1

What You Need to Know to Make Your Great American Dine Out a Success!

June 30, 2008

www.greatamericandineout.org

2

Today’s Discussion

• What is the Great American Dine Out?• About Share Our Strength• Campaign goal• Why participate?

– Benefits• What happens when you register• Share Our Strength’s integrated national marketing and public relations outreach• What you get

– Public relations and marketing materials• How to use your marketing and public relations materials• Great ideas for Your Great American Dine Out • Participating restaurants• What industry leaders are saying• Next steps

3

What is the Great American Dine Out?

• A national campaign that will rally the nation’s restaurant industry to end childhood hunger in America.

• A campaign designed by and for the entire restaurant industry – independents, multi-unit chains, fast casual, QSRs, etc.

• A dedicated week – this year – September 21-28, 2008 that will send millions of consumers to participating restaurants nationwide.

• An new historic initiative that gives the restaurant industry:

– an ideal cause to unite the restaurant industry

– a platform to launch healthy menu items, etc.

– a comprehensive campaign that compliments and serves as extension of existing charitable activities

– extensive media coverage and powerful goodwill

4

About Share Our Strength

• Share Our Strength® is a national organization that works to ensure that no kid in America grows up hungry.

• Founded in 1984 by Bill and Debbie Shore with the belief that everyone has a strength to share in the global fight against hunger and poverty, and that in these shared strengths lie sustainable solutions.

• Successes:– Rewarded more than $200 million to grant recipients across the country for hunger, education, and

nutrition.– Published our national strategy and supporting plan to end childhood hunger in America.

Established childhood-hunger partnerships in Washington, Florida and the District of Columbia, complete with start-up funding.

– Laid the groundwork for at least four more such partnerships by 2009. – Established the Partnership to End Childhood Hunger and Obesity with the Centers for Disease

Control. – Helped 17,000 low-income families learn how to eat better for less

through Share Our Strength Operation Frontline courses. – And more!

• On target to fulfill mission to end childhood hunger in America!

5

Campaign Goal

Rally the restaurant industry and encourage

millions of consumers to dine out

September 21 – 28

at participating restaurants and

end childhood hunger in America.

6

How does it work?

Restaurant participation is easy:– Sign up visit www.greatamericandineout.org– There are many ways you can participate:

• Donate 1%-5% of sales during the week• Donate a percentage of sales of a featured menu item• Promote a new menu item• Collect donations from your guests and/or employees• Select a high ticket item to promote• Present early menu offerings to drive traffic

Participating restaurants will:– Receive ongoing support for their efforts– Benefit from significant awareness-building activities from Share Our Strength’s

media and corporate partners– Receive an e-newsletter with campaign updates, tips for success and more.– Be supported through a robust website that includes in-store promotional

items, downloadable marketing and promotional tools as well as tips and best practices for what restaurants can do to promote the campaign.

7

Why Participate?

Did You Know?• 12 million children are at risk of hunger everyday• Hunger predisposes our children to behavioral difficulties• The average monthly food stamp benefit is $93 per person — barely $1 per meal• Households with children have a food insecurity rate almost double that of

households without children, increasing their risk of hunger tremendously• More than one-third of individuals served by food banks are children under the

age of 18

Funds Raised by the Great American Dine Out:• Will increase children's access to federal food and nutrition programs,

particularly school breakfast and summer meals programs• Offer high-quality nutrition education to low-income families through Share

Our Strength's Operation Frontline® or similar programs• Improve access to fruits and vegetables• Work to end childhood hunger in America

8

Benefits of Participation

• Be a part of a landmark, historic movement by the restaurant industry to end childhood hunger in America.

• Increased visibility in the marketplace due to national media campaign. • Benefit from momentum created by industry partner outreach efforts to drive

traffic the week of September 21st.• Receive recognition on the Share Our Strength Web site as a participant in The

Great American Dine Out.• Turnkey operational took kit and promotional materials provided to leverage

visibility of participation.• Opportunity to communicate to your customers, employees and your

community that you are actively working to end childhood hunger in America.• Demonstrated consumer retention and employee engagement validated

through industry surveys.• End childhood hunger in America.

9

What industry leaders say about the Great American Dine Out:

“We have a large though attainable task ahead to build momentum and rally the restaurant industry together to end childhood hunger.”

