Integrated marketing communications campaign addressing Chipotle food safety crisis

Chipotle

The new integrated marketing campaign is intended to take Chipotle past whatever issue or controversy that is in the company's past.

Target

Chipotle is one of the largest quick service restaurants in the U.S. It is ranked 14th on the QSR Top 50 of quick service chains, and with a fast rate of growth. This, coupled with the company's rapid growth, highlights that Chipotle is attractive to consumers, and is one of the fast-growing companies in an otherwise mature industry. With over $4 billion in sales nationwide, and $2.4 million in sales per location, Chipotle appeals to a fairly broad market. Its general target market consists of people ages 25-40, both genders, and either white or Hispanic. The company's message about sustainable sourcing and healthy eating resonates particularly well with this market. Geographically, Chipotle works with a very broad segment of the market. The target market in this case wants two things. The first thing that the target market wants is to have fast food that is superior to the usual -- and this market is willing to pay for that, but not willing to sacrifice the convenience aspect. The second thing that this target market wants is to have a clear conscience. The usual Chipotle target market is comprised of people who are interested in eating well, but who are also constrained in terms of either time or price. The average person within the Chipotle target market does not necessarily think in terms of these constraints, but those constraints surely exist.

The Message

The message that Chipotle wishes to convey is that whatever people might have read in the past is in the past. If they read that there were issues with the meat, the company wants people to think past that. If there was broken glass everywhere, and people going on the stairs like they just don't care, Chipotle wants to convey the message that this is a thing of the past. Chipotle generally has a positive brand image. The company is targeting consumers who are interested in healthy eating -- more or less making Chipotle a lifestyle brand rather than a fast food brand (Davis, 2014).

The reality is that Chipotle remains one of the most trusted brands in fast food; any resuscitation of the brand is probably unnecessary because people have already forgotten whatever issue it was that was causing concern among senior management. The reality is that Chipotle still has a very strong brand image, and that nothing has change the fact it has a leadership position in that regard (Balakrishnan, 2015).

Perceptions

Chipotle has a strong brand image, and ultimately the current program should not undermine that. The reality is that Chipotle needs to convey the image of a company that has high ethical standards, in particular with respect to its suppliers. the perception that should be conveyed is that nothing has changed, and Chipotle remains a trusted supplier of choice for great meals. The key here is that whatever controversy there might have been is in the past. The customer has probably forgotten about it, and the company would like any customers or future customers to also forget about it.

Timeframe

The message is an ongoing message, because it is a central part of Chipotle's branding. Thus, the message will run for about a year, conveying the same things that have generally made Chipotle attractive to this target market. The timeframe therefore is one year, and the message will be rolled out and reinforced over this time period. The message will be delivered steadily over the entire time frame.

Where

The message will be consistent throughout the different media forms that Chipotle uses. For example, a campaign will bring this message to the masses via the mainstream media and via social media. Such an approach provides enough opportunity for the target audience to be exposed to the message. The reality is that social media is a good way to receive this message, but can be tricky to execute, because the message will often be passed around, from one recipient to the next.