A long-time client of Geben, Wolf’s Ridge Brewing is a key player in Columbus’ booming craft brewery scene. While Geben usually works with the brewery to showcase Wolf’s Ridge as one of the highest quality and most innovative restaurant/breweries in Central Ohio, COVID-19 brought on new challenges when an announcement by the Governor of Ohio shut down the restaurant industry.

Switching gears in a matter of hours, Geben worked alongside Wolf’s Ridge to communicate immediate operational changes that continued through 2020 resulting in 300+ media placements in 10 months.

Wolfs Ridge Case Study

Concept

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor DeWine announced in a Sunday afternoon press conference that all in-restaurant dining would be closed, sending waves through the restaurant industry. For Wolf’s Ridge, who was committed to keeping as many of their staff employed during this unprecedented situation as possible, it provided an opportunity to showcase the owners’ operational innovation through home beer delivery. However, knowing many other restaurants would be announcing similar pivots, it was vital to get ahead of the already-magnified news cycle due to the pandemic.

Execution

Within an hour of the announcement, the Geben team connected with Wolf’s Ridge, developed a media alert and pitched Central Ohio media to announce the brewery's home beer delivery service. Coordinating both mentions, liveshots, photographers and interviews, this quick action pushed the restaurant and brewery top of mind as the general public reeled with the new reality. 

As the pandemic continued, Geben continued to use the news cycle to promote Wolf’s Ridge through Cares Act funds, continued dining room closures and the reopenings throughout the summer, outdoor dining, and stay at home announcements. 


Results

Within 24 hours of the restaurant closure news breaking, Geben secured and coordinated five interviews for Wolf’s Ridge including WSYX evening news, Good Day Columbus, Columbus Monthly, Columbus Business First and Columbus Dispatch with 30+ mentions in local media in March alone. 

Additionally:

  • Wolf’s Ridge appeared in 336 news articles including two syndicated articles in the Associated Press, the front pages of both the Columbus Dispatch and Columbus Business First.

  • More so, the amount of coverage was 59% more than the restaurant/brewery’s top two competitors combined.