piece along with the publication's masthead and the line "reprinted with permission." Send copies to customers along with a note saying, "Hope you saw us in the newspaper recently. Drop by the restaurant for more details."
• Rent the subscriber list of the publication and send a special mailing about your charitable activities to its readers.
• Create a press kit for the media about your restaurant that will save journalists time finding out basic facts about your establishment. Include a fact sheet about your restaurant: who you are, how long you've been open, how many people you employ, your biography, a map of your restaurant's location and your business card.
• Update your press mailing list periodically, because journalists frequently change beats.
• Write a letter to the editor as an alternative to a press release, regarding a story that touches your restaurant or industry. You could write about an economic, legislative or social trend or issue affecting your business or the charitable organization with which you are affiliated.
Using cause-related marketing and press releases will bring added publicity -- and hopefully more business-to your restaurant. However, there are steps to take when dealing with the media, especially when a crisis erupts. The following section will guide you in your dealings with the press.
Section 3: Working with the Media
Follow these suggestions to cultivate a good relationship with the media.
• Call newspapers and find out who the business or food/restaurant reporters are and the best times to call. Then call the appropriate person at the proper time.
• Learn the deadlines of the paper so you don't bother the reporter at those crucial times.
• Be brief, friendly and to the point once you contact reporters or editors. Start your conversation by asking, "Do you have a minute to talk or should I call back later?"
• Don't talk about how the story will help your restaurant. Focus on why this story would be interesting readers.
• Don't mention that your business advertises in the newspaper, because editors don't run stories to help advertisers.
• Don't send gifts to editors or reporters, because they may see it as a form of bribery.
• Take media inquiries seriously.
• In all cases, get your facts straight. Find out what happened and know the story cold. Write the facts down to memorize them more easily. Identify confidential information that can't be released.
• Define your position on the topic, but don't sound defensive.
• Designate one person to handle crisis communication so your story doesn't get garbled.
• Communicate your story internally so employees know where you stand and why.
• Practice, practice, practice. Rehearse your story so you won't stumble. This will also help identify holes in your story.
• Avoid saying "no comment." It makes you look untrustworthy.
• Don't become hostile and never repeat a negative accusation made against your restaurant.
• Note inaccuracies about your establishment and correct them.
• Anticipate potential problems and questions about your restaurant, and have answers ready.
• Don't ask to see the story before it runs, because journalists prefer to retain editorial control.
By utilizing cause-related marketing and press releases, as well as handling the media in a tactful, friendly manner, you can bring additional publicity and customers to your restaurant.
Cause-related marketing allows you to help charitable organizations within your community and reap the rewards from the publicity surrounding charitable events.
• Establish a connection with a community-service organization to galvanize positive public perception about your business. Possible activism ideas include: working with a local homeless group; organizing a used-clothing drive; enlisting customers and employees to take part in walk-a-thons; cleaning a local park; donating your restaurant's space and staff for a charity fund-raiser; contributing to a tasting to benefit the homeless; answering phones for a pledge drive; and training your employees to serve as mentors.
• Be sure the charity or event promotes your restaurant or else the community might not learn of your efforts.
• Ask charities about the time and resource commitment they require of sponsors to help you decide which charitable organization best fits your needs.
• Find charitable organizations via your customers, your employees, your vendors, your competitors, or through the "Volunteer Services" or "Social and Human Services" sections in your local phone book.
• Pick a cause that employees are excited about so they will continue to participate in your community-service project.
• Spark employee activism by promising them an afternoon or evening off in exchange for donating a certain number of hours to charity.
• Maximize publicity by printing T-shirts with your restaurant's logo for employees to wear while they perform volunteer service.
• Distribute bumper stickers urging the public to support your chosen organization. The stickers should include your establishment's name and logo.
• Post a bulletin board in your restaurant where customers can see photos of your staff's volunteer activity. Display fliers urging patrons to sign up as well.
• Include your charitable activities in your restaurant's newsletter.
• Network your restaurant's good deeds through your contacts in the community - the chamber of commerce, local clergy, alumni organizations or other civic groups. They'll help you get the word out about your good deeds.
