Public Relations Campaign

(Image retrieved from http://www.carrabbas.com)

Executive Summary Carrabbas Italian Grill has shown through its market share and profitability that it is a leader in the Italian casual-dining industry. Aside from being an industry forerunner, Carrabbas also upholds a great reputation and brand image despite limited locations in the United States compared to its top competitor. The company sets itself apart from competitors with its fresh menu items that are prepared to order in an exhibition kitchen, along with excellent hospitality provided by its refined, knowledgeable staff. In order to reach a larger portion of Carrabbas key publics, the company must increase public relations tactics that will result in retaining customers and increasing traffic. The following public relations plan illustrates current and suggested tactics that Carrabbas already has in place and how the company can improve and add to them. This plan also provides further details about strategies that will help obtain the campaign goal and related objectives. The objectives and strategies were developed to address specific strengths and weaknesses of the Carrabbas brand and company. From there, opportunities were also recognized for Carrabbas to grow among consumers, influential publics and employees through proposed individual tactics. Boosting social media and other PR tactics while maintaining the companys commitment to hospitality, quality and fresh ingredients are top priorities in this plan. Upon completion of this plan, Carrabbas public relations goals and objectives will be reached. Communicating to consumers more effectively using the following PR mix is essential to a comprehensive, compelling campaign. As a result, Carrabbas will gain both sales and loyalty from new and existing customers.

Background The External Environment Carrabbas Italian Grill is one of several Italian casual-dining chain restaurants in the U.S. The restaurant was founded in Houston, TX, by Johnny Carrabba and Damian Mandola in December of 1986 encompassing many of Damian's mother Grace and sister Roses original recipes from their native Italy. The restaurant became a joint venture partnership in 1993 and has since grown to more than 230 locations across the country. The restaurant chain strives to give customers a true Italian experience with dishes made from scratch in an exhibition kitchen. House specialties include crispy calamari, chicken marsala, tender filet, unique pasta dishes and handmade pizzas baked in a wood-burning oven (Carrabbas, 2010). Carrabbas Italian Grill is owned by OSI Restaurant Partners, a part of the fast-paced restaurant industry, and also a company among the casual, full-service sit-down dining industry. The OSI Restaurant Partners, LLC, was originally formed in 1988 following the founding of Outback Steakhouse and is currently one of the largest dining companies in the world. Since the early 90s, OSI has formed partnerships and gained management of not only Outback, but Carrabbas Italian Grill, Flemings Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, Bonefish Restaurant and Roys Hawaiian Fusion Restaurant (OSI Restaurant Partners, LLC, 2010). The Industry The restaurant industry is an ever-changing and fast-growing industry all over the world. In 2010 alone, the restaurant industry brought in over $580 billion in sales (a record high) and shared close to 50 percent of the food dollar. The restaurant industry is also one of the largest private sector employers in the country, employing over 12.7 million people (National Restaurant Association, 2010).

The National Restaurant Associations Top Ten Facts from 2010, includes industry trends from the past year, including, 1) $1.6 billion: Restaurant-industry sales on a typical day in 2010. 2) $2,698: Average household expenditure for food away from home in 2008. 3) 40% of adults agree that purchasing meals from restaurants and take-out and delivery places makes them more productive in their day-to-day life. 4) 73% of adults say they try to eat healthier now at restaurants than they did two years ago. 5) 57% of adults say they are likely to make a restaurant choice based on how much a restaurant supports charitable activities and the local community. 6) 78% of adults say they would like to receive restaurant gift cards or certificates on gift occasions. 7) 52% of adults say they would be more likely to patronize a restaurant if it offered a customer loyalty and reward program. 8) 57% of adults say they are likely to make a restaurant choice based on how much a restaurant supports charitable activities and the local community. 9) 56% of adults say they are more likely to visit a restaurant that offers food grown or raised in an organic or environmentally friendly way. 10) 78% of adults agree that going out to a restaurant with family or a friend gives them an opportunity to socialize and is a better way to make use of their leisure time than cooking and cleaning up (2010). The Client Client psycho and demographics range anywhere from young, middle-aged to elderly, single to married, with or without children who hold various occupations. Quantcast estimates

