Hittin’ the Road

Background

When a major brand is ready to release a new product announcement, it requires a practiced approach to manage subsequent marketing and PR demands. Such was the case when global brands Church’s Chicken and the Krystal Company wished to feature their new products through local efforts. Church’s Chicken launched its Bourbon Black Pepper Smokehouse Chicken and The Krystal Company partnered with Tabasco on its limited-time Fired Up Spicy menu. Ink Link Marketing was consulted by both companies to ensure a successful launch of each new product offering.

Strategy

Church’s Chicken and The Krystal Company needed to drive awareness for each new product offering and promote essential consumer-facing information such as when each menu item would become available and the duration of each offer. In each instance, Ink Link Marketing embarked on road tours involving team members personally delving into each brand’s relevant markets. Road tours quickly and effectively generated as much product awareness and interest as possible by securing media drops and press coverage across a broad range of platforms and audiences.

Tactics

• Spent a day in each city of El Paso, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio and Houston, Texas to drop off Church’s Chicken samples and conduct social media outreach;
• Coordinated and participated in promotional local TV segments and radio mentions to share the Bourbon Black Pepper Smokehouse Chicken news;
• Conducted a media tour of Birmingham, AL to secure and facilitate interviews with The Krystal Company’s Director of Promotions;
• Coordinated televised cooking segments and taste tests using The Krystal Company’s Fired Up menu items to compile creative new dishes;
• Supported the Fired Up event by reaching out to all media and bloggers as well as securing Krystal’s media drops throughout the Southeast area.

Results

Ink Link Marketing generated approximately $14,740.83 in ad equivalency for the Church’s Chicken road tour promotion of its Bourbon Black Pepper Smokehouse Chicken. Ink Link Marketing secured media coverage in a number of Texas media outlets including iHeart Radio in El Paso, KTSM in El Paso, Cumulus Radio in Dallas, KBFB in Dallas, iHeart Radio in Austin, Univision in Austin, KSYM radio in San Antonio and much more.

Ink Link Marketing generated $1,051,216.18 in ad equivalency for The Krystal Company’s road tour promotion of its Tabasco menu partnership. Ink Link Marketing secured media coverage in a number of markets with media outlets including Talk of Alabama in Birmingham, WRCB in Chattanooga, KLAF in Lafayette, WDEF in Chattanooga, Daily Advertiser in Lafayette and much more.