Chipotle’s Farmed and Dangerous Disruptive or Sexual

If success does leave clues, the clue of the year is Outside Eye’s can Drive Inside Profits.  Creative marketing ideas and brand messaging often run into opposition. Many a good idea has been veto by over reacting C-level executives in legacy food retailers.  You know those executives who claim to be protecting the brand that are instead isolating the brand and practicing brand protectionism of the 1970’s, 1980’s, and 1990’s. Have you ever worked for one of them?  Are you one of them?

Regular readers of Foodservice Solutions® Grocerant Guru’s blog know that brand protectionism has no place in successful retail food marketing today.  Chipotle’s “Farmed and Dangerous,” miniseries that can be seen on Hulu.com is billed as a “Chipotle original series,” is not brand protectionism series.  Rather it is an example of effective brand messaging.  A creative from of brand messaging that could well prove a disruptive new avenue of branded food marketing.

This was not Chipotle’s first volley at non-traditional brand messaging communication. Previously Chipotle released two short marketing messaging films, called Back to the Start and Scarecrow.  The goal of each was too clearly edify Chipotle’s consumer focused “better for you” brand positioning.  Collectively they tout themes that echo Chipotle’s core on-going focus; sustainable agriculture, and the humane treatment of animals used in food retail.

Targeting 18 to 44 year olds this from of messaging is not about short term product placement or sales but clearly targeting brand edification and long term food “values integration” and adoption. Sex sells and Farmed and Dangerous has a cast that is very easy on any eyes with sexual innuendo’s that will bring viewer back for more than one episode. Isn’t that the goal? What does your Brand Stand For? Who are you telling and where?  With restaurant customer migration continuing to gain momentum, might it be time to refocus your messaging and avenues of messaging distribution?

Chipotle Mexican Grill knows what it stands for and is confident it’s consumers, future consumers will too. Success does leave clues and by all legacy metric’s Chipotle Mexican Grill is preforming much better than its peers and industry over the past five years in: New Unit Growth, Same Store Sales, Customer Count Growth, and Brand Messaging. Outside Eye’s just might be able to help your brand as well.

Visit: www.FoodserviceSolutions.us  if you are interested in learning how Foodservice Solutions 5P’s of Food Marketing can edify your retail food brand while creating a platform for consumer convenient meal participation, differentiation and individualization  or learn more at Facebook.com/Steven Johnson, Linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant