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.
“There are some brands and companies that orient around trying to protect against the downside,” said Jeff McCrory, the chief strategy officer at Mischief. “Chili’s is an organization that very much wants to maximize the upside.”
Price-sensitive messaging and empathy
While Chili’s is quick to respond to social trends, it also used social listening to identify strategies for planned campaigns.
Two of these campaigns were crafted to respond to consumer sentiment about rising prices, which were spurred by inflation and led to an increase in the cost of food.
To meet these concerns, Chili’s wanted to find fun ways to highlight the value of its offerings while still embodying its tongue-in-cheek humor.
In one campaign, Mischief spotlighted the R&B musician Brian McKnight, who memorably wrote the song “Back at One,” which prominently features counting. In the spot, McKnight plays a Chili’s waiter who explains, through elaborately sung counting, that restaurant-goers can order three items for $10.99 as part of its 3 for Me offering.
In another, Chili’s launched a new menu item called the Big Smasher Burger and, alongside Edelman, invited journalists to make and eat the burger themselves. The item has twice as much beef as McDonald’s Big Mac but only costs $10.99 when ordered as part of the 3 for Me option.
Chili’s creative partner Jon Marshall & Daughters created an ad pointing to that size disparity, which created a wave of earned press that helped further reinforce Chili’s reputation as an option for value-conscious consumers.
Most memorably, Mischief and Chili’s found that users on social media mistakenly thought that the R&B band Boyz II Men created its famous Baby Back Ribs jingle. In fact, the song was the work of the Austin-based agency GSD&M.
Mischief leaned into the misperception, inviting the members of the band to film a spot that features the trio eating at a Chili’s and launching into a cover of the jingle. To further the illusion, Mischief and Chili’s also created merchandise and a vinyl press for the single.
Taken together, Chili’s found its way back into the cultural consciousness by reminding audiences of its humor and value. Chili’s fans, after all, love a good ribbing.
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