Case Studies

Background

With more than a just a few new upscale steakhouses opening throughout the Valley each year, Morton’s greatest challenge is how to evolve and broaden its appeal to the local market while remaining true to its core values and vision: ensuring the best dining experience for its guests.

The Barclay Advantage

Barclay worked with Morton’s in Scottsdale to create, execute and promote an exclusive fund raising event with a local celebrity athlete that would take place at the restaurant and would benefit a worthy cause. The agency turned to Arizona Cardinal’s All-Pro wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald to host what would become the First Annual Larry Fitzgerald & Friends: Morton’s Celebrity Waiter Dinner and Auction to benefit the Carol Fitzgerald Memorial Fund.  The memorial fund was set up in the memory of Larry’s mother, who had died of cancer.

The evening featured top Phoenix professional athletes, including Larry’s Cardinals’ teammates, who served a lavish dinner to 250 guests. In addition to the meal, guest participated in a live and silent auction.

Barclay was instrumental in negotiating an ad buy with a local sports radio station to promote ticket sales the month leading up to the event.  In addition to on-air mentions and email blasts to the station’s database, Barclay coordinated radio interviews with Fitzgerald each week from Cardinals’ training camp in Flagstaff.  Radio station personalities Ron Wolfley and Paul Calvisi were the masters of ceremony for the evening.

Results

In addition to the radio advertising, Barclay garnered pre-event and event coverage on every local broadcast affiliate in the Valley – including NBC, ABC, FOX, CBS and AZ Family.  The event was featured in short-lead and long-lead print publications including the Arizona Republic, Desert Living, 944, The Phoenix Business Journal, frontdoors, Arizona Foothills and more. 

Though Morton’s goal for the evening was to raise $75,000, they wrote a check for more than $100,000 to the Carol Fitzgerald Memorial Fund.