Small Plates Crawl: A Collective Marketing Campaign for Downtown Durham Restaurants

The Problem

Foot traffic had slowed in Downtown Durham. Restaurants sought to boost business and gain publicity.

The Process

I spearheaded a cooperative marketing campaign to join our platforms and encourage diners to move from one location to another in Downtown, taking advantage of the neighborhood’s walkability.

By seeking institutional help from Downtown Durham Inc. and Discover Durham, we were able to create a website, social media campaign, and applicable graphics with virtually no cash output.

The Small Plates Crawl was driven by Downtown Durham Businesses harnessing their online marketing power together.

Participating businesses would tag each other in social media posts and use #smallplatesdowntowndurham

The Response

The Small Plates Crawl encouraged customers to dine in downtown Durham on a slower weeknight, generating revenue for businesses and boosting foot traffic as they moved from one spot to another.

The campaign garnered significant local press coverage in print and television.