White Castle is putting more effort into marketing its late-night hours. | Photo courtesy of White Castle.
If there’s a silver lining to the recent decline in restaurant patrons, it’s that it may be forcing restaurant marketers to get more creative in attracting cash-strapped diners.
We recently wrote a novel in these pages about the idea of ​​value and “how cheap can we go” that seems to be on nearly every chain’s mind when it comes to pricing.
But managers also use other tricks to lure customers.
Here are some notable recent examples:
White Castle is emphasizing its “Night Castle” marketing campaign to boost late-night sales.
The burger chain said this week that it was hiring more staff to operate 24/7 and investing in late-night sales and increased marketing.
From 9 p.m. to 3 a.m., members of the chain’s Craver Nation loyalty program can order six chicken rings for $2.
“A significant percentage of White Castle restaurant sales occur between 7 p.m. and 3 a.m., and that percentage is growing,” the Columbus, Ohio-based chain said in a statement. “The majority of delivery orders also occur during these same hours. White Castle expects these numbers to grow even more with its renewed focus on late-night operations.”
And now Chipotle Mexican Grill is offering up its much talked about celebrity card to us regular folk.
Earlier this week, the burrito chain announced that everyday people like you and me can apply for the card on LinkedIn, which entitles cardholders to one free Chipotle meal (with chips, a side, and a drink) per day for one year, as well as one catering order for 50 people per year.
According to Chipotle, the Celebrity Cards started in 2003 when an unknown musician and TV star declared his love for the brand on his family’s reality show, and since then, the cards have become a “surprise and delight” gift for VIPs.
But late on Wednesday, I noticed the LinkedIn application link was no longer available. Had I finally missed my chance to become famous?
Apparently not. I simply need to get my message out on TikTok, Instagram, or X (formerly Twitter) using the tag #CelebCardContest with a photo, original song, video, poem, artwork, or any other creative medium.
“Due to high fan anticipation for the Celebrity Card program, we have moved the application to social media to increase accessibility for applicants,” a Chipotle spokesperson wrote in an email when I asked about the now-defunct LinkedIn link. “We are not accepting applications via LinkedIn. Applications submitted on LinkedIn through June 24th will be eligible for the position.”
The deadline for applications is July 3rd, and winners will be notified on July 12th.
When this marketing column stops next month, just know that I’ve quit my job to live the Chipotle celebrity life.
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