In late 2017, former NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that the state would look into elimination of the minimum wage tip credit, which the restaurant industry relies on to remain financially viable.
While the vast majority of the industry adheres to the strict regulations related to this credit and servers support this system, the New York State Restaurant Association (NYSRA) needed to fight narratives that sought to make the industry appear to be regressive. That’s where we came in. Our team designed and executed an earned media campaign around a series of public hearings on the issue to ensure restaurants and their employees were given a chance to be heard. Our efforts generated more than $1 million in PR value and helped reshape the conversation about the tip credit, evening out rhetoric from interest groups and government officials. And together, we helped preserve the tip credit, though the battle still rages on.