To download, left-click on any image below and then right-click to see download options.

Official Snail of Approval ribbon (click for full-size version)

.ai file for 2021 logo

Instagram

Instagram template (Canva)

Instagram Stories template (Canva)

Twitter/Facebook

Twitter/Facebook template (Canva)

1. Share this link in a Facebook post on your Page: https://slowfoodusa.org/snail-of-approval/
   When you paste the link into a Facebook draft, a preview image should pop up.
2. Sample Facebook content for announcing Snail of Approval expanding to your chapter:

We’re excited to announce that *your Slow Food chapter name* is bringing Slow Food’s international Snail of Approval program to *your city/region*! Now, local businesses that are 🐌snailing it🐌 and working to make good, clean and fair food for all can receive the Snail of Approval. This powerful award helps bring attention to amazing food businesses that are excelling in two or more of these areas: sourcing, environmental impact, cultural connection, community involvement, staff support, and/or business values. 

Meet our first Snail of Approval recipients and stop in to support them: *insert tagged business names here* Find out how they earned their Snails of Approval on @SlowFoodUSA’s interactive map below!

Are we missing a business that deserves the Snail of Approval? Tag them in the comments below and we’ll be in touch! 

#snailofapproval

#slowfoodusa

#goodcleanfair

*insert any other hashtags you use with your posts*

3. Post and monitor the comments in case your followers suggest any Snail of Approval-worthy businesses!

1. Share any of the images labeled Instagram above, or feel free to create your own image incorporating the Snail of Approval ribbon found at the top of this guide. You could even create a multi-image post with a few photos from awarded businesses if you’d like; just make sure to start the series with one of the Snail of Approval ribbon image.
2. Sample Instagram caption content for announcing Snail of Approval expanding to your chapter:

We’re excited to announce that *your Slow Food chapter name* is bringing Slow Food’s international Snail of Approval program to *your city/region*! Now, local businesses that are 🐌snailing it🐌 and working to make good, clean and fair food for all can receive the Snail of Approval. This powerful award helps bring attention to amazing food businesses that are excelling in two or more of these areas: sourcing, environmental impact, cultural connection, community involvement, staff support, and/or business values. 

Meet our first Snail of Approval recipients and stop in to support them: *insert tagged business names here* Find out how they earned their Snails of Approval on @SlowFoodUSA’s interactive map below at the link in bio. [Don’t use linkin.bio? You can drop the URL in your post!]

Are we missing a business that deserves the Snail of Approval? Tag them in the comments below and we’ll be in touch! 

#snailofapproval

#slowfoodusa

#goodcleanfair

*insert any other hashtags you use with your posts*

3. Post and monitor the comments in case your followers suggest any Snail of Approval-worthy businesses!

4. Share the post to your Stories within 24 hours to grab the attention of your audience members who focus more on that feature in Instagram.

1. Sample tweet:

We’re bringing the international Snail of Approval program to *your city/region*! Now, local businesses that are working to make #goodcleanfair food for all can receive the #snailofapproval. Find and support local businesses on @SlowFoodUSA’s map: slowfoodusa.org/snail-of-approval

2. Feel free to incorporate any of the images above labeled Twitter with your tweet. 

3. You could also reply to this tweet with the names/Twitter handles of the businesses that are part of your initial round of awards, and/or a call to your audience to suggest businesses that are potential candidates for a Snail of Approval:

Are we missing a business that deserves the Snail of Approval? Tag them in the comments below and we’ll be in touch! #snailofapproval

Add this content to your next newsletter or send a dedicated email on Tuesday, July 6 with this content!

We’re excited to announce that *your Slow Food chapter name* is bringing Slow Food’s international Snail of Approval program to *your city/region*! Now, local businesses that are 🐌snailing it🐌 and working to make good, clean and fair food for all can receive the Snail of Approval. This powerful award helps bring attention to amazing food businesses that are excelling in two or more of these areas: sourcing, environmental impact, cultural connection, community involvement, staff support, and/or business values. 

Meet our first Snail of Approval recipients and stop in to support them: *list business names here and link each name to its website* Find out how they earned their Snails of Approval on Slow Food USA’s interactive map.

