Shake Shack currently has over 250 locations globally. While planning their entrance into the Rhode Island market, the Shake Shack team reached out to The Perry Group for a smooth introduction to the capital city.
Goals were to generate excitement around the opening while ensuring key players in the local media were present and engaging in person and on social media around the Shake Shack grand opening. In addition, promoting Shake Shack’s community partnerships with the Thayer Street Art Fund, local food and beverage purveyors including PVDonuts and local breweries as well as Shake Shack’s partnerships with environmental associations. The Perry Group created events that elevated Shake Shack’s public presence in the Providence market by putting local touches on a series of opening events.
Employing a mix of earned media, social media and person-to-person communication, The Perry Group created a “buzz” surrounding three key events leading up to the opening of Thayer St. Shake Shack: A Friends & Family event, a Housewarming event and a Grand Opening/Ribbon Cutting event all built momentum and excitement in the Providence community. Each event targeted a unique audience of guests and spilled over into social media channels, local print, TV and web. The Perry Group was able to leverage their relationships to connect with 3 local TV stations, the local food editors in the daily newspaper and lifestyle magazines in the area.