Integrated PR and Marketing; a Grand Slam

As with anything in marketing, it’s always the best idea to have a very integrated approach that combines a multi-disciplinary focus to reach different levels of your target audience. This is especially true with your public relations efforts, in spite of the fact that many companies believe PR is synonymous with “press release”. PR should be strategically timed with any and all marketing efforts, including social networking.

For example, if a new branding campaign is being launched, your PR campaign should focus on the “news” behind the new brand and all interviews/story placements should be timed in concert with the arrival of any marketing materials, advertisements and national or local events. It’s this integrated approach that delivers the best results each and every time. Denny’s wanted to re-introduce itself and its brand to America. It felt that a good majority of its long-standing customer base had forgotten about the convenience, good prices, and of course delicious breakfast it offers people each day. As such, they embarked on a national awareness marketing campaign timed around the Super Bowl in early February.

The “fast-casual” restaurant spent millions on an advertisement during the Super Bowl announcing a free “Grand Slam Breakfast” to every single person in America the day after the football game. Since the Super Bowl is by far the most watched television event in the world, with an estimated 90 million-plus viewers, the restaurant chain felt they would get lots of attention for the kickoff of it’s promotion. Naturally, the integrated marketing and PR didn’t stop there.

The next day Denny’s served up millions of free Grand Slam breakfasts and most locations around the country reported waiting lines out the door. In addition to sending out press kits and information about the company, restaurant executives did interviews with the media that day, as well as throughout the week, to discuss the promotion and its success. Inside the store, Denny’s had new signage to help reinforce its new message to customers, along with employees serving delicious breakfast with a smile. The integrated approach to marketing and PR will go a long way towards Denny’s securing a sunny-side-up image.