Current Crop Roasting Shop embeds itself into the New Orleans community

Written By Alicia Vial

Situation

Current Crop Roasting Shop was a new retail concept in Uptown New Orleans on Magazine Street. While the store sells specialty green coffee beans, home roasting equipment, brewers and grinders it also seeks to create a hub for home coffee roasters looking to hone and perfect their craft of coffee roasting. The staff at the store would offer customers personal experiences when purchasing coffee beans and home roasting equipment. This unique concept was developed by John Puckett who has successfully grown an online business called Coffee Bean Corral in Jackson, MS that sells the same green coffee beans and products to people all over the country. 

Current Crop partnered with Gambel Communications to help them execute a grand opening event and define the brand in the market.

Strategy

To kickstart the campaign, Gambel Communications worked with Current Crop leadership to fully immerse the assigned team in storefront concept and to better understand home roasting and the education that would be provided to consumers.  We identified a timeframe for the store opening as well as key stakeholders who should be involved. Gambel Communications conducted in-depth research to determine which communications channels would best amplify the news of the grand opening and build awareness of the Current Crop concept.

Based on market research and in-depth discovery with Current Crop, Gambel Communications developed a multi-tactic strategic plan aimed at increasing awareness of the new storefront, educating the target audience about home roasting and securing thought leadership and profile opportunities for John Puckett.

To execute a successful grand opening/ribbon cutting event we engaged the New Orleans Chamber of Commerce and Magazine Street’s Merchant’s Association, along with friends and family of the Current Crop staff. Gambel Communications also identified key opportunities to elevate Current Crop products and services including Magazine Street’s Champagne Stroll, timely gift guides, National Coffee Day and the first ever NOLA Coffee Festival.

Strategic media outreach was conducted using carefully curated key messages and multiple story lines. Members of the media were invited to private advance previews where they could explore the home roasting equipment and products while learning about the roasting process. To compliment the earned media strategy, Gambel Communications recommended a select number of paid media opportunities that fit within Current Crop’s budget and reached their target audience. The paid placements would continue to emphasize the key messages and aim to raise awareness about the new facility.

Leveraging the impact of social media influencer marketing, Gambel Communications consulted on the launch of the Current Crop social media pages including content creation and securing partnerships with local content creators. Following the success of the grand opening, we extended the strategic plan to capitalize on the initial exposure and increase results thorough additional digital channels. We worked directly with six regional influencers to craft social media content that resonated with each creator’s unique audience of followers. Diverse partners were chosen based on their followers and the goal to reach key audiences around New Orleans. Influencers were invited to a roasting or cupping class or given a one-on-one home roasting lesson with the store director. Collaborating closely with each content creator ensured the content felt authentic to enhance engagement while integrating key messages important to Current Crop.

After the grand opening concluded, Current Crop sought to extend the partnership and Gambel Communications shifted to provide turnkey social media content, strategy and community management. We developed a system for content management with strategic objectives to drive foot-traffic to the new shop, increase class registrations, product sale and brand awareness. Gambel Communications also designed an email marketing strategy and developed a monthly e-newsletter to allow for ongoing customer cultivation.

Results

As a direct result of Current Crop’s partnership with Gambel Communications, the grand opening received a total of 18 story placements reaching an estimated 13.4 million people. By extending their partnership, Gambel Communications was able to secure an additional 22 story placements reaching another 4.7 million people.

  • Story placements: 40

  • Potential reach: 18 million

Through the launch of Current Crop’s social media channels, ongoing management and secured influencer marketing partnerships, Current Crop’s social media audience grew exponentially with above average engagement rates. The email marketing strategy saw an average open rate of 44.7%, well above industry standards.

  • New Followers: 1,132

  • Engagement rate: 3.9% (average is 1%-3.5%)

  • Influencer marketing: 6 partnerships with an estimated reach of 153.5k

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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