Shake Shack enters the New Orleans Market

Written By Alicia Vial

Situation

Shake Shack, which grew from a hot dog cart in Manhattan’s Madison Square Park, was created by Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group to support the Madison Square Park Conservancy. Shack fans lined up at the cart daily for three summers.  Since then, the brand has expanded to more than 100 brick-and-mortar locations in 19 US states and the District of Columbia and more than 60 international locations.

After identifying a gap in the Greater New Orleans market, Shake Shack partnered with Gambel Communications to begin public relations work for the very first stand-alone Shake Shack location in Louisiana. Gambel Communications worked hand-in-hand with Shake Shack to build brand awareness and create buzz around the grand opening, as well as actively engage with the community and key influencers for opening events. Gambel focused on positioning the brand as culturally relevant and as a tastemaker in the food and lifestyle space in the New Orleans area. Gambel also emphasized Shake Shack’s Stand for Something Good mission—promoting and crafting food made with real ingredients, deep community investment and corporate culture.

Strategy

Our team worked closely with Shake Shack’s internal team to accomplish its mission and objectives through a series of opening events, media relations, community relations, non-profit partnerships and influencer marketing. To localize the national brand, Gambel developed specific media pitches that highlighted the brand’s hyper-local components including menu items made with local ingredients from Haydel’s Bakery, craft beer from the local Abita Brewery and artwork from New Orleans mural artist Monica Kelly. Gambel also helped Shake Shack forge a partnership with the Louisiana SPCA.

To raise brand awareness, Gambel Communications developed specific media pitches to highlight the brand’s “first and only” status in the city. Our team layered in a variety of earned media tactics such as calendar listings, cooking segments on local television stations, first looks and sneak peeks with print media, press releases, media alerts and preview events. Gambel Communications also coordinated embargoed press releases to local media to ensure timely coverage of opening day festivities; onsite interviews with Shake Shack executive team members; and social media influencer coverage during the week leading up to and following opening day. We also worked with local lifestyle and food influencers for the grand opening events. Alongside the Shake Shack corporate team, Gambel sought to introduce the brand in a uniquely New Orleans grand opening setting that included the Storyville Stompers brass band.

Results

As a result of Gambel Communication’s efforts, both the Housewarming and Friends and Family events were well attended by VIPs, business leaders, key media, movers and shakers, which in turn created excitement with Shake Shack’s target audience for opening day. Gambel Communications secured an exclusive preview from New Orleans most prominent food writer at The Times-Picayune/ New Orleans Advocate, as well as a cooking segment on the leading local news morning show.

Shake Shack opened its doors with a bang as Gambel Communications secured media on all four local stations that included live coverage on the television stations’ websites and social media channels. More than 250 people queued in line before the 11 am opening, with some guests arriving as early as 6:30 am. A photo booth, mural artist and puppy adoptions were set up to entertain customers in line.

Long lines continued throughout the restaurant’s first month of opening. Due to the success of the grand opening, Shake Shack partnered with Gambel Communications again one year later to open a second Shake Shack at Canal Place.

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.

Previous

Reinvigorating #iGiveCatholic with a digital media campaign
Next

Jefferson Ready Start Network launches the Future Fund