Key Stats from Five Guys’ Photo & Video Contest
Photo & Video Contest
TEMPLATE
2+ Months
LENGTH OF CAMPAIGN
12,000+
# OF CAMPAIGN VISITS
1,100+
PIECES OF CONTENT COLLECTED
8,000+
CLICKS ON UGC
100+
SHARES ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Five Guys, a burger chain with over 1,400 locations spread over eight countries, has a marketing advantage that any brand would kill for: people organically hype their product. They post pictures of themselves shoving the restaurant’s burgers into their mouths, barrage the company’s Facebook with pleas to open a location near them, and tweet that they’re “literally sitting outside of Five Guys waiting on it to open.” Fans are the best form of advertising, but Five Guys didn’t sit back and let their customers do all the talking. They noticed what was popular on social media and crafted digital campaigns accordingly—a strategy that every brand with a loyal following should imitate.
The Chatter
Loyalists are constantly tweeting about Five Guys: how they want it, how they just had it, how they’re “contemplating traveling all the way home this weekend” to eat it. That kind of exposure is great, but how can a brand make the most of it? At least once a week, Five Guys “meme-ifies” the complimentary tweets and posts them on their Instagram. While each tweet has unique content and a different background image, the aesthetic is standardized: the same block font filling the screen, the same “FIVE GUYS” tag in the bottom right corner, the same #OverheardAtFiveGuys hashtag. This consistent branding makes the post instantly recognizable even when a consumer is scrolling quickly through their Instagram feed.
ASK YOURSELF:
Are customers already raving about your product? If so, how can you repurpose their content for maximum exposure?
The Converts
The jewel in the crown of any diehard Five Guys fan is introducing the chain to someone who’s never had it before. Hundreds of tweeters brag about helping their friend “lose their Five Guys virginity,” and the restaurant took advantage of that philanthropic attitude with its evergreen #ShareYourShake campaign. Not only is the brand advertising its new shake flavors, like peanut butter, banana, and bacon, but it’s also keeping its delicious products visible in the feed while capitalizing on the organic enthusiasm.
ASK YOURSELF:
In the digital conversation about your brand, what are the dominant themes you can build an evergreen campaign around?
The Cravings
Some poor souls don’t have regular access to Five Guys, an obvious source of despair. “Fredericton needs a Five Guys,” one user tweets, “I cannot stress this enough.” The demand is there, so when supply increases—i.e. the brand opens a new location—they take a picture of the new staff, tag it with “NOW OPEN” and the city name, and post it to Instagram. The standardized format instantly alerts followers that a new branch has opened, encouraging Five Guys fans to do what they do best: tell all their friends.
ASK YOURSELF:
What are consumers asking your brand for, and how can you respond to their requests while generating the most buzz?
The Culmination
Every Friday, Five Guys pays homage to their brand evangelists by highlighting a #FiveGuysFanatic. The title doesn’t come with a gift card or a photo hung on the wall or a chance to win a grand prize. With such committed fans, incentives aren’t necessary. As with all the other evergreen campaigns, Five Guys used a standard frame and color scheme with the winner’s photo in the middle.
ASK YOURSELF:
If you wanted to spotlight a fan every week without providing any incentive, would you have enough talent to choose from?
Not all brands have the luxury of serving delicious peanut butter, banana, bacon shakes and can’t, therefore, capitalize on the raw enthusiasm of their fan base. However, any brand for which consumers feel a special emotional connection (most likely in the food & beverage, apparel, or entertainment space) should take notice of Five Guys’ digital strategy and adapt it for their own use.
Contact us to learn how you can create a successful campaign strategy with Wyng.
