No matter what generation you are, social media is virtually unavoidable. Social media is essential for organizations to thrive among all generations and can be used to enhance business to public relationships through creativity, content sharing and online engagement. Today, we will be discussing one of the most successful social media campaigns of our generation and dissecting the effectiveness of digital storytelling through the Chipotle Mexican Grill scarecrow case study.
Chipotle is a popular, American, fast food restaurant known for its fresh and organic ingredients. In 2013, the company launched an award-winning ad campaign, short film and mobile app with messages condemning the consumption of processed foods. The company successfully communicated to their followers online the negative environmental and health consequences of eating industrially grown and genetically altered foods.
The campaign, film and game feature a scarecrow that is meant to educate the viewers about the pollution, soil erosion and unsustainability of industrially food production. The scarecrow is shown working in a factory that is controlled by giant, robotic crows and they control all the industrially grown foods. How did this harsh message become a viral sensation? Chipotle used these 3 different public relations techniques to effectively communicate their brand qualities over social media. Chipotle used social media to turn a fast food restaurant into an environmentally conscious brand and advocate for the planet.
Technique #1
We first have to recognize that social media is by nature conversational. Nearly all social media platforms have a method for company-user interaction, this is typically done through comment sections. Successful campaigns will engage their audiences and use the individual conversations online to create a community and build relationships. Chipotle was successful with this campaign because they used all the PARC principles for success.
Participatory: They interacted with their online community and did not intimidate them with sales messages.
Authentic: They held genuine conversations about real issues and did not force attitudes.
Resourceful: They provided their online community with useful, helpful information and used that to earn trust.
Credible: They built a trustworthy reputation on the important environmental issues and acted as a source of knowledge on the matter.
Technique #2
Social media is designed to be a source of entertainment. The Scarecrow film and mobile game were used as entertainment through digital storytelling. Chipotle made their story resourceful, immersive and interesting which is one of the central features of social media.
Technique #3
The ultimate goal of Chipotle’s 2013 social media campaign was to create offline engagement with the company. Offline engagement leads to increased company sales and positive brand associations. The offline interaction led Chipotle to win two Grammy awards, 12 million views on YouTube and lead conversations about the impact of industrialization and the environment.
These techniques require patience, dedication and honest communication. As a business, it is necessary to have a presence on social media. To excel as a public relations representative in this field, however, you need to consider the impact of audience engagement, digital storytelling and offline interaction and act on behalf of your company’s target public on social media.
Interested in learning more? You can read more about this social media case study in Social Media for Public Relations: Lessons from Four Effective Cases by Ilhem Allaguia and Harris Breslow.
