Wendy's is hoping to pickup some new customers by running ads on interactive jukeboxes placed in bars within a mile of one of the burger chain's restaurants.
The ad campaign will run on jukeboxes supplying digital music to 5,100 bars and restaurants across the country. The intent is to get late night (or other day-part) revelers to think Wendy's when it's time to go looking for munchies.
George Giatzis, senior VP-advertising sales for Ecast, which operates the jukebox network, told AdAge.com, "We have research that shows nearly half of our users will stop on the way home to get something to eat. But do you really need science to tell you that people go to bars, have a few drinks and get hungry? It's kind of a no-brainer of the category."
Bob Bertinin, a spokesperson for Wendy's, said the campaign was in still in its early stages and no conclusions could be drawn as to its level of success just yet.
"Music is obviously very important to our target consumer, the 18- to 34-year-old consumer," Mr. Bertini said. "It's an opportunity to reach out to them in a way that is meaningful and highly relevant to them."
Discussion Question: What do you think of Wendy's digital jukebox advertising strategy? What information will the chain need to capture to determine the true impact of the jukebox advertising on restaurant sales performance? Do you expect the chain will assess other factors such as the sobriety and behavior of these consumers in determining if this is a marketing delivery method it wishes to continue with?