Serving Careers—and Success—for NC-Based Hospitality Employers

Case Study: Serving Careers – North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association (Hospitality Sector)

Ads Across Three Social Platforms

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OVERVIEW

The North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association (NCRLA) Serving Careers campaign promoted employment opportunities within the hospitality industry and aided COVID-related workforce recovery in North Carolina. This $5 million project was primarily funded through a state grant and the American Recovery Relief Fund.

The multiple-agency, omnichannel Serving Careers campaign:

  • Highlighted the valuable skills people acquire in the hospitality industry
  • Showcased the diverse career paths available
  • Encouraged new applications
  • Dispelled negative stereotypes and humanized the industry by featuring North Carolina businesses, professionals, and stories

    SERVICES PROVIDED

     

    • Organic Social Media Management (Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok)
    • Promotional Post Creation (Paid Advertising)
    • Community Management (Private Facebook Group and Reddit Participation)
    • Comment Monitoring
    • Copywriting
    • Graphic Design (Static Graphics and Animation)
    • Video Editing
    • Media Kit Creation
    • Reporting

    THE CHALLENGE

    In 2023, as the hospitality industry recovered from the pandemic, NCRLA saw a need for a digital campaign to promote the diverse job opportunities available in North Carolina’s restaurants and hotels. 

    The Serving Careers campaign would need to support business owners and job seekers, recognizing that employers require a dynamic workforce to drive business growth and that job seekers need stable, lucrative employment options that meet their evolving needs.

    OUR STRATEGY

    The digital campaign drove traffic to a dedicated website connecting job seekers to pre-filtered job postings powered by Indeed, which offered industry-specific training and certification courses provided by NCRLA. 

    Between October 2023 and May 2024, the Serving Careers campaign spanned a comprehensive omnichannel marketing strategy, encompassing digital advertising, billboards, bus ads, radio, streaming TV, and in-person promotions at community events and job recruitment fairs statewide. 

    The campaign’s messaging focused on authentic stories from individuals who work in hospitality and live in North Carolina (including entry- and mid-level professionals) and provided valuable content for employers to enhance their hiring and retention practices.

    TACTICS

     

    • Wrote, designed, and published 576 social media posts
    • Produced five media kits
    • Targeted new audiences through nine paid social media campaigns 
    • Managed paid and organic social media campaigns
    • Collaborated with multiple agencies for cross-promotion
    • Provided extensive reporting and analysis on campaign performance

    Campaign Results

    Summation of Biggest Wins

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