2019 · 13100 Eastpoint Park Blvd. | Louisville, KY 40223 | 502.241.7545 | [email protected] | @fastcasual EDITOR Press Release

2019

13100 Eastpoint Park Blvd. | Louisville, KY 40223 | 502.241.7545 | [email protected] | @fastcasual

To help Fast Casual restaurant executives operate profitably and deliver outstanding customer experiences. FastCasual.com reports on news, events, trends and people in the $23.5 billion Fast Casual restaurant industry; we cover all of the latest innovations in:

• Food & beverage • Restaurant technology & equipment • Restaurant design, layout & signage • Operations management • Staffing & training • Food safety • Customer experience • Franchising • Marketing & branding • Regulatory compliance & risk management • Sustainability • Chef Chatter • Supply Chain • Health & nutrition and much more

EDITORIAL MISSION

OF READERS AGREE THAT FASTCASUAL.COM PROVIDES

INSIGHTS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO THEM OR

THEIR ORGANIZATION.

89%


EDITOR

Press Release. We love them! But make it easy for us. Copy and paste

your press release into the body of an email addressed to Editor@

FastCasual.com. (Don’t attach it) Sending a PDF will not prevent copy-

editing, but it will probably delay the posting of your news.

Include photos. Include photographs and/or video if available and of

good quality. Standard-format digital files are accepted (.png, .jpg, gif)

as are video links, and embed codes. Identify the source and person or

place shown; if more than one person, tell us who’s who (by name, title,

company).

Avoid flowery descriptions and exaggerated or hyperbolical

expressions of praise. No opinions; stick to the facts and keep them

short and sweet.

Provide a quote from a specific brand leader. Include name, title and

employer of the person being quoted.

Provide lists and/or stats when possible.

CHERRYH CANSLER

WANT TO BE FEATURED ON FASTCASUAL.COM?HERE’S HOW TO GET IN FRONT OF THE EDITOR:

ABOUT THE EDITOR

Before joining Networld Media Group as director of Editorial, where she oversees Networld Media Group’s 10 B2B publications, Cherryh Cansler served as Content Specialist at Barkley ad agency in Kansas City. Throughout her 18-year career as a journalist, she’s written about a variety of topics, ranging from the restaurant industry and technology to health and fitness. Her byline has appeared in a number of newspapers, magazines and websites, including Forbes, The Kansas City Star and American Fitness magazine. She also serves as the managing editor for FastCasual.com.


JANUARY

JULY

FEBRUARY

AUGUST

MARCH

SEPTEMBER

APRIL

OCTOBER

MAY

NOVEMBER

JUNE

DECEMBER

Features:• 2019 tech trends• 2019 menu trends• Chef chat

Event Coverage:• NRF Big Show

Features:• Restaurant design trends• Using analytics to grow

your business• Chef chat

Features:• AI and restaurants• Valentine’s Day roundup• Franchise Focus

Features:• Are you attracting Gen Z?• How to manage teams

that have a variety of age groups

• Franchise Focus

Features:• Spring Menu trends• Honoring women in the

industry • Chef chat

Event Coverage:• Restaurant Franchising &

Innovation Summit

Features:• Fall menu trends• How to protect your brand

from bad press/social media

• Chef chat

Special Content:• Fast Casual State of the

Industry report

Features:• Using tech to manage your team• Update on employment gov issues• Franchise Focus

Special Content:• Fast Casual State of the Industry Report

Features:• Using alcohol to drive sales• Cutting food waste• Franchise Focus

Event Coverage:• Fast Casual Executive Summit

Features:• Delivery trends• Summer menu trends•Chef chat

Special Content:• Fast Casual Top 100

Movers & Shakers Report

Event Coverage:• NRA Show

Features:• The best of holiday marketing• Food truck 101• Chef chat

Special Content:• QSR State of the Industry Report

Features:• Taking your brand global• Recruiting and keeping top managers• Franchise Focus

Event Coverage:• Interactive Customer Experience Summit

Features:• Year-end wrap up• 3 technologies your restaurant needs• Franchise Focus

Special Content:• Fast Casual Brands to

Watch in 2020

Ask us about connecting your brand to any of these topics!

