Marketing Hack 101: Popeyes

Lessons to be learned from Popeyes on today’s growth hacks in marketing

I knew Popeyes did something right when I saw lines everywhere next to their stores and my social media timelines were all about their chicken. The odd thing was, there was no national ad campaign or even celebrity sponsorship. Let’s break this down:

What is the product?

The Popeyes sandwich soft launched in select locations months ago. It had a brioche bun, a thick layer of pickles, and it came with either mayonnaise or a spicy Cajun sauce.

Growth hack technique: Twitter Feud

Popeyes publicly unveiled their sandwich with a series of tweets that quickly dissolved into a passive-aggressive feud with Chick-fil-A’s Twitter account, which was happy to engage. Wendy’s, which sells several chicken sandwiches, also awkwardly tried to get in on the action.

Timing

Americans haven’t had a viral food frenzy for a while; the only thing I can think of is the Doritos-Locos taco which is seven years old.

Why did it succeed?

What makes the Popeyes sandwich campaign so smart is the product is cheap, delicious and the accompanying snarky Twitter fight gave people a reason to weigh in with their opinions, all tagged with #popeyessandwich.

Lessons I learned:

• Every social media network has a different language. Trends, conversations, and debates happen differently on each social network. On Twitter, Popeyes, Wendy’s, Chick-Fil-A, and other restaurants were participating in a twitter war to see who has the best chicken sandwich. On Facebook or Instagram however, posts were business or promo as usual.
• There’s always a conversation going on. It’s important to join existing conversations to get the most engagement and join the conversation even if you weren’t invited.
• There is an 80/20 or 90/10 rule for the types of content you’re putting out. The majority of your content should be fun, educating, & entertaining while the minority should be sales or promotion.
• Always have a brand voice and apply throughout your content. Wendy’s for example is the more raunchy comedian entertainment type on social media.
• Share or curate content — for example, create a positive association with your brand and something that your followers resonate with. You can also share content and add your own spin on it.
• It is important to share content from companies or brands you want to work with. If they are successful, folks will associate you with them.
• Most importantly— be human and be personable. By being authentic and true to your brand’s voice, customers will better resonate with your brand’s message and products.
• It’s important to create a connection between your story and your customer’s story when you’re putting messages out to the masses.

Navancio LLC is a native-american owned small business that provides professional services, including specialized expertise in high-technology solutions. These services stretch across the federal, state and local government market and in commercial sectors throughout the United States, and internationally.