SITUATION

In 2023, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) came out with the latest autism rates, estimating that 1 in 36 children are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or “on the autism spectrum,” making it more common than childhood cancer, juvenile diabetes and pediatric AIDS combined. In Louisiana public schools, autism is the most frequent diagnosis used on student IEPs (individualized education plans). In contrast, programs that serve children on the spectrum are limited, especially in Greater New Orleans.

Bringing together the tremendous need for programs to serve children with autism and an idea about a food festival centered around the iconic beignet, Beignet Fest and the corresponding Beignet Fest Foundation were conceived. As parents of a child with autism, Sherwood and Amy Collins established the Beignet Fest Foundation to celebrate, embrace and empower the lives of children with autism and their families. Each year, the Beignet Fest Foundation makes grants to support New Orleans-area programs that serve children on the spectrum.

The team at Gambel Communications was an integral part of launching Beignet Fest in 2016, and they have provided public relations support annually since then to drive awareness of the cause and the festival, garnering national, regional and local media coverage – and making the Beignet Fest a ubiquitous part of the festival season in South Louisiana.

Each year, the Gambel team announces the festival date with calendar announcements, pitches story angles for coverage to long-lead media, touts the festival for “best of” lists and works with media on event coverage. They also announce funded projects and pitch for mission-centered media coverage, especially during Autism Awareness Month in April.

The Gambel Communications team facilitates onsite coverage with traditional media (TV, print, radio), and in recent years, the team has added influencer marketing to the mix, having a celebrity judging category for the Best Beignets contest. Finally, the Gambel team works to secure media partnerships annually with the likes of media such as nola.com/The Times Picayune, Country Roads, Offbeat and various digital outlets.

The public relations campaign budget has remained between $20,000 and $25,000 each year. Media partnerships account for an additional $50,000 in media value via trade with Beignet Fest Foundation.

RESULTS

Each year the Gambel team garners significant media coverage. In 2023, Beignet Fest landed on both the Garden & Gun and Southern Living “best festivals” lists. In prior years, Beignet Fest has been recognized as a top fall festival by Thrillist and Travel & Leisure, as well.

Through the partnership with Gambel Communications, Beignet Fest received 205 media placements in 2023 with an estimated viewership of 2.8 billion people. This represents a 38% increase in media coverage from the year prior. Highlights of exposure included:

• Traditional and online feature stories in local, regional and national outlets garnering significant engagement by locals and tourists

• Television coverage by all four New Orleans TV stations on multiple occasions leading up to the event, including cooking segments, onsite interviews, feature stories and interviews

• A three-page spread in The Times Picayune (New Orleans) and The Advocate (Baton Rouge and Lafayette) that wrapped over the front page of the paper via its media partnership

• Significant social media coverage by regional and local influencers that extends traditional earned media coverage

In terms of admission numbers, Beignet Fest has grown from attendance of an estimated 6,000 people in its first year as a free event in 2016 to more than 12,000 attendees in 2023, effectively scaling to an admission fee of $20 in advance and $25 at the gate. The growth has allowed Beignet Fest Foundation to disburse over $100,000 in grant funding with event proceeds.