Powerful Marketing Lessons from the Twitter Chicken Sandwich War

Ott Heidmets

September 6, 2019

If you aren’t on social media, you might have missed it, but recently a small part of the online sphere was consumed by a bitter conflict, taking place on several fronts, and with innocent bystanders co-opted into being protagonists, perhaps unaware of what it all meant in the scheme of things.

I am of course talking about the Twitter Chicken Sandwich War, which featured a number of America’s favourite fast-food restaurants in open battle over who had the best piece of poultry in a brioche bun.

Sounds like someone just ate one of our biscuits. Cause y’all looking thirsty.

If you weren’t in a good mood, you could say “what does this have to do with advertising?” and though you’d have reason to do so, the reality is, this has everything to do with advertising. If you still don’t believe me, look at all the things you can learn from the Twitter Chicken Sandwich War.

The basics: you’ll hopefully see from the examples below how when advertising of any kind asks a question of the audience, and provokes a reaction, people want to be part of the story, and that’s how to achieve virality with your campaign.

Be Aggressive… Within Reason

In a crowded market like takeaway food, there’s no sense hiding what you’ve got to give. If you don’t win the internet, you’ve lost the internet, so you may as well go all-in when you see something you want – like domination of the chicken sandwich market.

It’s something Boston Market, who don’t actually make chicken sandwiches, understood perfectly when, during the Chicken Sandwich War, they posted that it was all just a pale consolation compared to mac and cheese?

Given that Boston Market is a small player in the fast-food world, they had more to gain than lose by getting involved in the conversation. This was a chain that had been rescued from administration not long before, and was looking to reestablish itself. Doing so in a way that subtly put down its opponents drew new attention to the brand.

If you’re a niche player in a market, sometimes a product war can help you too. That certainly happened for small restaurant Roaming Rooster. They weren’t taking part in the brand war, but the brand war had a positive knock-on effect for them, showing how the actions of larger brands can help small businesses, if they position themselves well within their market beforehand.

…But Be Playful

Remember that no-one likes it if a brand is too forceful. It can lead to controversies that can damage reputations. An example of this came when the Miami Marlins baseball team played the Tampa Bay Rays.

The two baseball teams both named after fish found in the water surrounding their native Florida engaged in some well-meaning sparring, that kept moving up a notch, until the Marlins’ Twitter specialist rolled out what they clearly thought was a home-run.

This all serves as an example of how any brand that seeks to leverage engagement through creating a voice for itself needs to make sure that voice is sympathetic. I know there’s a common misconception that “all publicity is good publicity,” but sometimes it’s worth exercising caution when you’re speaking on behalf of an employer.

How Did This Happen?

Or, more to the point, why did this happen? One theory is that social media creates an artificial distance between people, meaning that people who use it feel they can say more severe things without consequence than would be the case if they were face-to-face with the person they were talking to. This effect is only increased if a brand is talking to another brand.

This example highlights the importance of creating a voice for your brand without attracting controversy. The best way to start is to consider what you feel are the best aspects of your brand, and what distinguishes it from others in the market. If your company makes products aimed at younger people, or perhaps more disposable products (see our example, Dollar Shave Club), you can bring humour into your advertising, because your audience will appreciate that. Gen-Z consumers almost certainly will.

Upmarket Brands Have a Different Focus

If, on the other hand, your clientele is the kind which appreciates high-quality, luxury, products that last for a long time, you may have to treat carefully when it comes to your promotional voice. Consider instead a reassuring tone, such as the kind you read in BMW, Volkswagen, or Audi advertising.

Be Calming

Think about calming words and phrases you can use. Use the language of confidence, stability, and contentment – with luxury brands, that’s the kind of mental picture you want to build up. For premium brands that are selling the idea of luxury and dependability, it’s a crucial factor.

What Does This Tell Us?

Brands appear more down-to-earth and personable when they use their advertising, on whatever medium it might be, to generate talking points and conversation. You can do the same in your ads, by asking questions that your audience wants to answer.

Aesthetics are King

Whatever you decide to do with your ad, it’s still crucial to make it eye-catching. If you want people to buy into your brand, you must design your campaign to show off the best aspects of your brand. For example, are you, like all those chicken sandwich companies, selling food?

The popular hashtag #foodporn began to be used because the pictures of food on the social platform were getting so appetising that they activated parts of the brain that might otherwise have been dismissive towards such advertising.

What Can Marketers Learn From This?

Take inspiration from social media in order to work out the best possible visuals for your ad campaign. Nexd Campaign Manager can help make those creatives look even better!