Taco Bell And Social Media

Taco Bell is a prime example of a company using social media in an effective manner. Their target market, since the inception of the business in 1962, is young men who go out to eat a minimum of twelve times per month (Bailey). It is very important, and wise, to focus on marketing strategies that appeal to this demographic and use the communication channels that they pay attention to; and with the rise of the Millennial, marketing strategies are morphing to fit the mindset of the next generation of consumers. Over the last twenty years, Taco Bell has progressed through a few different marketing campaigns, including a hungry Chihuahua, the tagline “think outside the bun,” and progressing up to their current slogan of “live mas” (Morrison).

She mentions that one of the key elements to their game plan is to “act like a fan.” By this, she implies that their target market, Millennials, respond more favorably to the opinions of their peers than traditional marketing messages. Their use of Twitter and other social media to engage in conversations with brand followers show how they are taking a peer-to-peer approach versus projecting a corporation–consumer relationship. Also, they have recently shifted the way their photos are arranged for social media; instead of the traditional layout, their promotional shots for social media are taken from the standpoint of the consumer (Lacy). Lieberman also mentions how the advent of personal YouTube channels allows Taco Bell to interface directly with consumers who show interest in their brand; she cites one instance where a young man promoted Taco Bell products in one of his videos (because he’s a lover of their food), and Taco Bell responded by sending him custom art (Lacy). This is an example of how Taco Bell is using relationship building and word of mouth advertising to help spread their message. One of the ways that Lieberman facilitates this is by hiring “digital natives” to man the social media front lines (Lacy). What better way to

Anyone can download an application to their smartphone (or access the interface through the website) and either order from the regular menu or create their own items (“Keys”). I can’t imagine the mess the customization must create in the kitchen, but it plays in to the Millennial desire for unique, first-hand interactions (Spenner). According to Patrick Spenner, a contributing writer for Forbes, the Millennial generation has 75.7 million consumers, with 1.68 trillion dollars worth of yearly purchasing power. The importance of approaching this generation via the channels that they respond to cannot be overstated; study after study shows that the Millennials’ mindset and basic values differ greatly from those generations that came before. Companies who adjust, like Taco Bell, will maintain and grow their market share by using current communication channels and language that appeals to this up and coming generation of consumers. The instant nature of social media allows companies to use trendy words and respond quickly to current events; and gives them the opportunity to engage in small spurts instead of the huge investment of a television campaign or print