Missouri Restaurant Association
Revitalizing Missouri’s Restaurant Industry
Missouri’s relationship with the restaurant industry runs deep; the National Restaurant Association was founded here, and the Missouri Restaurant Association has been a strong presence in the state for more than 100 years. We began working with this time-honored association in early 2020, but when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, our focus quickly flipped from MRA’s general marketing to crisis communications.
Coronavirus affected every industry, but foodservice was among the most devastated. Restaurants were forced to adopt carryout-only business models, and employees were laid off in masses. The Missouri Restaurant Association had to react quickly to support restaurants across the state, and the small internal team couldn’t do it alone. In just a few weeks, we completed a brand refresh, built two sub-brands, facilitated nonprofit donations and grant distributions, and handled public relation and crisis communication efforts.
Make it easy on the readers
We gave MRA a swift brand refresh before we released any urgent communication. The century-old association needed a few quick nips and tucks to make its messaging clear and design consistent. As part of the refresh, we made minor website tweaks and designed easy-to-read email templates. Restaurant owners typically consume information on the fly and on mobile, so we made it easy for them to stay up-to-date with MRA’s time-sensitive information. We also knew that MRA would experience increased press, website traffic, and email sends as a result of COVID-19, so these updates were an important preface to a successful crisis comms strategy.
Brand Standards
Research + Positioning
Website Design
Digital Strategy
Advertising Content Development + Strategy
Campaign Ideation + Messaging
Break through the noise with well-timed wit
MRA launched CarryoutMO to promote restaurants’ carryout and delivery services. We created a fully fleshed out CarryoutMO brand in under a week, and then, well, carried it out through the CarryoutMO website, organic social media content, and paid advertising campaigns. Our efforts both encouraged restaurant owners to add their businesses to the site and connected Missouri diners with resources that helped them support local restaurants.
CARRYOUTMO FACEBOOK AD CAMPAIGN
Time frame:
3 weeks
Total impressions:
191,576
Conversions:
2,200+
Restaurants employ 10% of Missouri’s workforce
COVID-19 devastated the 300,300 Missourians who work in the restaurant industry. While no foodservice establishment was spared, independent restaurants suffered disproportionately, and their employees needed a little extra support to get through the tough time. In response, MRA partnered with the Kemper family foundations to establish the Independent Restaurant Workers Relief Fund, which provided $500 grants to the employees of locally owned and operated independent restaurants in the state.
Not only did we create a sub-brand for the newly minted relief fund, publish a Facebook campaign to gain donations, and share organic content to encourage workers to apply, but we also processed applications and helped disperse funds. The Hoot team acted as a fluid extension of MRA, and our office processed all 2,791 applications and assisted in the distribution of $1.23 million in relief funds.
Total applications:
2,791
Distribution total:
$1.23 million
Managing crisis communications and public relations
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we collaborated with MRA on all of the organization’s external communication. The strategy here was two-fold: 1) offer helpful information to restaurant owners in the state and 2) spread the word about the Independent Restaurant Workers Relief Fund to encourage applications and donations.
To support restaurant owners through this difficult time, we produced a comprehensive toolkit that explained everything from how to begin a carryout operation to what to do if an employee tests positive for the coronavirus. And to spread the word about the relief fund, we penned a press release that earned thousands of impressions. These efforts established MRA’s credibility as an advocate for both restaurant owners and their employees.
PRESS RELEASE
Published:
166x
Total impressions:
4,340+
Search results:
1,100
In your toughest moments, it’s important to have a team of experts on your side. Reach out to learn more about how we can support your business.
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