bake - June 2019 - 44

department
foodservice

The Tweet that Saved the Day
With one single Tweet, the IHOP chain changed the course of

"We had to go big. We were famous for breakfast, but for lunch and

its future. People may remember the famous Tweet a year ago

dinner, not so full," he says. "We knew we had to do something."

when the restaurant company known best for pancakes sent
out a teaser through cyberspace that it was about to change its

Market research showed IHOP that burgers remained the No. 1

name to IHOb. The public reaction was immediate and robust.

selling entrée among adults in the United States. So the chain

What could IHOP be thinking? What most people don't know is

changed its burger to USDA Choice 100% Black Angus and

that the entire campaign was orchestrated down to the tiniest

offered a compelling menu price of $6.99. The new lineup of

detail and, at the end of the day, it really worked.

Ultimate Steakburgers became an instant hit.

"It was probably one of the most successful marketing cam-

Still, the chain had to show customers how serious they were

paigns we ever did, and it was the cost of one Tweet," explains

about burgers. That's when plans went into place to send out

Michael Chachula, executive director, head of IT for IHOP, who

the famous Tweet and then go so far as to physically change

spoke May 18 at an educational session during the National

the "P" to a "b" on the IHOP sign at one of its stores. What

Restaurant Association Show 2019. "This was planned like put-

followed was a rush of conversations about IHOP, pancakes

ting a man in space."

and burgers. Not long after, IHOP announced that it was never
really changing its name.

The lesson here for retailers and foodservice operators is that
social media can be a powerful and highly cost-effective tool to

"At ﬁrst, we got phone calls, people yelling at us, you are insane,"

get your brand noticed.

Chachula says. "We actually froze the Internet. We got everyone
talking about the new burger. A week later, we revealed why.'

Chachula listed off the many positives:
* 1.2 million Tweets the ﬁrst 10 days

For outsiders looking in, IHOP offers a lesson in how cost-ef-

* 100-plus brands and celebrities joining the conversation

fective it can be to start a new conversation about your brand.

* $113 million earned media impressions (Earned media can

Have a little fun with social media marketing, and remember to

include press coverage, social media mentions, shares and
retweets, product or company reviews, and blog posts authored outside your company.)
500,000 burgers sold per week at peak
* "Be bold and take risks," Chachula advises. "Think differently
and build new customer muscles."
For independent retail bakeries, there are valuable lessons here
that can be translated to your business. In 2018, IHOP was in
a pinch, Chachula explains, with negative year-over-year sales
and struggling to build sales beyond the morning hours.

44 < JUN 2019 | bakemag.com

plan out every last detail before you start.

#

For 60 pancakin'
years, we've been
IHOP. Now, we're
flippin' our name to
IHOb IHOb. Find out what
it could b on 6.11.18.
http://www.bakemag.com
bake - June 2019

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