Bringing Families Together Campaign Features Top Chef Winner

PERC Using the Power of Influencers

For the Bringing Families Together campaign that kicked off this summer, the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) partnered with Michael Voltaggio, the Top Chef Season 6 winner, as well as Bryan Voltaggio, a finalist on Top Chef Season 6 and Top Chef Masters Season 5. They provided propane cooking demos and safety education through a series of videos and a social media campaign that included everything from pizza night to grilled turkey. In addition to their Top Chef notoriety, the brothers own several highly-respected restaurants.

The effort is primarily a social media campaign sharing safe grilling tips and recipes. To get more eyes on the great content, PERC is running a digital paid media campaign that just started in October with the content on HGTV.com, foodnetwork.com, YouTube, Pinterest, and through the Google Ad Network.

When the coronavirus pandemic hit last spring, PERC thought that more and more families are home together and, as the weather warmed up, moving outside to cook and maximize living space. PERC wanted to start with some safe grilling tips for those new to propane and reminders for those who had not grilled since last season. The campaign has transitioned from safe grilling tips to more of the lifestyle amenities of propane.

PERC kicked off the campaign over the 4th of July weekend with a shrimp boil by Bryan Voltaggio. There will be a total of 10 videos, including a turkey on the grill with all the fixings for the upcoming holidays. The turkey video will work great for the Christmas holiday season, as well. The current program runs through mid-2021 with plans to extend the campaign dependent on overall performance.

To date, Bryan and Michael have completed several pieces of content about cooking with propane. That content has the total potential reach of 2 million people.

PERC likes that while Bryan and Michael are brothers, they have different approaches. Bryan is more down to earth and a dad. Michael is more corporate and west coast. They are both creative and passionate about food and believe in the precision and control that propane brings when preparing meals.

BRYAN VOLTAGGIO. Chef Bryan Voltaggio is the executive chef and owner of multiple restaurants including VOLT, and Family Meal, and is the chef and partner at STRFSH, Voltaggio Brothers Steakhouse, and Estuary. Bryan is a finalist of the James Beard Foundation Award, Top Chef (season six), Top Chef Masters (season five), and most recently Top Chef Allstars (season sixteen). He is the author of HOME and coauthored VOLT Ink with his brother, Michael. He lives in his hometown of Frederick, Maryland with his wife, Jennifer, and their three children: Thacher, Piper, and Ever Maeve.

Bryan shared a few thoughts on using propane and grilling:

Why do chefs like yourselves like cooking/grilling with gas?

I like the simplicity and control that gas provides when cooking and grilling. When grilling in particular, you have a lot more control of your heat and the cleanliness of grilling with gas is convenient. It’s important sometimes, especially when grilling multiple items from the menu, you can create zones on your grill much easier. I also like the controlled heat when smoking foods. I have a smoke box on my grill that I can add wood chips to produce smoke. So when smoking a pork shoulder I can have precise control of the heat and add flavor as needed to get a properly cooked BBQ.

Does your grill have any feature that you particularly enjoy

using? To what end? My grill suite has multiple cooking surfaces, which I really enjoy. I have a main grill with a rotisserie that is powered and can easily roast chickens and other large cuts of meat. I also have a flat top griddle, so when it’s burger night I can toast the buns, which is a step I never miss. The smoker box on my grill allows me to impart smoking to meats and fish while grilling. My favorite feature is the igniting system, it’s all electronic so the ease of starting the grill makes it simple to use with a busy lifestyle.

Do you wintercue (grill during the winter months)? What your favorite thing to grill during the holidays and winter

months? I grill all year, despite living in the mid-Atlantic where we do have the occasional big snowstorm, I am not afraid to head out to grill my marinated hanger steaks, or grill some short ribs, which on a cold winter day can be very comforting.

What is the most exotic thing you’ve tried on the grill? I would not say that the items I’ve grilled are exotic necessarily. I do and have plenty of times grilled meats that I have harvested, venison and game birds for example. When I get out to the Chesapeake Bay for Striped Bass aka Rockfish in our region, I definitely light up the grill.

