Cook-Off for the Coast raises awareness about Louisiana’s coastal land loss crisis

Written By Alicia Vial

Situation

Restore the Mississippi River Delta, in partnership with the Meraux Foundation and Vanishing Paradise, hosted the sixth annual Cook-Off for the Coast at Docville Farm in Violet, Louisiana. This free, family-friendly event helps raise awareness about Louisiana’s coastal land loss crisis and the urgent need for coastal restoration. All proceeds from the Cook-Off for the Coast benefitted the Chandeleur Sound Living Shoreline Program, a partnership with Chalmette High School and Nunez Community College, and Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana’s Oyster Shell Recycling Program.

Gambel Communications partnered with Restore the Mississippi River Delta to help increase positive public awareness of the event ahead of the Cook-Off through an integrated campaign that featured media relations, paid media and community relations efforts. 

Strategy

Gambel Communications identified critical story lines and key messages to incorporate into the campaign strategies including topics like stories from community members who have been cooking and participating in the event for years, high school culinary students that participate in the event and the importance of the local community’s support in raising awareness surrounding the land loss crisis currently facing the state of Louisiana.

To complement earned media efforts, Gambel Communications constructed sponsored content opportunities with local magazines, radio stations and online influencer bloggers as well as strategic digital display ads targeted to individuals located within the specific zip code that the event took place. These sponsored content placements allowed the Cook-Off for the Coast event to be promoted across a wide demographic range and also strategically target those most interested in an event heralding the land loss issues facing coastal Louisiana.

Gambel Communications also worked with local celebrity chef Kevin Belton to emcee the event as well as local environmental journalist Halle Parker to serve as a guest judge. 

Results

As a result of the months long integrated marketing campaign, Gambel aided the Cook-Off for the Coast in securing more than 70 media mentions, resulting in an estimate reach of more than 76,122,000 readers. With a focus on earned print media in the local daily newspaper around the event, the event was featured on the front page of the Metro section in the local daily newspaper. Gambel Communications also earned multiple feature stories in lifestyle publications, more than a dozen community calendar listings and three broadcast segments promoting the event.  

To compliment earned media coverage, the paid media campaign included the local NPR station, primary talk-radio station, two culture and entertainment magazines, a parenting blog and digital display ads targeting zip codes within driving distance of the event. These strategic paid placements reached an estimated 837,000 people.  

As a reflection of the success of the earned media, paid media and community relations strategies of this campaign, the Cook-Off for the Coast event was a record-breaking success with an estimated 2,000 attendees (double the previous year), raising more than $20,000 for coastal restoration efforts.

Alicia Vial

Alicia Vial is a New Orleans native with more than a decade of experience elevating client stories and leading crisis response. As the senior director of strategy, Alicia acts as a leader within the Gambel Communications team ensuring each agency team member is positioned to deliver strategic public relations services that meet the highest standards of the industry. In addition to supporting the agency’s long-term business growth and development, she coordinates day-to-day account services and oversees strategic direction while staying abreast of best practices and industry trends to provide innovative solutions to meet client’s needs.

Before joining Gambel Communications, Alicia served as the communications director for the Louisiana SPCA, the oldest and largest animal welfare organization in Louisiana that impacts more than 74,000 animals per year. During her nearly eight-year tenure, Alicia oversaw numerous crises, served on national communication taskforces, oversaw all aspects of internal and external relations and worked alongside the development department to raise critical funding. Prior to that, she worked in the fast-paced New Orleans hospitality industry focusing on digital public relations for multiple hotels.

Alicia is a member of the Public Relations Association of Louisiana (PRAL), Southern Public Relations Federation (SPRF), a board member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) New Orleans Chapter and a member of the New Orleans Regional Leadership Institute. An accredited public relations practitioner (APR), Alicia is also certified in crisis communications, organizational leadership, content marketing and social media.

A well respected and trusted public relations practitioner, Alicia has been recognized by SPRF as a ‘Senior Practitioner of the Year’. Dubbed early on in her career as one to watch, she also received the ‘Rising Star’ award by PRAL and was profiled in St. Charles Avenue Magazine as part of their Young Bloods series. Most recently, she was recognized at PRSA’s annual Fleurish Awards and received four Awards of Excellence for her work along with the ‘Plate Spinner’ award for her efforts on the board of directors for the chapter.

An LSU graduate, Alicia received a bachelor's degree in mass communications with a concentration in public relations and minors in business administration and leadership development. She is a frequent speaker and presenter on public relations topics, most recently presenting at the Jefferson Economic Development Commission and SPRF annual conference.

When Alicia is not at work, you can find her at the ballpark with her three boys or cheering on the Tigers in Death Valley.

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