Taco Bell's $5 Homerun

 

I get asked all the time ‘how do we keep our brand relevant”? The answer is simple.  Your brand should be an invitation, use your brand to invite new customers and edify existing customers. Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® stated Taco Bells new ‘Build Your Own Craving’ is an example of leveraging a brands value while edifying the customer relationship.  

So, the Build Your Own Cravings allows customer to create their meal exactly as they please, whether they’re craving vegetarian options, swapping out a protein for beans, or just sticking with the classics.

Consider this, if you were to take a boring burger bundle, add a celebrity in the mix, put it online, then you’ve got the perfect recipe for, well, eating someone else’s favorites. So, Taco Bell wondered, why not empower each customer? That’s right you can just Eat Like You? Your favorites. All together. For just $5.

It’s a way to edify their most passionate frequent customers first, the new Build Your Own Cravings Box will be available exclusively to Taco Bell Rewards Beta members on the Taco Bell app now and to other Taco Bell digital customers members on February 11, 2021.

We agree that the Build Your Own Cravings Box is the ultimate Taco Bell eating experience. Packaged in a convenient, recyclable paperboard box, fans can create their meal exactly as they please from a selection of well-loved favorites. With the click of a button, 18 different variations come to life on Taco Bell’s mobile and website, showcased in the following categories:

Specialties—a signature item like the Chalupa Supreme, Cheesy Gordita Crunch or Crunchwrap

Starters—a Crunchy Taco, Soft Taco, Beefy 5-Layer Burrito or Bean and Cheese Burrito

Sides—Of course, the meal wouldn’t be complete without either Chips & Nacho Cheese Sauce or Cinnamon Twists

Drinks—A choice of Medium fountain drink rounds out the exclusive offer

The Build Your Own Cravings allows customers to create their meal exactly as they please, whether they’re craving vegetarian options, swapping out a protein for beans, or just sticking with the classics. How you build your box is up to you, no matter your protein preference.

Nikki Lawson, Taco Bell’s Chief Global Brand Officer stated, “As we see it, there aren’t a lot of choices out there when it comes to value, forcing customers to play by others’ rules. But when your customers have different favorites on the menu, why not celebrate that?” ... “The Taco Bell I’m proud to lead does it differently—we put fans in the driver's seat and allow them to eat how they want to eat, not how someone, irrespective of how famous they may be, tells them to.”

Empowering an interactive participatory customer relationship Taco Bell is going all in on the launch with marketing that empowers fans to take pride in their unique crunchy, cheesy or spicy taste. The digital and social campaign includes some of Taco Bell’s most influential fans including actor Noah Centineo, TikTok influencer Nava Rose, K-Pop star CL, iconic Drag Queen Onyx Black, and BMXer Brad Simms, among others.

Note, the celebrities won’t be sharing their own orders, but rather reminding consumers to never settle for someone else’s taste buds. With no predetermined celebrity meal in sight, fans will be encouraged to share their own unique Cravings Box orders on social platforms, such as TikTok, with a never-before-seen filter and hashtag challenge, and will even be able to take on the role of a lifetime as they act alongside Noah Centineo in a passionate TikTok duet. Customers should keep their eye on Taco Bell’s social channels and even their own for your page for information and even more surprises.

Are you ready for a marketing homerun?  Are you ready for some fresh ideations? Do your food marketing ideations look more like yesterday than tomorrow? Interested in learning how Foodservice Solutions® can edify your retail food brand while creating a platform for consumer convenient meal participation, differentiation and individualization?  Email us at: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or visit us on our social media sites by clicking the following links: Facebook,  LinkedIn, or Twitter