The Pitch

As a tactical component of Clairemont’s public relations strategy to reintroduce Il Palio, Chapel Hill’s iconic Italian restaurant, after the restaurant’s first renovation in 30 years and to gain exposure of the new chef, Chef Teddy Diggs, Clairemont leveraged the back-to-school season by highlighting Chef Teddy’s role as a parent. Recognizing that busy parents often struggle for fresh ideas for school lunches, we asked, “what does a top chef pack for his own children to eat?”

We selected targeted media and shared “Top Chef’s Top Tips for Back-to-School Lunches,” a series of kid-friendly recipes and photos designed to engage children and yield tasty, balanced lunches. We also offered college-friendly recipes upon request. These efforts resulted in articles, blogs and wide-spread posts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Execution

• Blogger Outreach: We targeted key mom bloggers and local media for a behind-the-scenes tour of the new restaurant before it was publicly unveiled. These bloggers were invited to join Chef Teddy in the kitchen to see his recipes being prepared and discuss issues important to them such as healthy, balanced meals and quality family time.
• Media Materials: Clairemont Communications shared photos of Chef Teddy preparing lunches with his children in his own home kitchen for a personal touch. The photos and tips were incorporated into media pitches and sent to media contacts in order to help them visualize Chef Teddy’s fun approach to packing lunches with his children.
• Coordinated Pitches: Creative and individualized pitches were used to pique the interest of targeted media contacts. For example, mom bloggers received a personal invitation to bring their children into Il Palio’s kitchen for a personal cooking session with Chef Teddy where they learned to make a special Nutella cookie.

Results

Il Palio’s reintroduction to the Triangle restaurant scene has been a success. As part of a larger, strategic campaign, Clairemont helped Il Palio engage with a targeted mom audience by finding a common connection through this Back-to-School pitch. This tactic exceeded expectations by securing five media placements and 10 social media posts, with a reach of more than 51,899 followers on Twitter alone, to generate additional buzz about Chef Teddy and his family friendly persona.

Want to see more about the restaurant PR work we do at Clairemont? Be sure to check out our Foodie Blog Posts!