Editorial calendar is subject to change.

2019 EDITORIAL CALENDAR


SITE TRAFFIC SUBSCRIBERS AND FOLLOWERS

– WHERE OUR READERS ARE FROM –

657,000+ annual uniques

58,000+ monthly uniques

23,700+ email newsletter subscribers

24,900+ social media followers

2,900+ push notification subscribers

Total audience numbers trend up year-over-year.

ARE SENIOR LEVEL DECISION MAKERS OR

KEY INFLUENCERS

78%

33% DIRECTORSAND MANAGERS

45% VP-LEVELAND UP

AUDIENCE PROFILE

79%North America

10%Europe

8%Asia/Pacific

(Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook)


CHAINS REPRESENTED IN OUR AUDIENCE INCLUDE:• Atlanta Bread Company

• Au Bon Pain

• Back Yard Burgers

• Baja Fresh Mexican Grill

• Boston Market

• Boudin Sourdough Bakery & Café

• Brixx Wood Fired Pizza

• Bruegger’s Bagels

• Burgerville

• Café Express

• Cafe Rio Mexican Grill

• California Tortilla

• Camille’s Sidewalk Café

• Chipotle Mexican Grill

• Corner Bakery Café

• Cosi

• Costa Vida Fresh Mexican Grill

• D’Angelo Grilled Sandwiches

• Daphne’s California Greek

• Dickey’s Barbecue Pit

• Donatos Pizza

• Einstein Bros. Bagels

• El Pollo Loco

• Elevation Burger

• Farmer Boys

• Fatburger

• Fazoli’s

• Firehouse Subs

• Five Guys Burger & Fries

• FREEBIRDS World Burrito

• Fuddruckers

• Fuzzy’s Taco Shop

• Hot Head Burritos

• Jake’s Wayback Burgers

• Jason’s Deli

• Jazzman’s Café

• Jerry’s Subs & Pizza

• Jersey Mike’s Subs

• Jimmy John’s

• la Madeleine Country French Café

• La Salsa Fresh Mexican Grill

• Lime Fresh Mexican Grill

• McAlister’s Deli

• Moe’s Southwest Grill

• MOOYAH

• Muscle Maker Grill

• Native Foods

• Nature’s Table

• Newk’s Eatery

• Noodles & Company

• Panchero’s Mexican Grill

• Panda Express

• Panera Bread

• Paradise Bakery & Cafe

• Pei Wei Asian Diner

• Pollo Campero

• Pollo Tropica

• Portillo’s Hot Dogs

• Pret A Manger

• Qdoba Mexican Grill

• Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers

• Rosa’s Café Tortilla Factory

• Rubio’s Fresh Mexican Grill

• Saladworks

• Salsarita’s Fresh Cantina

• Sandella’s Flatbread Café

• Schlotzsky’s

• Shake Shack

• Shane’s Rib Shack

• Smashburger

• Specialty’s Cafe & Bakery

• Taco Bueno

• Taco Cabana

• The Counter

• The Habit Burger Grill

• Tijuana Flats

• Wahoo’s Fish Taco

• Which Wich

• Wing Zone

• Wingstop

• Zaxby’s

• Zoe’s Kitchen

• Zoup! Fresh Soup Company

• zpizza

AUDIENCE PROFILE


A Core Program is your springboard to a successful marketing campaign on FastCasual.com and puts your company at the fingertips of

potential buyers as they browse our Supplier Directory. It provides you with both brand awareness and lead generation opportunities.

The Core Program includes these key elements:

COMPANY SHOWCASE PRODUCT/SERVICES SHOWCASE SUPPLIER DIRECTORY LISTING

CORE PROGRAM


COMPANY SHOWCASE

PRODUCT/SERVICE SHOWCASES

Company Overview

Contact Info (mailing address and phone number)

Contact Form for LeadGen

Link to your Website

Links to your Social Media pages (Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter, YouTube)

Featured Product widget

Featured Publications widget

Number of Products/Services (maximum) 8 4 0

1Number of Categories (maximum)

Company RFI’sThese leads are generated when a user visits your Company Showcase and uses the contact form on the page to submit a request for information (RFI) about your offerings. We send these leads only to you.

