SITUATION

Brussels is still recovering from the terrorist attacks of March 22nd. Terror threat level went up; the moral went down. Tourists stayed away, and Belgians chose to avoid their infamous capital. One month later, the impact on Brussels’ economy was enormous, especially the restaurant industry was heavily impacted. In April 2016 the number of bankruptcies increased from 40 (April 2015) to 600 (April 2016) and 50% of the Brussels’ restaurants are facing serious financial problems.

BRIEF

Deliver proof of the engagement of Brussels based business newspapers De Tijd/L’Echo with the Belgian economy and Brussels’ based entrepreneurs. Not just by reporting the (sad) news, but by offering solutions to support the restaurant’s industry.

OBJECTIVES

Create awareness for the suffering restaurant industry & engage people to support the Brussels economy. We wanted to position De Tijd/L’Echo as an active partner of entrepreneurs & the Belgian economy.

The campaign was kicked off by a newspaper ad and got amplified by the Belgian social media community. Their pictures of empty plates became trending topic the very moment our newspaper ad was published – and one week after the launch, they still were.

TIMELINE:

Tuesday 26th of May (1 month after the attacks) = editorial news about the fast declining Brussels’ restaurant industry.

Wednesday 27th of May

- Newspaper ad with call to action to participate in our campaign #DiningForBrussels

- Kick off campaign on social media by the editors in chief & journalists

- PR push of all communication: 1-on-1 pitching to key journalists of competitive media and Belgian influencers and foodbloggers.

June, Summer 2016: Support came from different angles: competitive news brands, politicians, famous restaurant owners, national and international brands as Eurostar & Uber, Brussels lovers and foodies from all over the country.