Butterball Breaks Bread to Break Ground

An innovative twist on the traditional groundbreaking ceremony enabled Talk to garner statewide media coverage on Butterball, LLC's move from Mt. Olive to Garner, NC.

Butterball executives wanted the groundbreaking to achieve multiple goals: Garner widespread media coverage Position Butterball LLC’s move to Garner as a move onto a national stage Strengthen relationships with state and local officials and business leaders Generate pride and enthusiasm among Butterball's management team A 6-foot turkey sub "bread-breaking" replaced the traditional shovel-shot groundbreaking. Creatively designed invitations, agendas, and media kits touted the event theme: Breaking Bread to Break Ground Banners, balloon towers and "Butterball Lane" street signs branded the event and the site. Talk drafted a speech for CEO Keith Shoemaker to ensure key messages were communicated in a memorable manner. Dignitaries sporting Butterball aprons and hard hats "broke" into the sub with garden trowels engraved with the event's date and location. Talk pitched the event to regional media as a unique event to celebrate an economic development "win" for Garner and the Greater Raleigh area. Talk secured coverage on six TV stations and two radio stations. Front page of the News & Observer Business section Associated Press distributed the N&O story nationally Feature story in Triangle Business Journal