5 stealable promo ideas
By Aaron Jourden on Feb. 07, 2017Quick-service restaurants abroad are looking to drum up excitement and get their messaging across to consumers with an assortment of new marketing campaigns.
Recent efforts from the likes of McDonald’s, KFC, Pizza Hut and Burger King touch on a variety of subjects and themes, from helping seniors socialize to highlighting ingredient quality to underscoring a point of differentiation.
Here are examples of five stealable promo ideas from QSRs overseas.
1. Burger King Brazil offers seniors-only combo deal
Burger King Brazil wants to coax the 70-plus crowd out of their houses and into its restaurants for food and socializing. That’s the idea behind the launch of the chain’s King Senior, a new box meal that bundles together two Whopper combos for the price of one. The limited-time offer is intended to encourage family and friends to take older folks, who may otherwise be isolated and inactive, out for a meal.
“You want a Whopper Combo for free? Then take grandpa to BK,” the chain wrote in a recent Facebook post.
Burger King will donate proceeds from the promotion to Projeto Velho Amigo (“Old Friend Project”), an association that assists seniors with quality-of-life issues.
2. KFC India hosts mind control stunt
KFC India just rolled out Nashville Chicken, which launched in the United States about a year ago. To spread the word, the chain hosted an event that rewarded customers for devoting their complete attention to the new product.
As part of the Teleconnect to Nashville event, KFC had people wear a special piece of equipment that measured their concentration levels, and if they could achieve 100% concentration on a box of Nashville Chicken in front of them, the box would open.
Most people were unable to open the box. For those that were, prizes for doing so included a year’s worth of free KFC food and airfare to Nashville.
“We have all heard that our minds can move mountains,” said Lluis Ruiz Ribot, chief marketing officer of KFC India, per Brand Equity. “Through this fun activation, we wanted to tell consumers that it could help them [win] a trip to Nashville, USA, too.”
3. Pizza Hut UK markets mood-boosting 'happy' pizza
How do you combat the post-holidays funk that many people find themselves in at the start of the new year? Pizza Hut U.K. offered a remedy with what it billed as the Happiest Pizza.
Pizza Hut says it worked with behavioral psychologists and a nutritionist to develop a scientifically backed pizza recipe intended to help consumers beat the January blues, as this period is known in the U.K. The pizza is topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella, tuna, red onion, olives and sweet corn, which are supposed to boost chemicals linked to happiness.
To maximize the effect, Pizza Hut encouraged diners to eat the Happiest Pizza while watching a video intended to further stimulate the mind through calming and colorful visuals.
4. McDonald’s Germany taps into 'fake news' with new branding campaign
“Finished with fake news: The truth about McDonald’s.” That’s how McDonald’s Germany is presenting its latest marketing effort, which is intended to dispel rumors and mistruths about the quality of the chain’s food.
Customers can visit a new quality page on McDonald’s website that offers information on ingredient sourcing and a link to a Q&A site where visitors can get their product questions answered by the chain. The new quality page also features games, videos and other content related to menu transparency and sourcing info.
As part of the effort, McDonald’s is also addressing other general rumors and mistruths to help build attention around the campaign. A print piece from the campaign reads: “Kissing makes you pregnant. Do not believe everything told to you.”
McDonald’s plans to use the campaign to highlight different products throughout the year. Fish is the first item to be featured. The chain’s marketing for its fish includes supplier portraits, a digital fishing game and short YouTube videos of a singing novelty fish that bear resemblance to a viral video hit McDonald’s had in the U.S. several years ago.
5. Burger King New Zealand returns home-grilling promo for summer
Flame grilling is one of the key attributes that Burger King uses to differentiate from its competitors. To highlight that aspect of its positioning in New Zealand, the chain has brought back a summertime promotion that puts flame-grilling front and center.
As part of the Backyard Burger King promo, Burger King is offering customers the chance to win one of a limited number of meal kits that come with all the ingredients needed to prepare its signature Whoppers on a home grill. The kits also include branded swag like a spatula and apron.
“You supply the flames, we’ll supply the food,” reads the tagline.
As an added feature for this year’s promo, the chain is offering participants the chance to choose some extra ingredients they’d like to use to underscore Whopper customization. Those looking to win a Backyard Burger King kit can sign up at backyardbk.co.nz.