 Press parties and press trips: a key ingredient to restaurant success
Part 1
First-hand experience with your restaurant is the most ideal way to get
journalists to write favorable stories about you, which is why press
trips and press parties can be extremely effective publicity tools.
Press parties are geared toward local and regional media, inviting
reporters from local and regional newspapers, magazines, television and
radio stations to your new restaurant and educating them about your
concept.
Existing restaurants may use press parties as an opportunity to promote
new entrées, wine selections and drinks or to reacquaint the media with
their menu and ambiance.
For example, a press party at Miami Beach's newest cutting-edge
restaurant, afterglo, resulted in significant local, regional and
national coverage in print and broadcast media outlets for the “beauty
cuisine” restaurant.
Two full-length features appeared in the Miami Herald just days after
the press party and reviews in the Miami New Times, Miami Sun Post and
South Florida Sun-Sentinel followed.
Deco Drive featured the restaurant on its entertainment program, and
Lincoln Road Magazine, City & Shore Magazine and Haute Living ran
full-length features and several photos.
Freelancers who attended the press party wrote features on the upscale
dining establishment for national publications including Elite Traveler
and Lucky.
The press party landed media hits for afterglo in VIP Guide Miami, AOL Digital City Miami, Elite Traveler and Gayot.com.
One event was able to generate almost a dozen media hits for the new
restaurant that had virtually no name recognition beforehand.
Press trips – which are also called "fam" or familiarization trips - are more comprehensive than press parties.
The idea of a press trip is to invite travel, lifestyle and food
journalists from around the country to write about the area or city
where you are located. Most travel features are centered on a
destination and include an ideal place to stay and eat.
Press trips generally fall into two categories: organized group trips
and individual trips. Organized trips typically consist of anywhere
from two to 10 people. The itinerary will include visits to area
attractions, a stay at a host hotel and meals at your restaurant.
Targeted media can include, but is not limited to: newspapers,
magazines, newsletters, books, television, and radio. Journalists may
be on staff, but it's also beneficial to invite freelance journalists
who have strong records of getting articles published, because
they will often pursue assignments for multiple media outlets.
When Grupo Anderson's hosted a fam trip for three of its flagship
restaurant concepts – Senor Frogs, Glazz and Carlos 'n Charlie's, the
result was media coverage in travel publications throughout
the World, including the New York Daily News, Ocean Drive
Mexico, Northern Ohio Live, OverTime Magazine and daily newspapers in
Brazil and Venezuela.
Press parties are an ideal opportunity for a restaurant to put their
best foot forward by promoting the positive aspects of their dining
establishment to media members. The costs associated with hosting a
press party will be minimal compared with the media exposure it will
generate. In the end, media members should leave your press party with
two things: a story about your restaurant and a lasting impression.
This article has discussed why your establishment should host a press
party. Stay tuned for our next issue, and we'll tell you how to host
one.
Press parties and press trips - Part 2
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