It’s worth thinking back about 2010 — what fast food ads do you remember? (I wrote this in late Jan.)
For me, Pizza came to mind first; from the 10 Dollar price point positioning of Pizza Hut (which offered value and an immediate clarification on pricing, always a nebulous weak point for the Pizza category) to the Domino’s ads about `sending in a picture of your pizza’ and real pizza in ads from now on with no special effects (a reaching out to be more real to people - in essence just what that Undercover Boss series does).
Yes, that funny ad with those Valley Girl type secretaries eating Hardee’s Fresh Chicken Fingers comes to mind still too; and, Wendy’s Sea Salt Fries, but that was recent. Okay, I still have a memory or two of McDonald’s different `Wraps’ type offerings, Arby’s 1.00 Menu - and Subway now offering Breakfast (all three of which induced not one actionby myself until recently trying Arby’s Buck Items). Nearly all the rest is a wash. Money swept under the bridge of TV Fast Food Advertising.
Zaxby’s is simply that easy to whistle same music theme over and over and the folksy endorsement by small celebrities - IHOP is endlessly pushing slightly expensive breakfasts IMO - all the Casual Restaurants such as Friday’s are endlessly pushing the under 10.00 price point (and ignoring that I will be paying a tip beyond any price point that EXcludes a drink to begin with) (not real) - and, where has the Burger KING went anyway? Price is also what I remember about Capt. D’s ads - and Steak and Shake - while price AND size is what I remember about Taco Bell. (As I go mentally thru my local Woodstock Ga. Fast Food Market.)
My guess is that some marketing departments are patting themselves on the back - they have gotten the point thru to a weary America that `eating out’ can fit into a reduced `frills’ budget diet the new normal has put America onto.
But, PRICE may be less compelling - especially emotionally to a consumer - than the reward of trying a new product offering that sounds especially good; one that you may be excited to tell a friend about. And, less compelling than trying to directly talk to consumers like the Pizza category did in 2010. IMO.
So, what would I do if it were MY ad dollar?
I’d want to stand out.
For example, to `reach the consumer’ would 4 thirty second ads bunched with a block of perhaps 4 minutes of similar ads each time - sound like a way to stand out — OR — WOULD A TWO MINUTE `SHOWCASE’ AD? —————– Heck, even 24 - Five second logos might have more impact than the standard forgettable 30 second ad a week into a new ad flight.
IMO, with `Showcase’ Ads - Brands can address all the marketing categories with 3 or 4 variations (a strategy not often used) - first and foremost, the `frequency-rejecter’ - that is the core population base that is aware of your brand, has used it in the past - but now, it has been so long, as to be a `trier-rejector’ (at least to YOU the owner of the brand) of the brand - having replaced it with other choices.
IMO, many of these people can be lured back - and many fall into the influenced by advertising campaigns motif - that ad agencies have long relied upon for improvement of sales during sales campaigns. IMO, they could be targeted MUCH more via a Showcase ad.
After all, REGULAR users are JUST that - and are UNLIKELY to be significantly changing their Frequency of Usage over any term; other than to bump up the next visit interval by a few days, perhaps. Much more effective ways exist to market to your existing customer base than TV mass advertising.
Of course, the ultimate boom would exist on MAKING A NEW USER ENTIRELY - the total rejecter; never user (for all practical purposes) - certainly a Showcase Ad for these extremely low awareness of what your brand IS market - can become better informed and tempted about what YOU have to offer via your brand.
These LOW-KEY, almost, aw-shucks ads - like an infomercial - are the emotional connection to change behaviour ——— not the mind numbing, what did I just see, 30 second blasts of normalcy.
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See just how different regular fast food users are compared to rejecters at my YouTube channel or by following these links:
Frequent user of Fast Food - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTRO81RR7DA
Hates Fast Food - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8G9OAFlquI
UMMM Grill Lines - 
