Alameda Marketplace - Our Clients

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Alameda Marketplace

About the Client
Donna Layburn opened Alameda Marketplace (www.alamedamarketplace.com) in the Fall of 2002 as an upscale collective of artisanal merchants selling natural and specialty foods under one roof. Located in the heart of Alameda's historic downtown district, the 20,000 square foot 1930's-era building was transformed from a vacant Ford Motor dealership to a California-style marketplace with skylights for natural light and open beam trusses for a dramatic open market feel.

Donna's vision was to form a community of merchants passionate about making and selling natural and specialty foods, educating consumers about the benefits of healthy eating, and creating a profitable green business. Retailers sell a balance of brands that are familiar and those not found elsewhere, typically from small local farms and companies. In addition, Alameda Marketplace offers regular classes and lectures designed to make a healthy difference in people's lives.

PR Strategy
Galvin Communications was hired to get the word out to the local community. Alameda Marketplace needed to attract not only health-conscious customers, but also compatible tenants. Our primary PR objective was to draw attention to Donna Layburn's entrepreneurial vision for the collective. We did so by emphasizing Donna's roots in the community and her credibility as a natural foods pioneer. Our secondary objective was to attract attention for the individual merchants in the marketplace.

Results
Alameda Marketplace was featured locally in the East Bay Express and the East Bay Monthly. The articles described the concept in terms of its importance to the community, while highlighting the shopping opportunities available to consumers.

Donna Layburn was profiled in a Sunday business spotlight by ANG Newspapers (publishers of The Oakland Tribune, Alameda Times-Star, The Daily Review, The Argus, San Ramon Valley Herald, Tri-Valley Times, and San Mateo County Times). The article was an in-depth piece detailing Donna's commitment to natural foods and her entrepreneurial vision for Alameda Marketplace.

Joey Pucci, proprietor of JP Seafood Company, appeared on Gene Burns' "Dining Around" program on KGO Radio to discuss his new store opening and promote Alameda Marketplace to listeners of the number one rated radio station in the Bay Area.

In other capacities, Galvin Communications helped Alameda Marketplace secure a co-branding opportunity with Alameda's largest recycling company, further reinforcing its commitment to green business practices.