Project Overview
The goal of this project was to provide a situation analysis and a subsequent marketing plan that could be implemented by the organization Wendy’s. The focus was to come up with a new product, plus a promotional strategy for the product. I was a vital part in this group project of 5 members.
Marketing Strategy
Wendy’s current position strategy is the idea that the food is “fresh, but never frozen”. Unlike their competitors, they want their consumers to know that they fresh ingredients that lead to a tastier burger. The fast food burger industry is incredibly saturated, so companies must shift from generic menu items to niche items as a way to differentiate their brand. Wendy’s differentiates themselves from other fast food chains by emphasizing superior-quality ingredients and unique menu offerings that promise future growth in international markets.
New Product Description
Our proposed product is a Wendy’s Birria Meal kit, including two Birria Tacos featuring slow-cooked Birria-spiced beef with fresh vegetable toppings and spice levels, accompanied by a rich and flavorful Birria broth, known as Consomé, for dipping and sipping. This product promises to offer customers a distinctive and flavorful dining experience that caters to the demands of those seeking authentic and diverse flavors.
To enhance the overall dining experience, the product incorporates Birria-themed packaging with vibrant colors and traditional Mexican patterns, ensuring an authentic visual appeal and leak-proof containers for the consomé to prevent spills.
The justification for this new product rests on several factors. Firstly, Wendy’s Birria Meal occupies a unique position distinct from the company’s existing products, marking its entry into the ethnic and regional cuisine segment. Market research and environmental trends underscore the increasing popularity of authentic ethnic dishes, signaling a promising opportunity for this offering. Moreover, Wendy’s strategic alignment with the Gen Z and Millennial demographic groups justifies the introduction of this product, supported by research showing their interest in Birria cuisine. By addressing these elements, Wendy’s can effectively introduce the Birria Meal, appealing to a younger demographic while capitalizing on emerging culinary trends.
Marketing Mix
Product- The new “Birria Meal” at Wendy’s will include; 2 tacos, a 4 oz cup of fresh vegetable toppings (onions, cilantro, radish, and slices of lime), an 8 oz cup of consumé, and 1 medium drink. The quality and flavor of the tacos and consomé are important because customers are going to want to pay a reasonable price for the amount of flavor and taste in the food they are getting.
Price- $11.50-$14.50 Customer Value-Based Pricing is important for our product because we want the customer to believe that their money is worth the quality of food that they are receiving. Since this meal is new to the Wendy’s menu, we will focus on Competition-Based Pricing to stand out against other reputable food items from our main competitors such as McDonalds’ McFlurry and Taco Bells’ Doritos Tacos Locos.
Place- We believe that adding the Birria Meal to Los Angeles-based Wendy’s locations will help gain insightful feedback from valued customers who can validate the authenticity of our new product. We also seek ratings from other Los Angeles County customers, home to many tourists and food critics.
AD Message Strategy
Video Message
For our video message, we will create a 20-second TikTok video to promote Wendy’s “Birria Meal.” In the video, there will be 3 individuals (of different age groups) eating the meal in different settings. We will also highlight each piece of the meal and its price point.
0:00-0:05 — Businessman will be eating the Birria Meal on top of paperwork in his office. Then he will throw it up in the air.
0:05-0:10 — An athlete will catch the Birria Meal while running on a track field. She will stop running and eat the Birria Meal. Then she will throw it up in the air.
0:10-0:15 — A kid will catch the Birria Meal while playing at the park. He will run to the bench and eat it alone, while his friends continue playing.
0:15-0:20 — Close-up shot of the Birria Meal with a white background. Highlight each piece of the meal and the price point, while featuring the Wendy’s logo.
Creating a TikTok video is a great way to connect with our target audience because while the media platform is accessible to people of all ages, backgrounds, and regions of living, the platform specifically targets tech-savvy Gen Z and Millenials. Just like TikTok, the new Birria Meal is enticing and trendy, which will help us with product engagement. Birria tacos blew up on TikTok for the unique style of dipping and visually appealing aspects.
Print Message
The execution strategy that will be used to create this ad would be the “mood and image” strategy. This strategy fits right into our ad poster because the attention grabber states “This just in: Apparently Heaven does Exist” which implies that a happy and wonderful moment does exist in such a food world. It also shows the features and details of how delicious the food looks and can be very appealing and appetizing to our customers. The way the ad was created was to almost be like “breaking news” in a way to catch the attention of those on social media and have it pop up on people’s suggested feeds. With the power of social media, depending on the mood that the person is in, social media is one step ahead, so if the suggested follower is feeling hungry, our product ad should pop up and recommend it. With the growing active population on social media, brands can hyper-target their ideal audience based on demographics, so they show the right ads and promote to the right individuals.
Digital Strategy
The digital marketing mix for Wendy’s Birria Meal includes three crucial elements. First, social media marketing on platforms like Instagram and Twitter will create excitement, visual appeal, and engagement, effectively reaching the younger audience. Second, email marketing will serve as a direct communication channel, disseminating special promotions and product updates. Lastly, content marketing in the form of blog posts, videos, and infographics will be used to educate and resonate with consumers about the product’s story and cultural significance.
In the realm of non-advertising aspects of the promotional mix, the tactic chosen is a Limited-Time Offer (LTO), where the Birria Meal will be available at a special introductory price for a limited duration. This approach aligns with the campaign objective of generating immediate trial and excitement surrounding the new product. It resonates with Gen Z and Millennials enticed by time-bound deals, as outlined in marketing literature.
Conclusion
Collectively, these strategies and tactics form a holistic approach to promoting the Wendy’s Birria Meal, ensuring its reach to the target audience, generating excitement and trial, and tapping into the preferences and behaviors of the Gen Z and Millennial demographic.
Olivia Krey 