BASICENHANCEDPREMIUM

SUPPLIER DIRECTORY LISTING

LEAD GENERATION

250 word limit500 word limit 100 word limit

24

CORE PROGRAM

Site RFI’sThese leads are generated via the Project Help / Easy Source form on our sites. When a user completes this form, we send the lead to all advertisers with a qualifying program.

RFD’s (Requests for Download)These leads are generated when a site user downloads a publication that you sponsor from our White Paper Directory.


Email marketing is still one of the most cost-effective ways to reach your target audience. We give you

several options for delivering your message directly to the inbox of thousands of industry professionals.

E-MAIL NEWS ALERTSWe have an ad opportunity for almost any budget in our Email News Alerts that are delivered three times a

week (M/W/F) to our subscribers.

E-BLASTSDeliver your customized message to subscribers who have opted in to receive promotional messages from

our advertisers and partners. You provide the subject line, copy, images and HTML code or, for an additional

fee, we can develop a custom email message for you.

Leaderboard Image Ad Size: 600x250 pixels; Maximum File Size: 75KB; Accepted Formats: GIF, PNG or JPG

One 120x120 pixels image/logo; Headline: 50 characters (max. including spaces) with link; Body: 240 characters (max. including spaces)



Headline: 50 characters (max. including spaces) with link; Body: 140 characters (max. including spaces)

Image + Text

Image + Text

Image + Text

Text

Primary 1

Primary 2

Primary 3

Secondary

SpecificationsAd TypeAd Unit

EMAIL MARKETING


Want our readers to recognize and remember your brand? Let us work with you to build a banner campaign designed to meet your

marketing objectives and stay within your budget.

TOP AD UNITAvailable Sizes• Leaderboard (728x90)• Super Leaderboard (970x66 or 970x90)• Billboard (970x250)

BILLBOARD

HALF PAGE

BANNER ADS

RIGHT 1 AD UNITAvailable Sizes• Medium Rectangle (300x250)• Half Page (300x600)


Make a big impression on our audience in a short period of time with these hard-to-miss weekly ad opportunities.

STICKY FOOTERPlace your leaderboard banner in our Sticky Footer ad unit that

remains visible as the user scrolls the page or until the user closes it.

SPEEDBUMPSpeedbump ads appear within the body of feature articles. They

will naturally pass through the reader’s field of vision as they scroll

through the article.

ROADBLOCK(640 X 480)

PREMIUM ADS


Talk about making an impression! With Wallpaper ads your brand is displayed prominently on both sides of the page. Wallpaper ads

serve on each home, article, news and blog page view. (Not served on mobile devices.) Ask your Account Executive for complete ad

specs.

PREMIUM ADS


Videos are great for product demos, success stories, tutorials, interviews and more. If your company has spent the time and

money to create such a video, we can help you maximize that investment by exposing it to the right audience.

SPONSORED VIDEO

VIDEO GALLERYSponsored videos rotate randomly in six different

slots throughout the video gallery.

VIDEO PLAYERWhen a sponsored video is played, the sponsor’s

logo appears above the player and a contact form

allows users to request more info from the sponsor.

NEED VIDEO? We can help you create one tailored to your needs.


Push notifications are a high impact marketing solution. Subscribers

visit the website and opt-in to receive notifications from us directly

to their device of choice. Your message is then sent directly to these

devices (desktop, laptop, tablet, and phone).

• Notifications are sent once a day to our subscribers

• Headline: 35 character limit

• Body: 90 character limit

• Icon Image: 35px x 35px

• Message Image: 500px x 300px (Message images only show up on Google Chrome)

QUICK SPECS

PUSH NOTIFICATIONS

HEADLINE

FAST CASUAL

Your push notification message will go here.

*Notifications appear different on different devices, and have different character count limitations.


C-SPEAK

Become a BIG VOICE in your marketplace.

