Building Brand Love in America’s #1 Media Market – NYC – Through Culturally Relevant, Local News Stories

A fast-casual burrito restaurant chain established New York City — the largest and toughest-to-crack earned media market in the U.S. — as its top priority market for local news to help drive brand awareness and customer loyalty among residents and restaurant-goers.

Client
Services
Communications Strategy & Planning
Media Relations & Influencer Marketing
Industry
Multi-Unit Restaurants
Awards
2022 National Media Relations Award Finalist and Honorable Mention

CHallenge

Linhart PR needed to build relationships with local reporters and secure a steady cadence of positive coverage about the brand’s priority areas: 1) leadership in real food, including through new menu items and its athlete partner program, 2) easier access to the brand via new restaurants and new formats like walk-up windows, and 3) culturally relevant events, observances and partnerships impacting – and benefitting – NYC residents.

Solution

To foster go-to relationships with NYC reporters and land an average of 10 positive brand story placements per month, Linhart PR collaborated with the restaurant chain to:

  • Pitch NYC-specific stories, like celebrating an NYC marathoner who fuels up with the restaurant’s food and sharing the inspirational journeys of NYC-based employees who have worked for the company for 10+ years
  • Spread the word about new NYC restaurant openings and formats that increase access and convenience, highlighting “firsts” to drive news, like the brand’s first walk-up window (which allows guests to pick up digital orders from a street-wide window) in Queens
  • Share culturally relevant, buzzworthy national marketing programs, like the partnership that triggered a donation to a musician’s foundation every time someone ordered his signature bowl; a contest giving away free burritos to celebrate National Burrito Day; and gold foil-wrapped burritos and free delivery for sports fans to enjoy the restaurant’s food as they cheered on athletes who fueled up for competition with the same menu items
  • Offer new menu news early, combined with sampling, to build relationships with reporters who cover menu innovation and what’s new at restaurants

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Results

By pitching programs and stories unique to the NYC market; spreading the word about new restaurants and formats that increase access and convenience; delivering culturally relevant news that was shareable for media and fun for New Yorkers; and offering advance new menu item testing to build reporter relationships, Linhart PR secured 168 NYC news stories for the restaurant chain in one year, exceeding the goal – 10 stories per month or 120 total stories for the year – by 40%. This included stories across the five boroughs and repeat coverage from seven reporters who covered the burrito chain two times or more.

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