Quality Food with A Side of Sass
Everyone has their preferred brands, which are usually influenced by the quality of service that is experinced by customers in real life; although this is an important factor for brands to uphold, certain brands can influence peoples attitude towards their product without even having them experience it in person. My favorite example of a brand that uses social media platforms in a unique way that pulls people’s attention towards them is Wendy’s, as it attracts customers through its sassy presence on social media. Wendy’s signature influence on social media is through their twitter account, where they serve authentic tweets and comments drawing attention towards their brand. With 2.49 followers on twitter, Wendy’s has created a reputation for responding to comments from users on their products and services in such a sassy way, that their brand has become centered more on comedy surrounding the products they advertise online.
Personally, in the past I would have considered myself more of a McDonalds fan than a Wendy’s fan, but since I am a heavy twitter user Wendy’s began to strike a warm spot in my heart. This got me thinking that if I am feeling this way about a brand through following their social media, surely I am not the only one. I then realized that that’s exactly what Wendy’s marketing team is doing:
1. Targeting Millennials
Their voice on social media became something that younger twitter users appeal to; it aligns with our sense of humor, and the fact that this amount of sass is coming from a restaurant is so unusual to see today. Wendy’s took a shot years ago by beginning to comment on tweets regarding their service and products in a humorous way, and realized that this type of response gained a ton of attention and reactions from younger twitter users. This gave the brand an edge that a lot of other brands just don’t have; as students, we learn that to protect this ‘professional’ aspect when presenting something, just as companies and brands present to customers in the real world. Wendy’s did the exact opposite of this, and people loved it. For once, it wasn’t as if we were reading a monotone, fake sounding description, but reading the real side of what people working in Wendy’s are actually like. This makes the brand more personal, and younger generations gravitate towards this sassy humor, as it shows that Wendy’s is one of us.
By connecting to younger generations through its sense of humour, Wendy’s has almost built itself up as an internet meme. Although its not meme that would be specefically known for just one post, Wendy’s twitter account has become an internet fad that is shared as funny content; I would argue that the entire face of the brand has become a meme through just its reconized symbol on the internet, as majority of posts that are shared of Wendy’s is a joke on twitter.
Besides making up their own sassy tweets from scratch, what makes Wendy’s twitter account so continuously watched by users is because of the constant engagement with its customers:
2. Actively Responsive to Customers
The fact that people know they can tweet at a brand and have them respond in a funny way sparks an enormous amount of action from twitter users. twitter users have an incentive to tweet at Wendy’s, as having a response directed at them gives a rush that they are being involved in the twitter roast action that the brand is known for. For the people who have become involved in the Wendy’s twitter beef, it forever imbeds a special connection with the brand; it’s almost as if you have had an actual personal conversation with a fast food restaurant.
Let’s be honest, we would all feel special if we could say that Wendy’s had actually responded to your tweet or roasted you in some way. I think this is one of the brands most intelligent moves with marketing its social media presence; it really turns a brand into something people feel connected to, helping pull more customers its way through internet humor.
Although people love seeing everyday twitter users being roasted by Wendy’s, another genius tactic this brand uses through their social media presence on twitter is poking fun at its competitors:
3. Sparking Humour Against Competitors
As I mentioned before, I had considered myself a McDonalds fan when it comes to fast food chains; however, after watching Wendy’s drag McDonalds through the mud with twitter roasts made me change sides very quickly. Recently Wendy’s changed their campaign to advocating that all products were fresh and never frozen. The brand also used this new campaign to attack its major competitor, McDonalds, on the questionable freshness of their products in comparison.
What makes these tweets even better is that McDonalds is still relatively stuck in the monotone marketing zone on social media, making Wendy’s the ultimate champion in the twitter audiences eyes. While considering the first tactical approach of targeting millennials through Wendy’s twitter audience, connecting salty tweets against its competitors is a great idea for switching younger generations to choose Wendy’s over McDonalds, as they have proved they are a more personalized brand.
Finally, alongside all of these tactics that Wendy’s seems to be following through its social media account, the brand also seeks out engagement of other popular twitter influencers who are willing to support their brand and add on to the sassiness:
4. Engaging With Other Social Media Influencers
This tactic in particular is special to me, as one of the influencers that Wendy’s has taken under their wing is a well-known twitter user from my home town, Ottawa Ontario. Elle Mills has become a very popular twitter account to follow in the past two years, as she creates the same sassy content that millennials love to see on social media. She has also been a huge fan of Wendy’s from day one and voluntarily advocated for its great reputation as a fast food joint through her social media accounts; eventually, after gaining a lot of attention through twitter of her obsession with Wendy’s, the brand decided to reach out to her and agree to work together to spread their humor in relation to the brand.
I know this sparked attention towards the reputation of the brand instantly for my friends and I back home, as we have been following Elle’s quirky content for ages just waiting for Wendy’s to make the move to collaborate together. While it struck a special place for people from Ottawa, Elle’s connection with Wendy’s also went viral, as twitter users were looking for another popular twitter user to work with the brand.
Both social media influencers gained more attention, and honestly, I love every moment that a fast food chain and a local girl from ottawa who became huge on twitter post about one another, as it just continues to give Wendy’s the feel of being a friend.
This is only the start of Elle Milles posting content on twitter in collaboration with Wendy’s, and Wendy’s reaching out to many more social media influencers who find their presence on twitter entertaining. I cant say I dont look forward to watching how much farther Wendy’s will continue to grow, and i’m sure i’m not the only one.
Wendy’s has become a brand that is regarded as unique and likeable through the tactics they use through their social media. The brand continues to promote their products and services while also engaging younger audiences through social media to gain more attention. Wendy’s competitors have slowly been taken down through their sassy comments online, as the ‘unprofessional’ marketing approach is still new, Wendy’s stands out when promoting this unique characteristic. In my opinion, I think Wendy’s is taking the best approach with social media and advocating their brand, as before I didn’t even give Wendy’s a second thought. Now, I have a warm place in my heart for Wendy’s, and it’s all thanks to their willingness to be laid back and unique on social media.
There’s a lot to be learned from Wendy’s social media approach and tactics of continuing their unique presence on social media, but overall I think their twitter bio says it all:
“We like our tweets the same way we like to make hamburgers: better than anyone expects from a fast food joint” — Wendy’s
Sources:
