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Industry Gratitude Campaign Starts Monday!

May 18, 2020

Good Morning Operators,

We are shifting gears a bit today to discuss the first step of a multi-part consumer facing marketing campaign. As we continue to gain new insight from leaders across the region on the WHEN of reopening, we are beginning our own gradual efforts of HOW industry messaging and marketing tied to all the phases of recovery will unfold.  

We’ve been mentioning this multi phase campaign to you rooted in 1) Gratitude, 2) Public Trust & Best Practices, and lastly 3) Recovery & Dining Out.  We will be kicking off Part 1 of this campaign on Monday 5/18.    

We know you have worked tirelessly these many weeks to maintain your restaurants, support your teams, and feed your loyal patrons through this time. RAMW, in collaboration with our hospitality partners at Events DC, is launching this ongoing regional campaign that includes digital and video components, paid advertising across multiple platforms, and social media drivers with help from influencers in our market.  

While many of you have already been producing messaging on these themes across your platforms, we hope you will join us in this coordinated campaign.  

  • Part 1: Gratitude - Starts Monday May 18 
  • Part 2: Public Trust and Best Practices - Starts June 1
  • Part 3: We Welcome You Back - Starts late June (Dependent on regional reopening)
  • Part 4: Restaurant Recovery Month - late Summer/early Fall  (Details to come)

PART 1 STARTS MONDAY! Show YOUR diners immense GRATITUDE for their support, trust, and patronage of your establishment. Our goal is to show diners how much you appreciate them, and to highlight you, through creative materials and a short video to be shared on social media.  

We have outlined easy steps you can plug-in-to below. Take a few minutes, snap a picture or video, and share and tag!

STEP 1: TAKE A PHOTO; SHARE AND TAG: 

  • Gather team members in PPE work gear (at an appropriate social distance, of course) and identify a simple backdrop that can clearly identify your restaurant’s location, with logo in view if possible. 
  • Choose a “thank you” printable from our graphics Toolkit.  Hold up the single page in front of your restaurant or team and snap a photo OR take a short video of your team saying thanks!
  • Post your photo or video on social media starting Monday, May 18 and continuing through the week. 
  • Tag us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter at @ramwdc and tag Events DC at @TheEventsDC on Twitter and @EventsDC on Instagram.
  • Use hashtags #DCGratitude #thankyoufordiningwithus #thankyoudmvfoodies

STEP 2:  RECORD A VIDEO FOR OUR GRATITUDE PSA
Say #ThankYou in a quick video message that will be turned into a heartfelt 2-minute PSA campaign targeting loyal diners who’ve continued to support your businesses with takeout and delivery orders.  The video will be shared via television media buys and digital and social platforms. We won’t be able to use ALL your videos in the PSA but we will include the best ones we receive. We will, however, share all your videos on social media throughout the weeks of this layered campaign. In the video you should: 

  • Gather team members (at an appropriate social distance, of course) in front of a simple backdrop that can clearly identify your restaurant’s location, with logo in view if possible, as everyone exclaims “from our family to yours...thank you!” and/or “we miss you!”
  • Have everyone form hearts with their hands in the air as they shout “with heartfelt gratitude, we thank you!”, or “it’s not the same without you!”
  • Choose a “thank you” printable from the graphics toolkit. Hold up the single page one in front of your restaurant, ensuring the signage/logo is visible to identify your location. Use the language above, or use your own heartfelt message. 

Submit your videos for consideration in our first PSA to coronavirus@ramw.org by 5/22. 

We look forward to seeing your photos and videos and sharing the love and thanks in this Part 1 of the campaign. Next week we will be in touch with instructions on how you can engage your business and team in Part 2.  Each phase of this campaign will have different components and platforms to activate.

Stay safe. Stay kind. And show your gratitude all next week! 

Best,

Kathy