Case Study
Taco John's® Returns To Its Roots
Situation:
After using a series of zany mascots and spokespeople in their ads (including a monkey and a hipster DJ), Taco John’s was looking for a multimedia campaign that encompassed the values, history and local flavor of the brand. Taco John’s has a different kind of relationship with their customers; they are largely regarded as a local store that people have grown up with, and marketing materials should not only sell menu items, but also situate Taco John’s as part of the community.
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Taco John’s was looking for a multimedia campaign that encompassed the values, history and local flavor of the brand. |
Solution:
Lawrence & Schiller began the assignment with customer and franchisee interviews. We visited more than 120 Taco John’s restaurants across Wyoming, North Dakota, Nebraska, South Dakota, Kansas, Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota to better understand the brand and its most loyal customers.
These surveys revealed a common theme: people who grew up in a Town John's town often associate their most iconic memories with the restaurant, from first dates to sitting in their “regular” booth every Taco Tuesday to celebrating after the big game.
With these findings, we developed the “My Town, My Taco John’s” campaign, which celebrates these moments and encourages people to share the hometown tradition of Taco John's with their own families. In addition to the creation of an original “My Town, My Taco John’s” jingle to boost brand recall, extra attention was also given to the food in each television spot, emphasizing its unique flavors to incite “craveability” with our target audience.
“My Town, My Taco John’s” television is complemented by radio that incorporates the jingle. In-store marketing focuses on unique POP execution and enticing food visuals for each product that illustrate its unique flavor profile along with communicating value.
Results:
"My Town, My Taco John's" creative is now on-air. Promotions for "Wake Up Wednesday" and the Stuffed Grilled Taco debuted in March 2010. After the first full month, same store sales have climbed 1.7% when compared to the same time period in 2009. Factor in the 4.2% drop in sales during the preceding month of February and the year-over-year number is up nearly 6% since the previous agency's campaign ended and Lawrence & Schiller helped launch "My Town. My Taco John's."
The campaign has also received rave reviews from both the franchisee community and Taco John’s International.
"Our 40-year philosophy has been to go into smaller towns and become their taco place. What better way for us to celebrate the brand than to speak to those communities directly?" Renée Middleton, Vice President of Marketing for Taco John's, says. She’s thrilled with how well "My Town. My Taco John's" resonates with customers and employees. "I hope they will see a little of themselves in each commercial and celebrate the partnership between Taco John's and their communities."
