Hollywood’s “Burger Battle” -
Creativity and Community Projects
John Perkins
Hollywood Boosters
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APNBA Business District Association Conference – June, 2008 1

Presentation Outline
Creativity
Unexpected Solution; Problem Focus; No-Self Censoring
No-
Hollywood’s 2007 problem
Solution: Burger Battle 2007!
Challenges: What’s a Burger Battle anyway?
Relishing the results
Lessons learned
Burger Battle 2008!
APNBA Business District Association Conference – June, 2008 2

Hollywood’s 2007 Problem
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Sandy Blvd. sewer upgrade & street
y pg
improvements
Reduced foot traffic
Reduced car trips
Perception of inaccessibility
Mark Lindsay’s Rock & Roll Café
All the “buzz”
buzz
APNBA Business District Association Conference – June, 2008 3

Solutions
Booster ad-hoc committee
ad-
Ad-
Ad-hoc retailer group
Synergy created Third Th d
S t d Thi d Thursday
Restaurants needed help
Burger Battle 2007!
APNBA Business District Association Conference – June, 2008 4

Challenges
Never been done before
Small staff & short time frame
What’s a Burger Battle?
What s
Who has the best burger?
How does a small restaurant compete with a
large one?
What does a customer do to enter?
How do we get the word out?
APNBA Business District Association Conference – June, 2008 5

This is a Burger Battle - 1
October 2007
10 Hollywood restaurants
$50 entry fee
25 prizes from Hollywood businesses
Underwritten 50% by Boosters
Ballot
Buy a burger, get a ballot
Passport
Buy a burger at each restaurant
APNBA Business District Association Conference – June, 2008 6

This is a Burger Battle - 2
g
Getting the Word Out:
Ad: expensive
Articles: Hollywood Star
Press releases
Print media
Radio
APNBA Business District Association Conference – June, 2008 7

This is a Burger Battle - 3
g
Customer prizes
Random ballot drawing for gifts
Grand prize drawing for
passports
Restaurant prizes
p
Most ballots
Most ballots per seating capacity
Passport winner
APNBA Business District Association Conference – June, 2008 8

Relishing the Results
1000’s of ballots, dozens of
passports
Positive energy!
New customers
N t
New places tried by old
“Hollywood-ites”
“Hollywood-ites”
Hollywood
Two winning restaurants
Hollywood Star articles
Increased business
APNBA Business District Association Conference – June, 2008 9

Lessons Learned
10 is a lot of burgers in one month!
Most per seating capacity? Huh?
Lounge/Bar/Restaurants and families
L /B /R t t d f ili
Restaurant levels of participation
Communication
Every burger is somebody’s favorite!
somebody s
APNBA Business District Association Conference – June, 2008 10

Burger Battle 2008!
g
Kick-
Kick-off event
Mid-
Mid-September event extends battle
Earned media opportunity
Buy a burger, get a ballot
Passport validation extra
Kid’s passport
Early communication
Single point of contact
APNBA Business District Association Conference – June, 2008 11

Burger Battle 2008!
Prizes
Hollywood’s favorite burger (most ballots)
Hollywood s
Hollywood’s best burger (most passports)
Kid’s favorite (most kid’s passports)
Booster committee
B t itt
APNBA Business District Association Conference – June, 2008 12