The Marketing Playbook That Put Chili’s Baby Back on the Map

The Marketing Playbook That Put Chili’s Baby Back on the Map

After several years of declining relevance, Chili’s is baby back.

The brand, in partnership with creative agencies including Mischief, used social listening and price-sensitive messaging to reverse a pandemic-induced slide in relevancy, chief marketing officer George Felix told a crowd of marketers Wednesday at ADWEEK’s Brandweek event in Phoenix, Ariz.

“So much of Chili’s popularity came from its ability to leverage pop culture,” Felix said. “We knew that we needed some fun moments that would really stick in people’s minds.”

And the strategy has worked: In its most recent earnings call, the restaurant reported a 15% year-over-year increase in sales and a 6% increase in fourth-quarter traffic.

Responding with social listening

Chili’s centered its brand marketing strategy on a combination of planning campaigns and responding to social trends. 

For the latter, Chili’s took advantage of a number of viral moments to reinsert its brand into the cultural conversation. 

Last June, a TikTok video went viral showing a bride who catered her wedding using Chili’s takeout, and the brand tapped creative agency Mischief to help it to lean into the sensation. It launched a promotion offering free catering to the first three couples to get engaged in a Chili’s, which prompted a wave of proposals and a surge in organic engagement. 

Likewise, when Chili’s fried mozzarella sticks became the center of a trend, the brand partnered with creative and PR agencies Benchmob and Edelman to double down on the moment.

The restaurant created a new menu item, called Nashville Hot Mozzarella Sticks, that were only promoted only through TikTok and earned press. The quick response generated more than 1 billion impressions and 50 million views on TikTok, according to Felix.

In another instance, the brand leaned into a broader trend that it had a right to play in: the rise in popularity of espresso martinis. Mischief produced a spot featuring Scheana Shay and Katie Maloney from Vanderpump Rules promoting Chili’s spin on the drink, which incorporated tequila into the cocktail.

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