that there is somewhat equality among some of the Carrabbas consumer demographics, including gender, race and education level. However, a majority of Carrabbas consumers make at least $30,000 annually and have no children (Quantcast, 2010). Quantcast also reports that Carrabbas consumers are interested in lifestyles that include jewelry and luxury goods, fragrances and cosmetics, as well as home and family (2010). The Product, Service or Issue Carrabbas could do a better job handling its public relations not only as a whole, but for all of its restaurants regionally and individually. There are few actual PR efforts from either, besides menu/drink promotions the company obviously caters its tactics and strategies to marketing. I think more could be done by the restaurants and the company to build and maintain relationships with its clients to retain more satisfied customers. OSI, Carrabbas parent restaurant management company is second only to Darden Restaurants, Inc., and I think stepping up the public relations could bridge a closer gap between the companies or take OSI to the number one spot. Promotions Carrabbas runs several promotions throughout the year and for the duration of each quarter. For example, the current quarters (Q4) limited-time-offers (LTOs) include sirloin and crab cake, parmesan crusted chicken and lobster linguine entres. New appetizers include risotto poppers and pumpkin squash ravioli in addition to an apple crostada dessert. A short list of specialty cocktails is also varied throughout each quarter. Besides menu offerings, Carrabbas also periodically offers free appetizers in turn for filling out an online survey and obtaining a promotional code. The restaurant also holds Wine Wednesdays year-round, giving customers $10 off any bottle of wine one day each week.

Market Share In 2009, Nations Restaurant News ranked every casual-dining chain in the U.S. by system-wide sales figures. While Olive Garden was ranked third on the list, Carrabba's Italian Grill came in 16th and Romanos Macaroni Grill was close behind in 17th place (Lockyer, 2009). Lockyer also reports that Carrabbas actual market share in 2009 was 2.12%. Macaroni Grill had 2.11% and Olive Garden received 10.11% of the market (Lockyer, 2009). However, according to Mark Albright, the entire restaurant industry has suffered some from the recession, yet the casual dining company nonetheless reported traffic gains in 2010 and said the company is gradually improving performance and "outperformed" the soft recovery among its competitors (2010). Sales in stores open more than a year a barometer of a chain's hold on its customer base were up 1.1 percent at Carrabba's Italian Grill (Albright, 2010). Competition Olive Garden (owned by Darden Restaurants, Inc.) is Carrabbas primary competitor. Olive Garden first opened its doors in 1982 and is the number one full-service Italian restaurant company in the country (Darden Restaurants, Inc., 2010). Other companies that pose a competitive challenge are Romano's Macaroni Grill and Maggianos Little Italy. As previously stated, Macaroni Grill was right behind Carrabbas in sales in 2009 (Lockyer, 2009). Additionally, Macaroni Grill and Maggianos Little Italy are more comparable to Carrabbas concept and theme. All three have a similar atmosphere, menu appeal and service quality. Even though Maggianos is a smaller chain than the others, I think its reputation, pricing and food poses a serious competitive challenge for Carrabbas in regions where both restaurants are in a close proximity to each other.

Situation Analysis Carrabbas has multiple opportunities to increase its sales and become closer to the leader of Italian casual-dining restaurants. Trends from the National Restaurant Association indicate that restaurant industry sales are projected to reach $580 billion this year, a 2.5 percent increase in current dollars over 2009 sales. When adjusted for inflation, 2010 sales will be essentially flat, which is an improvement over the 1.2 and 2.9 percent negative growth in real sales that the industry experienced in 2008 and 2009, respectively (NRA, 2010). If these trends are correct and sales continue to rise in the following years, Carrabbas could benefit financially from opening new restaurant locations, among other things. Bringing the companys locations closer to Olive Gardens hefty number of locations would put Carrabbas in a better position to exceed the Olive Gardens sales. Carrabbas would also benefit from increasing its PR and social media tactics to aid in the companys sales through its more than 230 restaurants. Because Carrabbas is already on top of implementing the National Restaurant Associations hot trends of 2010, that includes sustainability, local sourcing and nutrition, increasing the number of restaurants would absolutely help achieve the goal of increasing sales (2010). Carrabbas could also boost sales by offering promotional discounts and other restaurantrelated news to its customers through social media and the existing website, as well as keeping customers informed of its importance on the freshness, quality and its restaurants individually made-from-scratch menu items that are already in place.

