Boorito — yum!

Boo!

Ha Ha … just kidding — or am I?

An event I look forward to each and every year is the infamous Chipotle Boorito.

That’s right. Every Halloween Chipotle has an event that comes with a deal — and come on, who doesn’t love a good deal? Don’t you worry, there is no contest that you have to enter or endless junk emails you have you sign up for. You, yes you, are your meal ticket.

On Halloween, if you come to Chipotle dressed up for the occasion, you get a $6 burrito. It’s a great event. It drives traffic through the stores, it brings life to the community and it is a great way to increase sales AND engagement. With that being said, let’s break down the social media aspect and how that plays a role.

Preparation is everything when it comes to being successful. Like marinating meat — the more you prepare it, and the longer you let it sit in the marinate, the better it will taste. Social media is no different. Posting content to get your consumers attention prior to the event is the goal. It is also important to appeal to your audience and relate with them as much as possible.

So….

Before the Event:

Using the signature Chipotle logo, we are going to incorporate that with a spooky theme (paid advertising will be everything). Starting with Instagram, announcing that Boorito is back. Posting in the caption how the consumers can acquire this deal. Some of the content will be past photos of customers participating. By adding interactive content such as stories asking questions such as, “Will you be getting your Boorito this year? [ BOO-yah!] [no — ghosting you]”. Constant reminders.

It would also be in their favor to have a contest giveaway on Instagram. They can have users comment and tag 3 friends on the post to enter for a chance to win two free burritos. This will engage consumers, and drive traffic from other consumers who may not know about the deal.

The next platform to use is Twitter. Here we are going to post constant reminders of the upcoming event.

My personal favorite that Chipotle has already gotten their hands on is TikTok.

“Chipotle has realized quickly the power of Millennials and Gen Z when their online orders impulsed by their app were happening from their younger consumers. In order to conquer those generations, in particular, Gen Z, they have partnered up with TikTok for marketing campaigns like #GuacDance challenge and the #Boorito challenge.” — MarketingforGreatness

Chipotle is keeping up with the times by reaching consumers on several platforms. The way that TikTok works, is that the trendiest hashtags get used under videos — despite what they are hashtags for. So having a trending and viral hashtag is beneficial to content. Chipotle has a contest that encourages users to film themselves before and after getting into their costume and tagging what it is for. The select few that will participate in this, will get the hashtag going. As it begins to appear under videos — made for the event or not, it is catching the attention of consumers. This contest gets customers excited and is advertising prior to the event.

Who doesn’t love UGC?

“People trust other people more than they’ll ever trust your marketing alone. Rather than hearing from a brand, they’re getting the genuine opinions of consumers just like them. By showcasing social proof, you’re instantly positioning your brand as more trustworthy.” — MarketingforGreatness

During the Event:

During the event, the content can be simple. As customers come in with costumes, asking them if they would like to pose for a picture. This can be added to the Chipotle story. They can also encourage customers to tag them in photos or posts and get a free small soft drink — or something of that nature. Posting “don’t forget” content to remind customers just in case.

After the Event:

Posting after the event is just as important as before. This is recognizing and making those who participated feel special, and encouraging those who didn’t, to try to next year. This also creates a loyal customer base. The more something is in their face, the more likely they will participate. This is where Chipotle can repost or share posts from customers, or post their own — trying to showcase just how fun the event was.

Success:

Through social media, this event has been successful. Being a college student, we’re all looking for deals — all the time. Plus, it doesn’t hurt to be a kid every once in a while, and I know that this event is a hit with the college audience. Seeing it advertised and how witty Chipotles social media management team can be, really relaxes me. I’m a sucker for a good pun and I love when companies relate to me. Chipotle can always count on me for each Halloween.

It has been said that brands need to take a page out of Chipotle’s social media team. They are one of the more successful brands. They drifted away from just showing their product, and tried to be more relatable to customers. MarketingforGreatness tells us, “Chipotle has been playing a very smart move by shifting from the traditional bo-go and coupons that casual food restaurants use to drive traffic, to take the time and design a digital experience for their users.”

Chipotle has done a great job with their social media and grown very successful because of it.