Many associations develop public awareness campaigns to support their industries. But “awareness” alone isn’t a meaningful goal. Ultimately, such campaigns should have an action behind them: changing perceptions of that industry, bolstering its workforce, affecting legislative change, and more.

Earlier this month, the National Restaurant Association launched “Made in Restaurants,” an initiative designed to highlight its members’ role in workforce training and as a keystone of the national economy. As the restaurant workforce returns to pre-pandemic levels, the campaign is designed to seize on that momentum, using data, social media, and other tools to deliver its message, and learn what works.

“Made in Restaurants” is a sizable effort from one of the country’s biggest associations, but its principles are accessible to associations of all sizes and budgets. The association’s Chief Marketing Officer, Leslie Nagao, shared some background on the campaign and guidance for those considering a similar effort.

Know what you’re building awareness for. The campaign originated in research the National Restaurant Association did across its industry, including those not affiliated with the association. From there, it identified four “pillars” it wanted the campaign to promote: restaurants as “third places”; as economic drivers; as entry-level employers; and as long-term career options. 

“When we were thinking about a campaign that speaks about a whole industry, it’s definitely based in asking, what are we trying to solve? What are we trying to change?” Nagao says. “Restaurants are the second-largest private industry, but there are perceptions that are unclear, and we have an opportunity to speak more holistically and more often about some of those perceptions.”

Design for flexibility—in both medium and message. “Made in Restaurants” is the umbrella under which each of the association’s key messages are delivered, so even if the focus shifts from community to workforce, the initiative remains singular and relevant. “It enables us to talk about those four pillar points at any given time, and it always connects back to the work,” Nagao said. For instance, around Labor Day the campaign focused on a “where I started” theme, featuring videos of accomplished restaurateurs talking about their first jobs. “That’s a great example of us digging deeper into one particular pillar, restaurants as a training ground,” she says.

Know your strengths, and let your community help. An awareness campaign doesn’t have to be a multichannel extravaganza, just one that connects with people where they are, within your association’s capacity. “You have to do what you think you are strongest at in terms of the team you have in front of you,” Nagao says. A dedicated hashtag can help draw in user-generated content and expand a campaign’s reach. 

Know what you’re measuring. “Awareness” is a complicated thing to track, and though the National Restaurant Association will look at website hits and social media reach as Made in Restaurants launches, its main focus will be on how perceptions of the industry change after the initiative is out in the world. “For this particular campaign, we’re launching a careers perception research report,” Nagao says. “We have a baseline, and we’ll measure that over time to determine if we’ve seen changes in individuals’ perceptions about working in the industry. There’s a multitude of ways to measure a campaign like this. For us, it’s more around pre- and post-campaign perception measurement, and engagement in our content across our audiences that we’re trying to reach, both in the industry and outside of the industry.”