Grow your brand with PR by Amanda Fry
Nobody can deny that the Mexican wave has swept across Australia over the past few years and we have been part of the conversation since the first fast casual Mexican outlet opened in Australia. Whether you like the cuisine itself or not, there’s no ignoring the fact that it has become a rapidly expanding sector of the dining scene in this country and its fast becoming a favourite choice for many Australians. In the BRW Fast 100 list published in late 2011, only three food businesses were listed, two of which were Mexican brands and one being #12 on the list, Mad Mex our client. In an increasingly competitive market it becomes even more crucial for any brand to stand apart from its competitors both with potential franchisees and consumers which is where the public relations message can be a very cost effective way to influence conversations. Integrated into a strategic marketing plan, a targeted and tailored public relations campaign is essential to remain ahead of the curve.
Mad Mex Fresh Mexican Grill is currently in a rapid state of growth having opened six new restaurants in just as many months and plans to double in size over the next 12 months. The importance of maintaining a strong media presence both with business and consumer press is critical for many reasons. For a brand like Mad Mex, a strong business media campaign can attract franchisees into the group, maintain confidence with existing stakeholders and build brand awareness, and educate the market about the brand values and product offers. One of our many approaches has been to keep the Australian business community updated on the Mad Mex expansion, business success and retail sales growth year on year as well as new product offerings. As the founder, Clovis Young's long held vision and personal story cements the brand personality, so securing profiles for Clovis assists in presenting potential franchisees with a brand paradigm to which they can relate as well as further cementing Clovis’ position as a leader in both the Fast Casual and Mexican Food markets.
And whilst business media is paramount, customer awareness is also. So they too must be engaged at every opportunity. The goal of the consumer campaigns for Mad Mex seek to not only to attract new customers into restaurants but to also keep the existing ones feeling part of the brand. Repeated engagement fosters brand familiarity that begets stronger brand loyalty. In May 2011, Mad Mex launched its most successful customer campaign to date with The Big Burrito, introduced to mark the Cinco de Mayo holiday. We tapped into the man vs food mindset and offered Australians a challenge they could not resist on the backdrop of a grand Mexican battle. The offer of a burrito twice the normal size became a runaway success with widespread media coverage supported by an intensive social media campaign. More than 4,500 Australians took the challenge over a four-week period, many sharing their experiences with the brand through digital channels from uploaded video's to twitter banter. From a marketing and communications perspective, it was not the sheer volume of Big Burritos consumed that was most astonishing, but the overwhelming mobilisation of customers engaging with the brand through online and social media outlets. The Big Burrito campaign was recognized by Mumbrella as one of the 7 biggest launches for 2011 and it was completely PR driven.
All good communications campaigns should also include social media. As publicists it’s our job to do so in a way that compels customers to engage without falling into the trap that so many brands do by using social media as a promotional channel. Mad Mex correctly uses social media tools to sustain ongoing conversations with their audience and keeps it fresh, fun and interactive – and their customers love to tell us about the brand! In November 2011, Mad Mex ran a competition exclusively through Twitter asking followers to create and share their dream burrito, the winning entry selected by a public vote from fellow followers. The winning entry was made available in selected stores, adding a tangible engagement for customers with the promotion. Offering customers the chance to influence the menu, the backbone of the brand, demonstrated that the Mad Mex brand wanted to engage with them in a fun but not superficial way.
In a market where consumers have more food options than ever before, it is essential for a brand to communicate with customers and separate themselves from their competitors. You have to keep it fresh, positive and engaging and always look for a new and inventive way of getting the message out whether it be B2B or B2C PR. Mad Mex Fresh Mexican Grill understands that public relations is fundamental to their marketing plan and engaged 6dc PR 12 months ago as their agency.
If you would like to learn more about 6dc, please visit www.6dc.com.au.
Amanda Fry, Managing Director, 6dc