• Have staff wear buttons promoting your charitable organization or event so customers will inquire about it.
• Join the list of exhibitors at your community's local fair, major sports event or cultural event. Serve food samples; offer free desserts to diners with a ticket stub from the big game; or place an ad in the programs for various local sporting and entertainment events.
• Remember to get the mailing list of attendees to the charity events you sponsor. Follow up with mailings regarding the charity, but don't push your restaurant too much.
Once you have linked up with a community-service organization, you must promote your activity in the media to garner publicity. The next section will help you earn positive publicity for your restaurant.
Section 2: How to Write an Effective Press Release
A press release is often the best way to gain the attention of local newspapers and television stations. This section will help you write a press release that gets your restaurant noticed.
• Read the local newspapers and listen to local radio stations to get a feel for what they cover. Your restaurant's charitable work can be newsworthy, because the press is always looking for human-interest stories.
• When deciding which media to target, don't neglect small weekly papers that might be hungrier for stories than major publications or television stations.
• Prepare a press release after you have determined which media to contact. Keep it short and to the point. Place the most important information at the beginning of the press release so editors can quickly access the critical points. Top the release with a headline that summarizes the story. Include photos of the event.
• Think of yourself as a reporter for the media when writing the press release: Be objective and give the who, what, when, where, why and how.
• Follow up press releases with a phone call to journalists to see if they have further questions or will be attending your event.
• Get a reprint of a newspaper's story about your restaurant to gain future attention about your charitable efforts. Ask for reprint permission from the publisher and copy the piece along with the publication's masthead and the line "reprinted with permission." Send copies to customers along with a note saying, "Hope you saw us in the newspaper recently. Drop by the restaurant for more details."
• Rent the subscriber list of the publication and send a special mailing about your charitable activities to its readers.
• Create a press kit for the media about your restaurant that will save journalists time finding out basic facts about your establishment. Include a fact sheet about your restaurant: who you are, how long you've been open, how many people you employ, your biography, a map of your restaurant's location and your business card.
• Update your press mailing list periodically, because journalists frequently change beats.
• Write a letter to the editor as an alternative to a press release, regarding a story that touches your restaurant or industry. You could write about an economic, legislative or social trend or issue affecting your business or the charitable organization with which you are affiliated.
Using cause-related marketing and press releases will bring added publicity -- and hopefully more business-to your restaurant. However, there are steps to take when dealing with the media, especially when a crisis erupts. The following section will guide you in your dealings with the press.
Section 3: Working with the Media
Follow these suggestions to cultivate a good relationship with the media.
• Call newspapers and find out who the business or food/restaurant reporters are and the best times to call. Then call the appropriate person at the proper time.
• Learn the deadlines of the paper so you don't bother the reporter at those crucial times.
• Be brief, friendly and to the point once you contact reporters or editors. Start your conversation by asking, "Do you have a minute to talk or should I call back later?"
• Don't talk about how the story will help your restaurant. Focus on why this story would be interesting readers.
• Don't mention that your business advertises in the newspaper, because editors don't run stories to help advertisers.
• Don't send gifts to editors or reporters, because they may see it as a form of bribery.
• Take media inquiries seriously.
• In all cases, get your facts straight. Find out what happened and know the story cold. Write the facts down to memorize them more easily. Identify confidential information that can't be released.
• Define your position on the topic, but don't sound defensive.
• Designate one person to handle crisis communication so your story doesn't get garbled.
• Communicate your story internally so employees know where you stand and why.
• Practice, practice, practice. Rehearse your story so you won't stumble. This will also help identify holes in your story.
• Avoid saying "no comment." It makes you look untrustworthy.
• Don't become hostile and never repeat a negative accusation made against your restaurant.
• Note inaccuracies about your establishment and correct them.
• Anticipate potential problems and questions about your restaurant, and have answers ready.
• Don't ask to see the story before it runs, because journalists prefer to retain editorial control.
By utilizing cause-related marketing and press releases, as well as handling the media in a tactful, friendly manner, you can bring additional publicity and customers to your restaurant.
Article by: Maria
Working happily with National Merchant Services
Happy Processing!!!
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