The Charles Ramsey-McDonald’s episode is shaping up as an argument that brands should respond to viral marketing opportunities slowly, cautiously—and perhaps not at all.
Chipotle
Hot Pizza: So Popular Restaurants Will Try Almost Anything
Pizza is popping up in more (and sometimes unusual) places, and it’s being prepared and marketed in new (and sometimes unusual) ways. Why is pizza so hot all of a sudden?
Social Media Manipulation? When “Indie” Bloggers and Businesses Get Cozy
Brands have sought to partner with influential bloggers for nearly as long as there have been blogs, with ads, sponsored posts, and more. Lately, however, a new relationship between brands and popular social media practioners is …
Stealth Celebrity Endorsement: No Money Changing Hands, Just Free Burritos
There’s no mystery as to why companies give away swag during the Oscars to people in the movie business. The possibility that a celebrity will Tweet about the product or perhaps be photographed with it more than offsets the cost …
Why Some Brand Extensions Are Brilliant and Others Are Just Awkward
When done correctly, a brand extension can be a huge hit, with the only complaint among consumers amounting to Why didn’t they do that sooner? Sometimes, though, the launch of a new product featuring a well-known brand is such a mismatch the reaction is more like What were they thinking?
Like Free Money? Bonuses Abound With Holiday Gift Card Purchases
Why buy gift cards at face value when the holiday season is filled with deals giving 20% bonuses on card purchases?
Craft Beer Gets the ‘Fast-Casual’ Treatment
Beer snobs, rejoice! Now you can have your cheap eats and fancy brew, too. A growing number of restaurants in the not-quite-fast-food category like Chipotle Mexican Grill and Smashburger are getting into the business of pouring …
Is Grilled Cheese the Next Big Thing in Fast Casual Restaurants?
Say cheese! The formula of speedy service, customization, and high quality practiced by fast-casual restaurant leaders Chipotle and Panera Bread is already being widely applied to better burger chains and
Burger King Officially Has the Slowest Drive-Through in Fast Food
If it seems like the King takes a long time to flip your burgers when you’re sitting in the drive-through, you’re right.
Can the Chipotle ‘Fast Casual’ Approach Work for Pizza?
The “fast-casual” restaurant concept has been enormously successful for Chipotle, Panera Bread, and “better burger” chains like Five Guys. The idea, which the value-conscious, pressed-for-time American consumer has embraced with …
Chipotle’s Fuzzy Math: Why They Stopped Rounding Customers Out of Change
The next time you’re in Chipotle, check your receipt. That’s what one guy in New Jersey did, and he discovered that the fast-casual restaurant was rounding up to the nearest nickel — and it was costing him money.
Nothing to Hide: Why Restaurants Embrace the Open Kitchen
In the past, restaurant customers may have preferred food to magically appear out from behind closed doors, with no indication whatsoever about how the sausage is made—figuratively or literally. After years of hearing Big Food …