You know those business leaders who are always interviewed by the

press? Their names are synonymous with industry leadership, creativity,

and innovation and are the go-to sources for commentary when industry

news stories break.

We can help you be one of those industry leaders.

C-Speak is a video series featuring short video conversations between

industry leaders and the editor of FastCasual.com. We will develop,

package, and distribute the video for you. Press coverage will be included

on our sites and the content will be yours to distribute through any other

media channels you choose.

If you are a thought-leading executive — or in charge of obtaining media

coverage or speaking engagements for executives at your company —

C-Speak is easily the most comprehensive opportunity available. We take

care of all the moving parts.


PODCASTS

The Fast Casual podcast offers a view into the hot topics affecting the continuing evolution of fast casual restaurants worldwide. The podcast

features interviews with movers and shakers as well as news related to franchising, menu trends, marketing, and restaurant technology.

YOUR PODCAST SPONSORSHIP INCLUDES…

• 15-20 second sponsor message read by the host twice during the episode

o At beginning of podcast

o Between Interview and News/Topics segments

• Upgrade to a longer 40-45 second message

• Upgrade to Q&A segment curated by the host and sponsor

• Ability to embed podcast episode on your website and social pages

SPONSORSHIP OPTIONS

• Sponsor logo and message on transcript page

• Sponsor logo included in podcast section of Week-in-Review

newsletter

PODCAST HOSTED ON:

• BuzzSprout, Soundcloud, Google Play, YouTube, iTunes and Spotify.

EACH PODCAST EPISODE WILL ALSO BE PROMOTED TO THE

FAST CASUAL AUDIENCE VIA…

• Social media channels (5x)

• Email newsletters (3x per week for 4 weeks)

• Week-in-Review newsletter (1x)


SPECIAL PUBLICATIONS

When you partner with FastCasual.com to create custom content assets,

you get:

• Credibility in the marketplace,

• Knowledge and support from known industry experts,

• Access to production professionals — writers, designers, videographers, online event producers, moderators, etc. — plus:

• Budget-friendly promotion and lead generation against FastCasual.com’s large, exclusive audience of restaurant industry executives, senior decision makers and influencers.

Popular content types include:

• Guide: everything your target demographic needs to know about

a particular subject presented in a single comprehensive guide.

• White Paper: specific topic of interest to your target demographic

presented in a subjective/op-ed style.

• Case Study: detailed look at a specific company’s innovative and successful approach or process.

• Infographic: large quantity of information presented in a concise,

creative, and visual way.


FastCasual.com Topic Centers offer lead generation against custom sponsored and other content assets. Select from such

popular topic areas as coffee/specialty beverages, customer service/experience, digital signage, equipment & supplies, food &

beverage, food safety, franchising & growth, health & nutrition, insurance & risk management, marketing/branding & promotion,

menu boards, online/mobile/social, operations management, PCI compliance, restaurant design & layout, staffing

& training, sustainability, systems/technology, Top 100 and trends/statistics.

TOPIC CENTER

SPECIAL PUBLICATIONS

Logo and brief company description at top of right column

Banner Ad: Top Leaderboard (728x90)

Banner Ad: Right 1 Half Page (300x600)

Banner Ad: Right 2 Medium Rectangle (300x250)

Wallpaper Ad

Featured Publications – Position A

Featured Publications – Position B

Featured Publications – Position C

Featured Topic WidgetShows in Topics dropdown menu from main navigation and in right column on Home, Articles, News, Blogs, Videos, Photos, White Paper Directory and other pages

Guide (10-20 pages)Topic must be closely related to the sponsored Topic Center.

White Paper or Case Study (2-5 pages)

Lead GenerationSponsor gets contact info of all users who download their publications.

SECONDARYPRIMARYEXCLUSIVETHOUGHT LEADERSHIP PROGRAMS

4 weeks per year 2 weeks per year

TOPIC CENTERS


WHAT A WEBINAR CAN DO FOR YOUR BUSINESS• Position you as a thought leader and increase your brand awareness

• Generate strong, qualified sales leads

• Educate the market about your products and services

YOU PROVIDE THE CONTENT AND THE SPEAKERS, WE PROVIDE EVERYTHING ELSE…

Production – We guide you through the process and work with your speakers to ensure your webinar is well-crafted for the audience.

