Savvy social media use propelled the Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen chicken sandwich to stardom in 2019. The brand hopes to replicate this success in the era of TikTok.
“We got a great reception from not only our guests, but also from people who had never been to Popeyes before,” said Bruno Cardinali, North American marketing chief, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen. “It transformed the brand from a sales perspective.”
The Popeyes Chicken Sandwich made headlines in August 2019 after selling out less than two weeks after its U.S. launch. The launch spurred a viral feud that consumers quickly dubbed the chicken sandwich wars, spurring several other quick service restaurant chains to innovate and create their own offerings.
During Marketing in the Age of TikTok, Cardinali shared his thoughts on the future of marketing through social media, celebrity partnerships and how to create a unique brand voice to reach consumers.
Cultivate a brand personality on social media
Prior to the chicken sandwich wars, Popeyes had already cultivated an enthusiastic social media following. Conversations and metrics revealed that users already felt excited about product offerings, especially in tests of the chicken sandwich.
Cardinali and the marketing team leveraged that buzz when it came to the nationwide launch of the Popeyes chicken sandwich.
“Popeyes continues to have fun, to dare and to put ourselves out there,” Cardinali said. “TikTok has a bunch of cohorts that you can work with. And then its about who are you trying to target? People who have engaged with your brand before or new content? […] The most important point is having a relevant content.”
Embrace the idea of brand ambassadors
In August 2021, Popeyes announced a sandwich and franchise collaboration with rapper Megan thee Stallion. As brand ambassador, Megan thee Stallion represented the brand with visuals, in TV commercials and social media with a message that reflected both the rapper and Popeyes.
“She loves the Popeyes sandwich and was one of the first to get her hands on the chicken sandwich and talk about it without us even knowing at first,” Cardinali said. “She has been supportive of the brand and is an authentic brand ambassador. We reached out to her and started working together on product development and that was that.”
Tailor your social media messages to the platform
Cardinali cautioned that there is not a one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to marketing your brand on social media.
“You should not post the same thing on Twitter as you would on Instagram or TikTok,” Cardinali said. “The audience is different on each platform […] you have to bring in relevant content and authenticity to these platforms.”