— Wally Doolin, Chairman, The Great American Dine Out

"The Great American Dine Out provides a great opportunity for restaurant operators, staff and patrons nationwide to work together to help ensure that no child goes hungry.“

— Dawn Sweeney, President and CEO, National Restaurant Association

“Caribou Coffee is participating in The Great American Dine Out because it is the right thing to do for hungry children in America." In today's tough economy, more children will be a risk of hunger which makes the need to participate in The Great American Dine Out even greater. Join us in the fight to end childhood hunger right here at home.”

— Roz Mallet, President and CEO, Caribou Coffee

“We believe whole-heartedly in Share Our Strength’s mission to end childhood hunger in America and build the first hunger-free generation.  The organization and its ongoing efforts align perfectly with Corner Bakery’s commitment to ‘Feed the Day’ within the neighborhoods and communities we serve.  We hope our support and contribution can help make a lasting impact.”

 — Jim Vinz, President and COO, Corner Bakery Cafe

10

What happens when you register

• You will receive:– Public Relations Toolkit

• Template press release• Great American Dine Out fact sheet• Newsletter article• Impact data validating participation• Verbiage for communications• Banner Ad for Web site• Share Our Strength's Great American Dine Out logo• Logo provided for use in marketing materials

– Phone call from Share Our Strength – Email communication with campaign updates and information– Your restaurant will be listed on www.greatamericndineout.org

11

What Share Our Strength is Doing – Integrated Marketing Communications

Communications goal:To gain mass awareness amongst the industry and to their consumers whopatronize them. • Communications through Share Our Strength’s Great American Dine Out partners and sponsors will

reach a broad audience, expanding awareness of the Great American Dine Out and encouraging consumers to Dine Out at participating restaurants.

Founding Presenting Sponsor

12

What Share Our Strength is Doing – Integrated Marketing Communications

• American Express, the presenting sponsor of the Great American Dine Out, created in-store marketing materials to be printed and distributed by eTools.

• The in-store marketing tools are free of charge to restaurants that order by July 31, 2008 and will be shipped to each restaurant location for arrival two weeks prior to the Great American Dine Out

• Materials include:• Fine Dining restaurants

– Table tents– Check stuffers– Window clings

• Full Service / Casual Dining– Table tents– Check stuffers– Buttons– Window clings

• QSR and Quick Casual– Table tents– Buttons– Window clings

Webinars scheduled for the Great American Dine Out overview and order training

13

What Share Our Strength is Doing – Integrated Marketing Communications

• Fleishman-Hillard of Atlanta will lead the national PR campaign to increase awareness of the Great American Dine Out and encourage consumers to “dine out” at participating restaurants September 21 – 28, 2008.

– Featured in: Paula Deen Magazine, Quick and Simple, Redbook on-line, Health on-line, Parent Magazine, Wine Spectator, Food Arts and more…..

• The Food Network will run PSA’s featuring Dine Out’s national spokesperson Guy Fieri of Diners Drive Ins and Dives beginning August 12.

• Interactive website featuring all participating restaurants, consumer search by zip-code features and more

• Events– The Great American Dine Out is being promoted at industry events, such as:

• Share Our Strength Events– Taste of the Nation– A Tasteful Pursuit– Chefs on Bikes

• Industry Events– Restaurant Leadership Conference– NRA (Marketing Executives Group)– NRA Show

» Promotional materials distributed at partner events and booths

– Elliot Leadership Conference– People Report Conference– CHART – MUFSO Conference

14

Great American Dine Out web site

15

Direct Marketing

Consumer Awareness and Engagement

• Initiate communications from restaurants with their customers (emails, letters, phone calls, mailings/promotions, newsletter articles)

• Provide support communications– American Express

• Statement messages– Fishbowl Marketing

• Communications distributed to Fishbowl customers and consumers

– National Restaurant Association• Communications distributed to restaurants and consumers

– State Restaurant Associations• Communications distributed to restaurants and consumers

16

Online Marketing

Industry and Consumer Awareness Marketing

• American Express: – Inclusion on American Express Web sites– Inclusion in card member emails and statement messages– Include in New York and San Francisco “Dish” social networking

sites• Open Table:

– Promotion on their Web site home page– Inclusion in emails to Open Table member