Core Problem Carrabbas must begin opening new stores and rejuvenating current restaurant locations to increase its sales (while keeping publics informed of promotions/discounts and commitment to quality, fresh ingredients and nutrition that are already in place) to put the company above its competitors. Key Publics The restaurant industry obviously provides services for people of all demographics and psychographics. However, as Wilson & Ogden point out, Targeting a general public is useless because people wont pay attention to a message that isnt specifically targeted to their selfinterests in a channel they use (2008). The most important publics in my opinion are the external, as well as traditional and future publics that include consumers, media and opinion leaders and employees. Consumers (Empty Nesters) The first of the 3 key publics are consumers. The set of consumers that I believe are most important to Carrabbas are the empty nesters. The research Ive conducted has concluded that empty nesters are the general age group spending the most on eating out, along with 18 to 24year-olds. According to Food Service Warehouse, "Empty nesters spend more when they eat out, typically 65% more on dining out than couples living with children (2010). Additionally, empty nesters are generally more concerned about the quality of food and the elegance of the atmosphere than the price. Carrabbas already places a great deal of importance on quality, sustainability and nutrition (including fresh ingredients and freshly prepared meals). Choosing the empty nesters as a key public would indefinitely benefit any public relations efforts.

Consumers (18 to 24-year-olds) An additional set of important publics is another segment of consumers. The 18 to 24year-olds as previously mentioned, eat out and drink alcohol outside the home more often than other age groups (National Restaurant Association, 2010). This group of consumers would be a beneficial public because it is both highly receptive to social media and the age group represented is old enough to afford to go out to dinner more often than other publics. Information Weeks Alison Diana said, Social networking sites' impact on business is growing. This year, 68% (of the U.S. online adult population) has become a fan or friend of a product, service, company or group on a social networking site, compared with 57% last year (2010). Additionally, Diana claims that almost 90% of connected 18 to 34-year-olds are the visitors of these sites and more frequent users of social media networks (2010). Its critical for consumers, including both empty nesters and 18 to 24-year-olds to be key publics, because these groups of people are responsible for spending the most time and money dining at restaurants in general (Food Service Warehouse, 2010). Intervening Publics Media and Opinion Leaders The second important key public to Carrabbas is intervening publics, and are what Wilson and Ogden broadly describe as media and opinion leaders that carry messages and influence other key publics. In respect to Carrabbas, the intervening publics Im referring to are websites and/or magazines (or any other medium) that channel reports and information about specific restaurants, as well as news and general information about the restaurant industry as a whole. The National Restaurant Association, Food Service Warehouse, Restaurant Week magazine and Restaurant.com are just a few of these publics that communicate to current

potential customers about trends, philanthropy and other important news that people are most likely interested in. Bloggers are included in this category. In turn, just the mention of Carrabbas in articles, research and other insights is free advertising and PR. Maintaining relationships with these publics keeps the aforementioned publics informed, while ensuring Carrabbas stays fresh in peoples minds, which is the ultimate goal of any public relations campaign. Keeping the media and other opinion leaders in each Carrabbas community informed is important not only for their personal understanding, but for the word-of-mouth following (as well as news/Internet articles, blogs, and Urbanspoon/Yelp! posts) that will come from one visit to Carrabbas to experience the freshness, quality and hospitality Carrabbas is known for. Employees Its important for Carrabbas to maintain an atmosphere where its employees come first. Keeping its employees up-to-date on industry trends, hospitality standards and Carrabbas promotions, including marketing and PR efforts. Open lines of communication between Micos, including servers, other front of house and back of house employees of all ranks and will continue to yield refined, knowledgeable staff that Carrabbas is known for. Employees will also be better ambassadors for each restaurant, by maintaining their expertise in fine hospitality and doing their own word-of-mouth advertising to friends, family and other members of the community. Decreasing turnover by maintaining an enjoyable, stress-free place to work is an additional bonus. Primary and Secondary Messages The goal of this PR campaign is to maintain profitability, ensuring to increase consumer awareness as well as preserve the companys commitment to hospitality, service and fresh

