THE AMERICAN RESTAURANT

Rebranding

A change in services or an evolving corporate strategy can mean a shift in audience perception, which makes it necessary to address the change at the brand level. An effective brand communication strategy can help form and influence audience opinions during times of transition.

Owned by Hallmark Cards, Inc., The American Restaurant was ranked among the most celebrated dining experiences in the Midwest for more than 40 years, connecting fans of haute cuisine to some of the country’s most celebrated chefs. Responding to downward trends in traditional fine dining, The American Restaurant began the transition to a pop-up dining concept, which would only be open for private events and scheduled dinners.

The American Concept Series was conceived as an opportunity for culinary enthusiasts to enjoy a variety of experiences, including one-of-a-kind holiday meals, special tasting events and gatherings with celebrity guest chefs. To launch this new initiative and tell the complete brand story of their refreshed services, The American worked with Korzenowski Design to create and maintain a new website that would act as a communications hub for event information and photography.

Working under a tight deadline and within the client’s specific vision, the Korzenowski Design team provided site wire framing, custom front- and back-end coding, copywriting and a final design that emphasizes the new brand. We regularly update the site with upcoming event information and photos. The photo library is organized and navigable to allow for cross-categorization search. The website prominently features images of the iconic restaurant’s renovated interior, enticing shots of gourmet food and guest chef biographies.

To leverage The American’s existing audience, a series of customized event emails was designed and sent to an organically earned mailing list. Each Concept Series event promotion consisted of a group of emails timed to pique and maintain potential attendee interest, paralleled by an event landing page, social media posts, PR initiatives and advertising. Korzenowski Design provided copywriting, design and programming services to great effect.

“Lots of people have aspirational marketing ideas. You have to be able to execute and deliver beyond concepts—it has to work. Korzenowski Design excels at this.”

Tom Johnson
Managing Director
The American Restaurant

Explore The American Restaurant website at www.theamericankc.com Just try not to drool.

ClientThe American RestaurantServicesBranding and visual identity, Advertising, Print communications, Direct marketing, Online and interactive, Marketing strategy consultationTagsB2C, website, print, digital