Qdoba Mexican Grill
Qdoba Comprehensive PR Campaign & Media Tour
Project Snapshot
Challenge
Develop a PR campaign to generate awareness, drive trials and highlight Qdoba’s Mini Street Tacos
Solution
Executed a two-stage media strategy targeting both long-and short-lead contacts
Results
Sampled to top-tier, national publications, hosted VIP tasting event and earned more than 38 million media impressions
Challenge
Qdoba was one of the first fast-casual chains to capitalize on the street food trend with the national launch of Mini Street Tacos. To generate awareness, drive trials, and highlight the item’s healthful, fresh innovative flavors, Qdoba engaged GFM to develop a comprehensive PR campaign.
Solution
GFM developed a two-stage strategy, targeting both long-and short-lead media. The long-lead media strategy included a five-day national media tour in New York City with a fully equipped RV used to cook fresh taco samples for the media briefings. GFM worked with the local Yelp community manager and area food bloggers to organize a VIP culinary event in Manhattan that allowed Qdoba’s head chef to engage with social media influencers. The media tour preparation included developing backgrounders, menu highlights, bios, coupons, recipe cards and securing Qdoba-branded cutting boards.
The short-lead media strategy included a press release pitched to journalists at national consumer dailies, broadcast media, trade media, wire services, food bloggers and social media influencers. The team also conducted media outreach in several key, regional markets. Additionally, GFM developed and delivered a recommended list of easily executable PR and social media ideas for Qdoba’s marketing teams to execute in their own markets, including reaching out to local bloggers and Yelpers, holding VIP launch parties and conducting “surprise-and-delight” activities.
Results
The team sampled to 11 top-tier national publications during the long-lead media tour, and drew 20 bloggers and Elite Yelpers to its VIP culinary event. Qdoba was featured in Working Mother, Shape, Fitness, Men’s Fitness and Hombre, among others.
Short-lead efforts resulted in coverage from Esquire.com, Huffington Post, Fast Casual, Nation’s Restaurant News, QSR, The Hungry Girl Newsletter, SeriousEats.com, El Restaurante Mexicano, Examiner.com and numerous local media outlets.
In total, GFM’s efforts resulted in more than 38 million media impressions.