ingredients. Increasing customer awareness of the companys devotion to the purchase of fresh herbs six days a week, homemade sauces, customizable dishes, 100-year-old recipes, desserts from scratch, daily fresh-grated cheese and imported Garofalo pasta from a small town in Pompeii will indefinitely maintain profitability and most likely increase sales as a result. Its critical for consumers, including both empty nesters and 18-24-year-olds to be informed of the messages, because these groups of people are responsible for spending the most time and money dining at restaurants in general (Food Service Warehouse, 2010). The media and other opinion leaders in each Carrabbas community not only for their personal understanding, but for the word-of-mouth following (as well as news/Internet articles, blogs, and Urbanspoon/Yelp! posts) that will come from one visit to Carrabbas to experience the freshness, quality and hospitality they receive from the refined, knowledgeable staff. Employees will also be ambassadors for each restaurant, by maintaining their expertise in fine hospitality and doing their own word-of-mouth advertising to friends, family and other members of the community. Consumers - Empty Nesters and 18 to 24-Year-Olds Primary message. Although Carrabbas menu is priced slightly above its competitors, the hospitality and level of service is far higher, making the restaurant actually a great deal for its level of service, food and atmosphere. Carrabbas is committed to keeping costs as low as possible, while providing the same high-quality experience you would find in a fine-dining restaurant. Secondary message. The NPD Group, a market research firm, claims that since the beginning of the recession, many restaurant customers are choosing how and where to spend their food dollars carefully. Wine Wednesday is a perfect option for these price-conscious consumers. Now we face a much tougher marketplace, much greater uncertainty, and a very

tight hold on our pocketbooks, says Bonnie Riggs, restaurant industry analyst and author of the report, commenting on the current climate (Ashton, 2009). By offering an item that both demographic of consumers purchase regularly at a discounted price, Carrabbas can gain more Wine Wednesday night participants. Consumers will be impressed that Carrabbas maintains sustainability, quality and freshness despite the rise in overall food prices, fresh items in particular. In fact, restaurant vendor Eric Arthur, president of Marketplace Management Group LLC, a Collierville, Tennesseebased consulting firm offering promotion planning, distribution, and contract and logistics management says, I have clients who have experienced dramatic increases in food costs, from 32 to 38 percent, he says. Thats a big bite out of your bottom line. But many clients are allergic to change, and they do not like to ask questions. They have been too dependent on the supplier (DeSorbo, 2008). Carrabbas commitment to quality regardless of price increases is commendable, and clients will notice. Self interests. Carrabbas diners get fine-dining service and quality at a casual-dining chain price. Intervening Publics - Media and Opinion Leaders Primary message. Carrabbas Italian Grill is a restaurant that cares about pleasing everyone. Secondary message. As businessmen and women, you should use the opportunity to use Carrabbas catering to provide for special events, private dining and other special occasions. It is Carrabbas goal to influence all media to attend company events so your opinions (hopefully positive ones) can influence others. You are important to making Carrabbas look great through reviews channeled through various media outlets and mediums, and dinner will be on the house.

Self interests. Getting this public inside Carrabbas doors is the first step to gaining publicity. Employees (Micos) - Management, Servers, Kitchen, Front-of-House, and Back-of-House Primary message. Employees are as welcome as any other consumer to capitalize on Carrabbas outreach including Amici Club that provides exclusive deals and offers. Carrabbas wants its employees to feel as important as anyone else and any other public. Secondary messages. The Amici Club is a club for any Carrabbas customer who wishes to receive special deals, coupons and other discounts via e-mail or USPS. It is simple and easy to sign up all that is required is a name, e-mail and postal address. Not only will Amici Club members keep coming to Carrabbas to reap the benefits from their membership in the Amici Club, but they get exclusive offers and invitation only invites to Carrabbas events, that the regular population of customers do not receive (Carrabbas Italian Grill, 2010). Employees are as welcome as consumers to use this club. Self interests. Carrabbas employees dont have to feel that theyre less important customers than every other current or potential consumer. Campaign Goal(s) The Carrabbas Italian Grill fact sheet states: High quality, flavorful, handmade Italian dishes served in a warm, casual environment. Food and hospitality are the passions here, and service is engaging and generous. Authentic aromas and distinctive flavors emanate from a lively and interactive exhibition kitchen where each meal is prepared to order. Many of Carrabbas recipes have been handed down in

the Carrabba family for generations, originating from the familys native Italy (Carrabbas Italian Grill, 2010). The campaign goal I recommend for Carrabbas Italian Grill is to maintain profitability, ensuring to increase consumer awareness as well as preserve the companys commitment to hospitality, service and fresh ingredients. This goal compliments the closest thing to the companys vision and mission I could find, which in a nutshell is described as, At Carrabba's you'll experience flavorful foods prepared just for you and find hospitality our passion (OSI Restaurant Partners, LLC, 2010). Maintaining profitability is a goal that will allow an integration of marketing (by opening new restaurant locations), while creating the opportunity to develop a PR campaign to inform customers that Carrabbas places a high standard on the freshness of its ingredients, level of hospitality and value-added promotions of menu items. Campaign Objectives 1) Increase awareness by 85% in the next year among current and potential consumers of unique aspects of Carrabbas menu Carrabbas has a unique opportunity to inform its publics of its entirely gluten-free menu. The company doesnt do enough to let customers know about this rare offering, which would appeal to a large audience recent studies and advances in diagnosis show that at least 3 million Americans have celiac disease (Adams, 2007). I know from my experience as a server that many Carrabbas customers who have a gluten allergy are excited when they ask if we have anything to accommodate them, and we can give them a completely separate menu. It not only makes them feel appreciated, but keeps them coming back because they

know we have a large variety of menu items for them to choose from, unlike most other restaurants. Carrabbas can also gladly accommodate consumers with other allergies as well as specific food preferences. Because each dish is made to order, menu items are completely modifiable. In addition, Carrabbas is happy to make custom dishes for its customers based off a favorite recipe or perhaps a fond dining memory from Italy. This type of service is oneof-a-kind to the restaurant chain industry, and increasing awareness would surely exceed consumers expectations. 2) Make changes to current Web site to reflect ingredient quality and freshness, specifically providing (generalized) dates and locations of when and where fresh herbs and other ingredients such as fish, gourmet cheese and olive oil are purchased Carrabbas could easily modify its website to reflect these points. For instance, Smokey Bones Web site requires you to put in your zip code upon entering the site so that you can be directed to your local Smokey Bones restaurants site. Each site contains the same information (menus, products, etc.), in addition to personalized information about that particular location (Smokey Bones Bar and Fire Grill, 2010). I think this gives current and potential customers a much better experience, and gives the restaurant a less corporate feel. 3) Make changes to current website to emphasize quarterly specials by location This would work in conjunction with previous objectives and would be an added bonus for Carrabbas website. Every few months, Carrabbas creates new, innovative dishes that are added to a specials menu, and letting publics know these specials beforehand is an advantage of the restaurants appeal. This would also add to hype and buzz among key publics, increasing the effectiveness of any PR plan.

4) Add a new video to the corporate website every month for the next year depicting the preparation of a different dish on the menu in a Carrabbas made-from-scratch exhibition kitchen Carrabbas exhibition kitchen and wood burning oven is a unique feature in each restaurant. Not only is it entertaining, but gives Carrabbas food a distinct flavor. Current customers and potential consumers alike would love to see their favorite Carrabbas chefs preparing select dishes on each restaurants local website. Current Public Relations Tactics Public: Consumers Strategies. Carrabbas currently reaches consumers using PR tactics aimed at motivating people to eat at Carrabbas. Additionally, Carrabbas places promotions on quarterly menu and drink specials that are channeled to consumers through the company website as well as in-store. Carrabbas wants to inform its customers that the food is authentic and fresh, the restaurants are hospitable and that dining at a Carrabbas restaurant is economically-friendly for the entire family. Current tactics. 1) Table tents displaying new menu items or drink specials on every table in every restaurant 2) Social Media Content Creation: continue to develop content and information for the brand Facebook fan page and Twitter feed (McCray, 2010) 3) Amici Club: consumers sign up to get exclusive deals, special promotions and recipes including insider information unavailable to other consumers

