Chipotle is blowing their competition out of the water, and it’s not just because they’ve got a good product. That’s only part of it. Chipotle’s TikTok strategy has created a craze among the youth, waiting in anticipation for their next challenge.
Let’s just put it this way: the TikTok app is the new black, and Chipotle has stated that their focus is on leading the culture, not reacting to it. In other words, they’re setting the trends, and doing it well.
TikTok allows social media users to upload 15 seconds of homemade footage, whether that be video of themselves dancing, singing, telling jokes, etc. It’s the new and improved Vine for the Gen Z and Millennial generations, who live and breathe by social media and all the likes.
So, can TikTok give your brand the edge it needs to boost awareness and sales? To find out, let’s take a closer look into the success of Chipotle’s last three campaigns using TikTok, and find out what it is that makes TikTok tick….
Chipotle’s Cinco de Mayo Hashtag Campaign – May 2019
While Chipotle has a sturdy chain of restaurants around the States, not all locations are accessible to their hungry customers. In an effort to make their food more accessible, Chipotle announced free delivery service on Cinco de Mayo as well as showing off their new partnership with TikTok via the#ChipotleLidFlip challenge.
The point? There’s a combination of two exciting things here: the first is free delivery of their famously fresh take on Mexican-American food on a booze-filled holiday, where all those who partake will most likely be trying to eat Mexican food; the second is the use of the app to reach and interact with a specific audience with a little something extra—a challenge.
The challenge was to mimic the Chipotle worker flipping a lid to “seal the deal” on a burrito bowl. Of course, users were challenged to record themselves achieving this on TikTok, and social media influencer Dave Dobrik was used to kick off the challenge. This generated over 250,000 user-videos and a significant spike in sales.
Not only did people participate in the challenge, but Chipotle made their food more accessible on a day when they knew people would most want it. It worked seamlessly.
Chipotle’s Avocado Day Campaign – July 2019
There’s no better way to celebrate social media’s National Avocado Day than the #GuacDanceChallenge. That’s right—another challenge, another TikTok video campaign, and another rise in digital sales with reported earnings of $91 million during that week.
This challenge invited Chipotle fans across America to celebrate their love for avocados by showing off their dance moves. The challenge featured children’s musician Dr. Jean, whose “Guacamole Song” went viral on social media. The TikTok dance-off began with YouTubers Brent Rivera and Loren Gray kicking off the next pattern of success.
Not only did Chipotle lovers accept this challenge with gusto, creating over 100 million user-generated videos during the entire campaign, but they also received free guacamole all day in celebration of National Avocado Day. Chipotle took things a step further by inviting Skeery Jones and Alex Gervasi from iHeartRadio into its restaurants for a lesson on making fresh guacamole.
We’re beginning to see a pattern: a free giveaway or deal, a TikTok challenge, social media influencers, and interaction and engagement among customers and influencers.
Chipotle’s Latest Campaign for Halloween – October 2019
This Halloween, Chipotle is using TikTok once again as a part of their annual Halloween celebration. During Halloween, customers who come dressed in costume can take advantage of $4 burritos. But that’s not all.
The newest challenge being introduced as #Boorito is getting TikTok users and Chipotle lovers to post before and after videos of their Halloween costume transformations. This challenge is unique in that they are giving away free burritos for an entire year to the top five submissions that include the hashtag of the challenge. It also allows costume and make-up enthusiasts to showcase some of their best work.
Kicking off the challenge are TikTok’s own content creators Zach King and Brittany Broski. As Halloween is already a holiday that generates incredible sales and Chipotle already offers a good deal, the company will no doubt see an even greater spike in sales and participation throughout this campaign.
What Do All Three Campaigns Have in Common?
The numbers are in and Chipotle’s TikTok marketing campaign has been a great success. Inside that great success are three things—not including the TikTok app itself:
# 1 Providing a Challenge via TikTok
“Challenges” are all over social media. So is the rest of the world—and people love to join in on the action. A challenge offers a reason for social media users to get involved and, of course, post videos of themselves. Combine that with a popular brand and a hot new app, and you’ll have all eyes on you and extreme participation.
#2 Using a Social Media Influencer
In this time of the Gen Z’s and Millennials, social media influencers are who the youth look up to.
It’s not enough to post something organically and assume it will be seen and passed along. When @InsertNameHere has over 600,000 followers on Instagram, you can bet that whatever they’re wearing, eating, listening to, advocating for, or doing is influencing a large percentage of the population. Hence the term “influencer”.
#3 Offering a Little Something Extra
The last thing that Chipotle’s TikTok strategy capitalizes on is the giveaways. To improve your brand’s awareness, one of the most time-tested marketing techniques is giving away free stuff.
Everyone loves free stuff—especially when they win it. Each of Chipotle’s campaigns involved some sort of giveaway, knowing full well that after eating their delicious food you’ll always come back for more.
It’s that simple. Brands on TikTok are marketing themselves in what seems to be a complex manner. However, it’s really just about taking advantage of digital marketing in a way that resonates with people and leaves an impression.
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