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Chicken Salad Chick - Historical Marketing Strategy
Chicken Salad Chick's marketing strategy before June 2016 primarily aimed to increase brand awareness through word-of-mouth, relationship, transactional, seasonal, and social media marketing efforts. The company's goal was to boost loyalty and sales by strategically engaging existing and potential customers.
Chicken Salad Chick's Target Market
- The company's primary target market is women in the age demographic of 35 to 45. Women aged 20 to 30 are the secondary target customers. Finally, men and women age 55 to 65 represent the third target market.
- The geographic target market is the southeast United States.
Aesthetic
- Franchises are designed to help guests feel at home. Some features include bright green walls, colorful tablecloths, and employees with southern hospitality.
- Each chicken salad is named after a woman that inspired the owner. The names, stories, and personalities help customers connect with the food.
Messaging
- Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter are the primary communication channels.
Marketing Strategy
- Customer Appreciation Day encourages customer loyalty.
- Grand openings strategically create excitement within communities through promotional contests. For example, the first person in line receives free chicken salad every week for an entire year. The next 99 customers in line get free chicken salad every month for one year.
- These events implement marketing strategies to increase sales, spread brand awareness, and build customer loyalty. Furthermore, these strategies encourage word-of-mouth marketing.
Advertising Campaigns
- In 2013, a "Voice of Chicken Salad Chick" Contest was held. The winner was featured in audio advertisements and received a gift card for a year's worth of free meals. The contest was geared towards the company's target market in the Southeast. Furthermore, the campaign sought to find a voice that could embody the charm and class of Southern cooking. This strategy helped solidify the brand identity as a place for those looking for southern comfort.
- In 2015, the Chicken Salad Chick’s Craving Credits loyalty program offered customers a way to earn reward points via a mobile app. The Craving Credits app has exclusive insider information, the option to place orders online, and a map showing the nearest restaurants. This social media advertising strategy was used to increase the number of repeat customers.
- An Instagram campaign was launched in 2015 under the hashtag #pickanewchick. The winner received a $5,000 prize, and their sandwich was added to the menu. Stealth advertising techniques enabled the company to promote a new product that the customers created themselves.
- Prizes and giveaways take place during holidays, franchise openings, and special events — This type of campaign leveraged relationship and transactional marketing to build new and enhance existing customer relationships.
Social Mission
- The company seeks to give back to the community through the Chicken Salad Chick Foundation (CSCF), founded in 2013. This charity provides funding for the American Cancer Society to assist cancer centers, food banks, and other regional programs.
- Social media campaigns empower individuals to get involved by helping to feed hungry families.
Research Strategy
We examined the historical advertising copy from social media posts to assess the marketing strategy of Chicken Salad Chick. Next, we reviewed case studies, trusted media articles, and the Public Relations Campaign to gain deeper insights. The company's website provided information about their social media channels, franchise locations, and their charitable foundation.
The responses to these advertising copies revealed their impact as well as the techniques behind each campaign. Fans were particularly receptive to these campaigns, which led to the repetition of these strategies regularly. Posts older than 2013 were unavailable. The reason this information could not be found that Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook would not load posts earlier than this date.