Public: Intervening (Media and Opinion Leaders) Strategies. Carrabbas welcomes solicitation from various charitable organizations and makes sure to donate to good causes both locally and regionally for both positive public perception and recognition in the community. Carrabbas should be building better relationships with the media and community dignitaries who can give the restaurant more frequent, positive publicity. Current tactics. 1) Blogger Outreach to local area bloggers: inviting them and one guest to attend Amici Club Tour of Carrabbas events taking place at the end of October. These events will serve as a perfect platform to introduce bloggers, many of whom have never been to Carrabbas, to the restaurant, as the events focus on showcasing all Carrabbas has to offer to help simplify everyday dining, entertaining and business catering needs (McCray, 2010). 2) Press Release: will draft press release surrounding the Q4 LTOs, and highlight holiday offerings such as private dining, large party carry-out and gift cards, and disseminate to appropriate media via PR Newswire and proactive pitching (McCray, 2010). Public: Employees Strategies. Carrabbas is very in-touch with its employees and communications internally. Carrabbas makes sure to train its employees exceptionally and to maintain a high morale and work ethic among the Micos. The company works hard to foster effectual communication between regular employees and management, as well as between the restaurants through newsletters and an intensive training program.

Current tactics. 1) Pasta Post is a monthly newsletter sent to every restaurant and posted for all employees to see providing important Mico news, announcements and various contests and winners 2) The marketing team designs a book complete with pictures and elaborate descriptions of menu items so that both servers and cooks (including food preps) are well informed of the preparation, ingredients and presentation of each dish on the menu 3) Managers maintain friendly relationships with the employees so that a great work environment in shown to customers in the dining room Original Public Relations Tactics Something thats missing from Carrabbas tactics is a Johnny & Damian Blog, written at least a few times a week from the Carrabbas founders and owners. Carrabbas is already working toward reaching independent bloggers through PR tactics, but current and potential consumers would be targeted in a company-written blog. Unlike corporate websites, b-blogs are cheap to launch and easy to maintain, thanks to powerful, easy-to-use tools (Stuart, 2003). Stuart also says, Done well, b-blogs provide a fast, informal way to share information -- project updates, research or test results, product-release news, industry headlines -- inside and outside your company (2003). In addition to a blog, targeted outreach that encompasses the holiday season, such as a gift card outreach, is necessary to ensure inclusion of Carrabbas gift cards by consumers as a fundamental gift idea. In order to be a public relation tactic, there needs to be some type of gift card giveaway or contest to excite and motivate consumers to participate the end goal resulting in the purchase of additional gift cards. To further encourage people to buy gift cards and to

boost Carrabbas public relations outreach, I encourage Carrabbas to give a small donation to each restaurants community charity of choice for every gift card that is bought. An additional, inventive tactic to reach publics is requiring restaurant managers to comment on negative reviews or opinions that can be found on various websites that review restaurants. An actual manager asking customers to come back for a better (and different) experience or perhaps just answering questions will draw those who havent had a true Carrabbas encounter back into the restaurant. Also, providing feedback to customers and apologizing for bad experiences turns the negative publicity into positive PR for Carrabbas. For Carrabbas to expand in its efforts to reach intervening publics, the company must create a larger quantity and more frequent press releases from both the corporate end and regionally. The company should focus on reaching more media without paid advertising. These should be posted on the website as they are disseminated to media channels. Weekly or daily contests for employees at Carrabbas restaurant locations is necessary to maintain morale and to encourage a friendly, competitive atmosphere. When servers are competing with each other to sell the most sirloin and crab cake entres to get a free meal or to get out of back of house duties (i.e., rolling silverware), it can be good for both sales and employees overall state of mind. This is also an effective way to reward Micos for their hard work and operative representation of the Carrabbas brand.

