Dive Brief:
- Taco Bell is launching a new program to tap into the emotional whirlwind of cultural moments and sports, including the World Cup, and to drive activity to its mobile app with the launch of a gamified reward experience, according to a press release.
- “Loss Or Celebration Outcome Support,” or “L.O.C.O.S.,” will run through July 13. Taco Bell Rewards Members will be able to access a personalized, gamified, in-app experience with opportunities to win merch, free food and other prizes.
- Different markets will activate in-person events around key moments during the World Cup, including giveaways, taco trucks and delivery programs. Taco Bell has plans to expand the program after July to tap into other cultural and sporting events.
Dive Insight:
The global “L.O.C.O.S.” effort comes as Taco Bell’s parent company, Yum Brands, continues to make efforts to insert the restaurant chain into popular culture to build its popular loyalty program and digital infrastructure. Centering the platform around the emotional highs and lows of a major sporting event like the World Cup provides the brand a way to connect with consumers no matter the outcome, while inserting itself into the event without being an official sponsor.
Fandom, and sports fandom in particular, has become a popular go-to for marketers looking to connect with culture. Prebuilt communities around things such as sports provides brands with a target audience united around one shared interest.
In addition to the mobile component, in-person activations largely line up with major tournament moments. On June 25, the brand will host activations in New York and Los Angeles, which coincides with the U.S. team’s final group stage match against Türkiye. Taco Bell’s June 27 London activation is the same day as England’s match against Panama. Other markets include Spain, Brazil, Australia and Canada.
“L.O.C.O.S. takes an existing fan behavior and builds a global platform around it, giving Taco Bell a bold new way to show up for fans in moments they care about most,” said Taylor Montgomery, global chief brand officer at Taco Bell, in press materials.
Taco Bell is looking to expand its loyalty program following a Q1 period when loyalty sales grew 30% year-over-year. Yum Brands saw digital sales near $11 billion in the same quarter, with digital mix increasing to 63%. Christopher Turner, CEO and director of Yum Brands said expanding loyalty programs is a key part of growing the company’s digital business during a call with investors.
Yum Brands saw a Q1 sales growth of 6% and Taco Bell’s same-store sales grew 8%, putting it ahead of the QSR industry as a whole, per an earnings release.