Moderator – A member of our editorial team will welcome the audience, introduce speakers and facilitate the Q&A session at the end

of the webinar.

Promotion – We drive registrations for your webinar through an aggressive promotion campaign that includes (at a minimum):

Registration / Reminders – Users register for the webinar on our site and immediately receive an email enabling them to quickly add the webinar to their calendar. About 24 hours before the live webinar, we’ll email a reminder to all registrants to encourage their attendance.

On-Demand Hosting – After the live webinar, we host the recording on our site for registered users to view at their convenience. With your approval, we will also place a PDF of the slide deck in our White Paper Directory where it can be downloaded by registered site users and generate additional leads for you.

Lead Generation – We send you the contact information of everyone who registers for the live event, views the on-demand recording or downloads the slide deck.

• 3 E-blasts prior to the live webinar

• 1 E-blast one week after the live webinar driving traffic to the on-demand version

• 6 Email News Alert sponsorships prior to the live webinar

• Social media posts

• Prominent links on our home page

• Inclusion in quarterly webinar reminder email

WEBINARS


Sponsored Keyword Links are affordable text ads

that get lots of impressions because they appear at

the end of every article, news item and blog post.

For your ad, you can select a keyword phrase (up to

20 characters, including spaces) that’s related to your

business and link it anywhere you want, including:

• Your website

• Your Company Showcase on our site

• Your White Papers or Case Studies

SPONSORED KEYWORD LINKS


Showcase your brand in ourdirectory of Fast Casual Franchise Opportunities

FastCasual.com is the place where restaurant

professionals go to learn about the hottest trends and

the hottest brands in the fastest-growing segment of the

industry. That makes it a great place to promote your

franchise opportunities to potential investors.

The Fast Casual Franchise Opportunities directory has

a prominent link in the main site navigation and is

searchable by brand name and by state/region.

Your listing in the directory will lead to your customizable

Franchise Showcase. This is where you’ll tell the story of

your brand to potential investors. It will also include links

to news and features about your brand that have been

published on FastCasual.com.

Throughout the directory and in your showcase, users

will have the opportunity to complete a simple contact

form to make you aware of their interest in your

franchise opportunities.

FRANCHISE DIRECTORY


TOP 100 AWARDS BANQUET

Highlights the fast casual restaurant industry’s most forward looking and

innovative thinkers and happenings.

Exclusive sponsorship for one year includes:

• Turnkey research, content development and production of finished report

• More than two million brand impressions

• Sponsorship and participation in a companion webinar

• Thousands of marketing & sales leads generated through report downloads and webinar attendance

Call your media specialist to find out about a one-year exclusive sponsorship.

FastCasual.com announces its Top 100 movers and shakers at an

Awards Banquet at the NRA show. We have multiple sponsorship

opportunities available that put you in the room full of executives

from the biggest and best brands in fast casual.

Ask your media specialist for details.

Innovative restaurant brands and executives shaping the fast casual segment

TOP 100 MOVERS & SHAKERS


FAST CASUAL EXECUTIVE SUMMITEach year, FastCasual.com hosts the Fast Casual Executive Summit – a

live business networking and social event where Fast Casual restaurant

executives meet up to exchange ideas and make new connections. Multiple

sponsorship levels – platinum, gold, silver, culinary and associate – plus special

opportunities such as room drops and strategic product placements ensure

that marketers can participate in this highly reviewed industry event at virtually

any budget level.

EXECUTIVE SUMMITS

RESTAURANT FRANCHISING &INNOVATION SUMMITSome of the fastest growing chains in the restaurant industry are the ones

embracing innovation in many different areas of their business. From experience

innovation to kitchen innovation to menu innovation and more, the Restaurant

Franchising & Innovation Summit will look at how limited-service chains can

leverage innovation in its many forms as a catalyst for franchise expansion.

Multiple sponsorship opportunities will be available to connect companies with

innovative products and solutions to the franchise executives in attendance.