Johnny & Damian Blog Post

Gift Card Giveaway

Manager Response to Negative Reviews, etc. (example) Actual Customer Review: The one disappointment I've had for an entree, is their supposed signature dish Chicken Marsala. I will not be ordering it again ever, as I found it to be the driest piece of chicken I've ever had. I don't know how they have done this, because while the portions are of a generous size, the dryness of the chicken ruins any worthwhile flavor. The mushrooms on top taste as if they are canned, much like how Papa John's ones are. In addition, the Marsala Sauce did not taste that great either, and I would avoid this dish due to its low quality. At $17, its an absolute rip-off. I'd recommend Carrabba's, with the caveat that you avoid the Chicken Marsala, and that you don't expect to be thrilled by the service. It is a chain restaurant that offers a large amount of food, for a price that can be affordable for a special night out. The atmosphere is pretty laid back, but I at least like to wear khaki pants and a nice golf style polo when eating here. The booths and tables are comfortable enough for a family meal, and it isn't so loud, that you can have a decent conversation while eating (Unknown, 2009). Manager: I am very disappointed that you had such a distasteful experience after trying the Chicken Marsala last week at the [enter location here] Carrabbas. As you pointed out, this happens to be one of our most popular signature dishes. Cooked on our wood burning grill with our special grill seasonings and baste, Im surprised to hear that your chicken was dry. We also make our marsala sauce fresh everyday using a fine Lombardo Marsala wine and garden-fresh mushrooms (never canned!). I apologize for your unappetizing meal, and invite you to come back to [enter location here] Carrabbas, where we will make you a Chicken Marsala that I guarantee will be juicy and desirable. If you still dont care for it, we will make you something new at no additional charge. I can also assure that you will receive stellar service this time around, with hospitality that will exceed your expectations. Hope to see you at Carrabbas soon! Regards, [Carrabbas Manager] Carrabbas Italian Grill

Regional Press Release

Mico Contest At least once a week, Carrabbas managers will conduct contests or games with its servers to encourage sales and a competitive environment. For winning a game or contest a Mico can receive a prize or reward, such as omission from back of house side-work, rolling silverware or cleaning their section for the shift. Other effective incentives could include free dinners, movie tickets or an evenings worth of free bowling. BINGO In this game, a manager creates a replica of a BINGO score sheet that has a different appetizer, entre or type of wine in each square (the harder to sell, the better). There can also be a square for the manager to sign off each time a server runs food or completes their given sidework in place of a menu item. The score sheet is distributed upon the arrival of the last scheduled Mico to all the servers, who must try to sell each item in whatever manner necessary to make a BINGO. The first person to complete a BINGO wins. Contests Contests can be different depending on the night, and what each restaurant needs to sell more of. Whatever that item may be (i.e., filets, fresh fish, specials, etc.), the servers are encouraged to sell as many of them as possible. The server who sells the most orders of a given dish wins.

Calendar of PR Activities

Budget

Evaluation Plan The measurement and evaluation of PR and media tactics, direct marketing and sales promotions included in the marketing plan is essential to ensure that the suggested strategies reach their maximum effectiveness. Measurements are also necessary to pinpoint flaws or unsuccessful PR approaches. There are several methods to evaluate the ideas throughout this plan, but the following three would be the most accurate methods of measurement: Omniture Omniture is a Web analytics software program from Adobe that measures buzz, word of mouth and other qualitative data found about Carrabbas throughout the Internet. It picks up on keywords and uses other data-mining techniques to collect what people are saying about a company online. Omniture would be a great way for Carrabbas to measure generalized information on what customers think about sales promotions and events or criticism regarding a marketing approach. Discussions and participants from Facebook, Foursquare and Twitter would be measured through Omniture, along with bloggers even unrelated to the company. High amounts of positive feedback would be indicators of success in this situation. Measurement with Numbers E-mail, coupons and Amici Club requests would all be best measured by an actual number of participants. Through computers and other data entry systems, Carrabbas could directly measure the outcome and number of participants of specific tactics. The quantitative data directly obtained from the entry of coupons could be also verified and in turn, show whether or not a coupon achieved the percentage of involvement from the initial objectives. Other direct numbers, such as direct Web site hits, social media response and percentage increase in sales will directly tell whether or not the execution was effective. Reach of e-mail blasts as social PR can