MICHAEL VOLTAGGIO. Chef Michael Voltaggio is the executive chef and co-owner of Estuary, Voltaggio Brothers Steak House, and STRFSH with

his brother, Bryan Voltaggio. In 2009, Michael was a finalist for PERC has identified 14 new social influencers. PERC is curthe James Beard “Best New Restaurant” award. World-renowned rently working on getting them under contract and finalizing the chefs praised Michael for his technical cooking when he clinched scope of their work, which will continue through 2021. PERC the title of Top Chef in the sixth season of Top Chef. In addition plans to work with these social influencers to create a more emoto appearing regularly on a variety of cooking shows, he co-au- tional connection with propane by showing through them (includthored VOLT Ink with his brother. Michael lives in Los Angeles. ing the Voltaggio brothers) how propane brings families together

Michael shared with us a few thoughts about using propane through outdoor and indoor living applications (grilling, cooking, and grilling: firepits and fireplaces, hot water). The campaign will also include

Why do chefs like yourselves like cooking/grilling with gas? the social influencers sharing the environmental reasons that they When grilling with gas it’s much easier to maintain a precise tem- are choosing propane over other energy sources in their homes perature. It’s also better for the planet emissions wise, producing and outdoor living spaces as an opportunity to reinforce the clean nearly half the carbon dioxide of traditional charcoal. energy message in a way that is relatable to the general user. The

Does your grill have any feature that you particularly enjoy social influencers range in their history and use with propane, using? To what end? I like having multiple heights to work with. their lifestyles, backgrounds, and followers — but as PERC has Having an elevated rear grilling area provides the opportunity for seen through the success of the PropaneKids.com program – usindirect heat. Different temperature zones enable you to cook sev- ing these social educators is allowing PERC to speak with a whole eral things at once. new audience, in a new way, about the benefits of propane.

Do you wintercue (grill during the winter months)? What PERC wants to ensure that the industry is aware of the new your favorite thing to grill during the holidays and winter work being done with social influencers and the opportunity it months? I live in Southern California, we grill year round. That creates to allow the propane story to be told on a more personal, said, it’s fun to put a braise or a stew on the grill and then gather emotional level to a new audience of users. PERC wants the inaround it outside bundled up by a fire. dustry to get involved with the campaign through the influencer

What is the most exotic thing you’ve tried on the grill? I outreach but also by showcasing how those in the industry are grilled some pork over tobacco leaves in Cuba. I made a rum bbq using propane to bring their families together. PERC is kicking sauce and served it with lettuce leaves so the meat could be rolled off the #togetherwithpropane campaign on social media over the like a cigar! next couple of weeks. Stay tuned for more details on following

Visit https://propane.com/for-my-home/bringing-families- the new social influencers and sharing your clean energy story. together/ to view videos and see recipes. You can even share these videos on social media. Get Involved with PERC’s Other PERC ‘Together With Propane’ Social Media Projects Using the Power of Influencer Campaign Influencers

PERC started its work The Propane Education & Research Council is engaging additional social influencers in 2021 with social influencers this to showcase how propane is bringing families together. past spring with a campaign in May-June 2020 around From backyard firepits and patio heaters, to heated homes, fireplaces propanekids.com. Recogniz- and cooking appliances, the “Together with Propane” social influencing that parents were looking ers will craft dynamic and meaningful content to tell the emotional for activities for their children, story of how propane benefits their lives while reinforcing why it’s a PERC partnered with several key energy for a low-carbon future. social influencers in the agriculture space. That campaign Best of all, PERC is encouraging Texas propane marketers and was very effective at educat- their employees to get involved with the “Together with Propane” ing and engaging an audience conversation, too. Stay tuned to the Propane Council’s resource cataabout propane safety on the log and social media pages to discovery the roster of influencers. Share farm and the resources the their posts that include the hashtag #togetherwithpropane with your followpropane industry makes avail- ers. Additionally, marketers can create and share their own posts about propane’s environable. Because of that success, mental facts; a great place to start would be the environmental tool kit resources in the PERC PERC began exploring op- catalog and the bundle of 22 facts and graphics that are ready for download on Propane.com. tions to partner with sustainable lifestyle social influencers, Stay tuned to communications from PERC for additional information on how to help the prospecifically around homeown- pane industry expand the conversation of how propane is bringing families together in 2021. er applications both inside and outside of the home.