• Fishbowl Marketing to: – Distribute monthly consumer and industry newsletters

17

Online Marketing (continued)

• Partner Support – Materials provided to partners and participating restaurants

• PSAs• Banner ad• Verbiage for placement on their Web sites• Proud partner signage• Newsletter article

• Share Our Strength stakeholder communication– Send regular series of emails to Share Our Strength mailing list – Include in Share Our Strength newsletter– The Great American Dine Out search engine, launching this

summer will provide consumers with map search functionality to locate participating restaurants close to them

18

Key Communication Points

• Share Our Strength's Great American Dine Out™, presented by American Express®, is a new national campaign that rallies the nation’s entire restaurant industry to make sure no child in America grows up hungry.

• Not only is the Great American Dine Out a good business decision, but it does what restaurants do every day: feed people.

• The Great American Dine Out provides a cause-related turnkey campaign that the restaurant industry can easily implement.

• Statistics show that companies that give back to the community increase employee retention and customer satisfaction.

• From September 21-28, 2008, thousands of restaurants across America will unite and mobilize consumers to dine out and raise millions of dollars to help Share Our Strength® end childhood hunger in America.

• Opportunity to highlight nutritious meal options

• For more information, visit www.greatamericandineout.org.

19

What you get… In-Store Marketing Materials

The Great American Dine Out’s Presenting Sponsor, American Express created in

store marketing materials to support the campaign. Register by July 31st and these

items are complimentary and shipped to your restaurant(s) by our print partner

eTools:

check insertwindow decal

20

In-Store Marketing Materials (cont.)

table tent

21

How to use the marketing and PR materials

• Just a few ideas to get you started…– Incorporate the Great American Dine Out information in all your marketing

and public relations efforts to engage employees and patrons early– Post the banner ad on your website– Complete the news release and distribute it to your local media list.– For your e-newsletter to customers:

• Include newsletter article in your e-newsletter to customers• Incorporate the key communication messages and why you’re

passionate about helping end childhood hunger in America– Piggyback the national media and public relations effort by including

the Great American Dine Out logo in your advertising efforts*

* Approval by Share Our Strength required when using logo in advertising and promotional materials.

22

Great ideas for Your Great American Dine Out

• Plan a kick-off event at the start of the Great American Dine Out – invite local celebrities (i.e., sports, politicians, etc.). Invite media to attend. Distribute a media alert to encourage press to come and cover the event.

• Designate a menu item to drum up additional donations for the Great American Dine Out. Tell guests that 100% of all sales of that item will go directly to the Great American Dine out. In addition to your 1%-5% of sales, this is a great way to introduce a new menu item and encourage consumers to order more.

• Hold an employee contest to see who can raise the most contributions from guests in an evening.

• Create t-shirts for your employees using the Great American Dine Out logo.

• Create flyers to distribute to customers, to-go orders, catering, etc.

23

Participating Restaurants

• Thousands of restaurants are registered to participate in the Great America Dine Out. Join the ranks of restaurants such as:

– Aleo

– Aspen Grill– Balaka

– Buca de Bepo

– Buckhead Life

– Captain D’s

– Caribou Coffee

– Claim Jumper Restaurants

– Corner Bakery

– Fish Club

– Il Fornaio

– Houlihan’s – Corporate

– Joe’s Crabshack

– Lone Star Steakhouse

– For a complete list, please visit www.greatamericandineout.org.

– McAlister’s Deli– Metrotainment Restaurants– Mustard’s Grill– Old Chicago– Polo Grill & Bar– Ray’s Restaurants– Rock Bottom Brewery– Shoney’s– Ted’s Montana Grill– The Palm– Thomas Keller Restaurants– Union Square Hospitality Group– Urban Fondue– Village Tavern

24

Next Steps

• Register today at www.greatamericandineout.org

• If you’ve already registered – Thank you!! Please start using the great materials you have at your fingertips.

• Start telling everyone about the Great American Dine Out by sending out a link to our website at www.greatamericandineout.org:

– Family

– Friends

– Employees

– Customers

– Colleagues

25

Share your strength and end childhood hunger in America.

www.greatamericandineout.org

Contact: Sheila Bennett (M) 678-333-7384 / sbennett@strength.org Jessie Sherrer (P) 202-478-6505 / jsherrer@strength.org