Colorado Restaurant Association

Challenge

The restaurant industry in Colorado had been decimated due to the COVID-19 pandemic. One in three restaurant employees in Colorado was still out of work following the pandemic. Yet, every restaurant in the state was struggling to hire and retain workers. The Colorado General Assembly reconvened and if HB 2027 did not pass, it would further harm the industry. Continuation of alcohol to-go – set to sunset on July 1 – was critical to the recovery of the restaurant industry, and HB21-1027 would extend alcohol to-go for five years.

The Colorado Restaurant Association (CRA) hired Novitas Communications to implement several strategies and campaigns to assist restaurants and CRA’s government affairs team as restaurants reopened and faced harmful legislative action threatening the industry. Novitas was challenged with educating and influencing elected officials and policymakers, while also educating the public and offering resources to restaurant owners.

Novitas shined a spotlight on how the restaurant industry was – more than ever – a source of good-paying, safe, equitable, and community-oriented work that serves as a backdrop for the public’s most important moments. The goal was to highlight that COIVD-19 was the gravest crisis the restaurant industry had faced in living memory, offer supporting data on the economic impacts, and drive the narrative around legislative and regulatory issues.

Solution

Novitas spearheaded a results-driven approach centered around crafting captivating messaging and strategically executed communications campaigns, leveraging the power of earned media and social platforms. These successful campaigns included: Alcohol To-Go, the State of the Restaurant Industry Media Briefing, and Dine Out to Help Out Day. By combining innovation with precise execution, Novitas achieved remarkable outcomes on behalf of a beloved industry.

Alcohol To-Go:

Novitas positioned CRA’s president and CEO Sonia Riggs as the authority on the restaurant industry and the impact of COVID-19. Novitas pitched Sonia to reporters covering the alcohol to-go legislation to discuss its necessity to the industry and drafted supporting op-eds. Additionally, Novitas worked with local restaurant owners to author op-eds to explain why they needed Alcohol To-Go to continue following COVID-19. Novitas prepared statements and/or press releases at every stage of the legislative process – introduction, committee hearing, floor hearings, and votes – to ensure CRA’s message was constantly part of the discussion among the legislature and in the media.

State of the Restaurant Industry Media Briefing:

Novitas hosted a virtual media briefing to support the legislative efforts of the Alcohol To-Go campaign, as well as to update the media and the public on the impact of the pandemic, thus far, and on supporting the restaurant industry. CRA’s president and CEO Sonia Riggs spoke to attendees about the State of the Restaurant Industry polling data, which showed nearly 40% of restaurant employees were laid off or furloughed and 73% of restaurants faced further layoffs. This resulted in an estimated loss of nearly 94,000 restaurant jobs year over year, with 90% of restaurants reporting reduced sales compared to 2019, and approximately 50% facing the possibility of permanent closure within six months. This supported the position COVID-19 was the gravest crisis the restaurant industry has faced in living memory, and urgent assistance was crucial for the industry. Sonia also stressed the importance of recovery efforts and how important the Alcohol To-Go legislation was for restaurants in Colorado to survive.

Dine Out to Help Out Day:

Dine Out to Help Out Day encouraged Colorado residents to patronize local restaurants to keep the industry afloat during the pandemic. Novitas promoted special events/holidays and mini campaigns through social media, press releases, and media pitching, including #TakeOutTuesday, Cinco de Mayo, Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, Father’s Day, the Fourth of July, and the MLB All-Star Game. Novitas created an influencer outreach campaign, working with Gov. Jared Polis and Sen. John Hickenlooper, as well as 30 local influencers, to post tweets and Facebook posts on Dine Out to Help Out Day to encourage Coloradans to visit their local restaurants.

Results

Overall, Novitas’ efforts were successful and ensured CRA’s messaging was heard by legislators and the media. The General Assembly passed the continuation of Alcohol To-Go and Gov. Jared Polis signed it into law. The law, along with the accompanying CRA campaigns, helped Colorado’s restaurant industry survive the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and helped put them on the road to recovery post-pandemic.

The three campaigns combined drove over 115 media articles with 35 million impressions. The year-over-year increase in media mentions was six-fold in the first month and more than double the second, as demonstrated below by the statistics for CRA’s Twitter in March vs. February.