Are we missing a business that deserves the Snail of Approval? Reply to this email to let us know!

Feel free to use any of the images above for your newsletter regardless of their label — whatever fits best in your newsletter layout!

If you have relationships with food, community or culture reporters in your area, reach out to them to let them know about the launch of the Snail of Approval program in your area.

• Feel free to reach out ASAP, but let the reporter know that they should hold the story until Tuesday, July 6.
• Consider connecting an interested reporter to a business that you have awarded the Snail of Approval to, so they can get multiple angles of the story
• Here’s a template for a press release you can send to reporters. Just copy this text, paste it into an email or new document, and edit the highlighted areas with your information. Then, send it away to reporters (either paste the final press release into an email, or create a PDF and attach it to an email)!
• If you haven’t focused on media relations as a chapter yet, think about reaching out to just one reporter in your area you’d like to make contact with. Start small — even if they don’t pick up this story, it could be the start of a helpful relationship between the reporter and your Slow Food chapter.

• SFUSA will focus on the Snail of Approval program all day on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter on Tuesday, July 6, highlighting the program, new chapters, and legacy chapters that have been exemplifying the program for so long.
• SFUSA will continue to celebrate the program throughout the summer on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, particularly by resharing your content about Snail of Approval awardees.
• SFUSA will be leading a paid social campaign targeting all Snail of Approval regions and cities starting on Tuesday, July 6 and continuing through the end of July.

Email campaigns

• SFUSA will send an email message to its nearly 50,000-member community heralding the expansion of the program and encouraging readers to use the interactive map to find awardees near them
• SFUSA will highlight one Snail of Approval chapter in each newsletter from July through the end of 2021. Want to be highlighted? Reach out to Brian!

Slow Food Live, August 2021

SFUSA is eager to feature a new chapter hosting the Snail of Approval program alongside a business or two that has received the award from that chapter. Email Brian if you’re interested in participating in this effort!

Slow Weekends

SFUSA will be launching a five-part summertime series called Slow Weekends on its blog that will highlight Snail of Approval awardees in five geographic areas across the country, starting with its first edition to be released on Thursday, July 8. More information to come!

These posts will celebrate the different ways that committed businesses are Snail of Approval-eligible, the careful work each chapter does to move businesses through the process, and celebrate the Slow Food movement overall.

• Take four types of photos in awarded businesses: the people, the food, the place, the sticker (the Snail of Approval sticker, to familiarize people with the Snail of Approval brand). 
• Take photos of the award recipient holding the sticker, and also take a photo of the sticker in/on the actual place.
• Here are some examples of great photos that celebrate a business and the people behind it. Get inspired!
• It’s really important to get permission from people who appear in photos you take. Please ask, “Can I take your photo and share it on our social media channels?” before snapping away.

• Upload a few photos of the Snail of Approval-awarded business to a post.
• Feel free to use this language below as the start of a post celebrating an awardee:

Join us in celebrating Snail of Approval winner *@name of business*, which earned this international recognition by being committed to *reason business received Snail of Approval*! 

• Other things to add to the post include:
  • A quote from the owner or a leading force behind the business
  • Something special about the goods they offer — maybe highlight one key item on their menu or in their shop and tell its story
  • A link to their website
  • A direct ask to your audience to visit the business and show their support
  • A link to learn more about the Snail of Approval program and find other Snail of Approval awardees
• Focus on one Snail of Approval awardee per post; that way, each business gets your audience’s full attention for a full post!

1. Consider featuring a Snail of Approval awardee in each newsletter you send to your chapter. Perhaps you can have a recurring section in your newsletter with a clever name!
2. Follow the instructions above to create that section in your newsletter spotlighting a local business. Include one or more photos in your newsletter.

• If your chapter’s website has a blog section, consider creating a series about Snail of Approval awardees! 
• Check out Slow Food Sonoma County’s blog devoted to Snail of Approval recipients for inspiration.
• Reach out to Brian if you have questions about how to tailor your blog posts to tell our awardees’ stories!