Consumer trust and relatability go hand in hand. Our objective: build consumer trust and brand affinity by being the most engaged-with QSR on social.
Consumer trust comes from being able to relate to a brand. People like brands that feel relatable and like-minded, especially on social. So, with that in mind, our strategy was to increase social media engagement by connecting with untapped audiences through a fellow fan strategy. We aimed to deliver creative content that strengthens Arby’s relevance and brand affinity by celebrating interests and creating a space for fans to come together.
To truly connect with our fans on an emotional and personal level, we knew we needed to stop selling to the masses and start celebrating with individuals. In 2019, we continued to build off that foundation by handcrafting content that touches upon actual (rather than perceived or estimated) interests and speaks to consumers on a level that only a true, knowledgeable fan can. Across social channels, Arby’s fellow fan strategy places our fans’ passions ahead of products and delivers creative content that drives engagement levels that consistently surpass benchmarks. The result is a deeply loyal and highly engaged fanbase whose affinity for Arby’s brand is unmatched within the QSR industry.
We experienced growth in followers and engagement across all channels and established ourselves on TikTok.
• 1.5% growth in Twitter followers YoY
• 18.5% growth in Instagram followers YoY
• 45% net sentiment in 2019 (5% higher than 40% net sentiment in 2018)
• Joined TikTok at the end of October and grew to 16K followers by the end of December, and now we’re at 27.5K
• 1.5X higher engagement rate on IG (paid posts)
• 2.3X higher engagement rate on FB (paid posts)
• 27% more mentions about the anime theme with Arby’s (driven a lot by #ArbysWaifu)
Comments shared across all channels:
• “I love you more and more Arby’s. I was hoping for something RE related cause the game dropped today. Thank you for always having the best sandwiches and the best marketing team. You guys never disappoint.”
• “This made me decide to go eat at Arby’s later today. Just know that this advertising is working.”
• “That’s it, I’m only going to Arby’s. The social media team is too good.”
• “Arby’s is literally my favorite company ever period. I’m a big fan of how much gamer/anime stuff they throw into their advertising, also their food is rather yummy.”
• “Now I need to eat at Arby’s considering they did this. THIS is how you advertise.”
• “Arby’s is about to get a loyal customer.”
• “Haven’t ever had Arby’s, but you best ‘believe it’ that I will now.”