INTERACTIVE CUSTOMEREXPERIENCE SUMMIT Explore many of the technologies available to businesses – retail, hospitality, travel,

restaurants, healthcare and more – for engaging customers. ICX Summit will cover

the landscape from kiosks to digital signage to mobile and beyond to give attendees

insights they can put in action now to deliver outstanding interactive customer

experiences. Multiple sponsorship levels – platinum, gold, silver and associate – plus

special opportunities such as room drops and strategic product placements ensure

that marketers can participate in this highly reviewed industry event at virtually any

budget level.

EXECUTIVE SUMMITS

CONNECT: THE MOBILE CX SUMMITCONNECT: The Mobile CX Summit will explore the many opportunities that retailers,

restaurants and other B2C enterprises have for leveraging mobile and digital channels

to build their brands, increase sales and improve customer engagement, experience and

loyalty. CONNECT will feature many of the movers and shakers in mobile addressing hot

topics such as software, systems, apps & security payments, customer engagement &

experience, marketing, advertising & analytics, loyalty & rewards, social media and more!

Multiple sponsorship levels – platinum, gold and silver – plus special opportunities such

as room drops and strategic product placements ensure that marketers can participate in

this highly reviewed industry event at virtually any budget level.

THE MOBILE CX SUMMIT


ICX ASSOCIATION

The mission of the ICX Association is to connect B2C brands to technology that elevates the customer experience. We

help Supplier Members build collaborative relationships with brands by educating them on how and why your solutions

make the difference in creating amazing experiences for their customers.

TOP 5 REASONS TO JOIN

MEMBERS SAVE 5% ON AD CAMPAIGNS ON FAST CASUAL.

1. Establish your credibility and leadership. Members gain increased visibility and brand awareness in the marketplace with a

variety of opportunities to demonstrate their expertise and thought leadership.

2. Connect with CX managers from leading B2C brands. Our membership includes retailers, restaurants, banks and other

consumer brands. Even brands that aren’t members will often reach out to us to direct them to suppliers who can help them.

3. Build powerful strategic partnerships. Few companies can do it all. So your ability to serve your clients will often depend on

your ability to partner with suppliers who complement what you do.

4. Access members-only resources. The ICX Association website (icxa.org) includes a restricted area where members can access

a variety of industry reports that aren’t available to the general public.

5. Enjoy discounts on event sponsorships, advertising and premium reports. ICX Association is affiliated with many

industry events and websites that offer discounted rates to Association members.


CREATIVE SERVICES

c r e a t i v e

Email Design and Copy

Banner Ad Design

Social Media Graphics

Video & Motion Graphics

Website Design and Optimization

White Papers

Case Studies

Blogs

E-book

Press Release

Presentation Development

Brochures

Direct Mail

Signage & Event Graphics

Product Spec Sheet

Business Cards

Press Kits

Digital Creative Custom Media Brand Collateral

Talk to your Networld media specialist toschedule a call with the BOOM! Creative team.

Expand your marketing team’s capabilities without adding staff. BOOM! Creative from

Networld Media Group offers a number of creative services to ignite your brand…


CREATIVE INQUIRIES

If you have any questions or concerns about creative specifications and submission, please contact:

JENNIFER A. RECKTENWALD | VICE PRESIDENT OF CLIENT SERVICES | [email protected]

tel: 502.241.7545 ext. 139 | fax: 502.241.1385

ADVERTISING AND PACKAGE OPTIONS

LIZ MATNEY | DEMAND GENERATION MANAGER | [email protected]

toll free: 877.441.7545 | direct: 502.241.7545 ext 129 | fax: 502.241.1385 | 13100 Eastpoint Park Blvd. | Louisville, KY 40223

KATHY DOYLE | PRESIDENT AND PUBLISHER | [email protected] | Twitter: @katmdoyle

NETWORLD MEDIA GROUP | [email protected]

CREATIVE SUBMISSION AND CONTACTS

MoneyWorld of

Documents

2019 · 13100 Eastpoint Park Blvd. | Louisville, KY 40223 | 502.241.7545 | [email protected] | @fastcasual EDITOR Press Release