also be determined this way. Obviously, the higher number of hits, the better the numbers, etc., and the better indicator of success. Shopper Trak For tactics that require consumer tracking, Shopper Trak could be an effective way to evaluate such promotions at the point of visit. With this development, sensors are placed throughout the store for tracking whether a customer is coming or going and gauging traffic patterns. Shopper Trak even calculates the height of a shopper to determine if the person is a child or an adult. This tracking tool would indicate success through a high traffic volume reading. These results could also be used toward planning future in-store promotions and events with information received from traffic patterns, letting Carrabbas know when and/or why traffic patterns increase or decrease on specific days or times. In addition to these three specific methods, exposure ratings from Nielsen would also be a tool to measure effectiveness of press releases and media coverage. A high frequency, reach and GRP would indicate their success. Carrabbas should also keep track of sales during promotional periods and non-promotional periods in general, for direct comparison of change. Using all of these posttests along with thorough research beforehand, Carrabbas is likely to see great results from the evaluations. Personal Assessment/Conclusion Now that I know much more about public relations than I did nine weeks ago, Ive changed my mind about my initial review of Carrabbas lack of public relations efforts. Carrabbas implements much more public relations than I first took into account. Although I still believe the company has room to improve, the companys marketers make up for in marketing strategies and tactics. What the company really needs to work on is integrating the two.

The marketing and public relations efforts from Carrabbas Italian Grill are absolutely separate entities. Just from visiting the Web site, its clear that the company puts much more focus on marketing. Everything on the Web site, in fact, including the look (style), menus, recipes, cooking techniques and cookbooks are solely concentrated on the products. There is a Q&A section, as well as Meet Johnny and Damian section that answers customers questions and introduces the Carrabbas and Mandolas; however, it even feels like the focus is to sell more as opposed to building relationships. Theres no mention on the Web site of any type of promotions that deal with anything other than quarterly menu specials, a brief press room and nothing about philanthropy or any activity or organization the company is a part of (Carrabbas Italian Grill, 2010). I find this to be very disappointing because each Carrabbas location does participate in its own charity events and does provide donations to a range of philanthropic causes. Sponsoring childrens sports teams, providing food for Taste of ____s that a particular city might conduct, etc. are just some of the things that the particular Carrabbas I work for participates in. I think itd be a great idea to provide all this information to consumers, because a lot of people like to support to the places in the community that give back. I do think Carrabbas needs to add more press-related material to its website and think it would be of more interest to consumers if it were presented in a less-traditional style and manner. If stories were used as headlines and/or feel-good stories on the home page to actually get consumers attention as opposed to only reaching those who seek the information, I think the public relations efforts would be more effective. Additionally, Carrabbas needs to find a way to better and more frequently communicate to its publics the importance it places on fresh food and fresh preparation. It would be great if

perhaps the company could communicate where the ingredients are actually coming from (i.e. the salmon comes from Norway, etc.). We have this type of information in each restaurant, so it should absolutely be highlighted on the Web site. I also think there needs to be way more pictures and/or videos of the exhibition made-from-scratch kitchen that is featured in every restaurant. Showing videos of how each dish is prepared to order would be very beneficial. Making these changes would definitely make it a stronger player in the Italian eatery market especially as far as chains go. Its also a shame that so few people know about Carrabbas gluten-free items and special requests. Unfortunately, the company doesnt do enough to let customers know about the glutenfree menu, nor its completely modifiable menu options. I know from experience that many Carrabbas customers who need gluten-free food and those with other allergies or just specific food preferences are surprised when they ask if we have anything to accommodate them, and we can offer them a completely separate menu or completely recreate a dish. It not only makes them feel appreciated, but keeps them coming back because they know we have a large variety of menu items for them to choose from, unlike the competition. In general, Carrabbas has a little bit of work to do on its public relations efforts as a whole as well as building and maintaining relationships. On the other hand, I think it does a decent job with marketing. There's definitely a lack of integration between the two departments, and I think the company could see a great improvement by increasing PR tactics and working on the IMC concept.