E(at)- Marketing? Taco Bell Competes to be Your Snapchat BFF

Taco Bell has been around as long as I can remember. When I was in elementary school, I'd mostly see the chihuahua commercials on TV, but having health-minded parents, I never got to eat it much (or think about its marketing efforts.) However, a lot changes in college, one thing being how much more often I think about, hear about, and eat Taco Bell.

Why? Because their marketing efforts have grown up with me and more than kept up with the changing technology and take-over of social media. Taco Bell markets their products on three main social media platforms: Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat.

On Twitter, they reply to posts from college students like myself who may be stuck in class craving a burrito or possibly begging for a discontinued product (mango freeze slushie) to be brought back. They also retweet users who mention them on occasion.
The tone of Taco Bell's social media team when engaging with consumers is really playful and cool, just like their target audience: teens to 20-somethings. Their social media team, composed of people who fit their target audience's demographic, sails easily through new slang, trends, music, and pop culture references.

One of my favorite campaigns they put together was the online scavenger hunt where users had the chance to win Taco Bell for life!

On Instagram, Taco Bell posts tantalizing images of their products, as well as people enjoying them. They have done a great job at creating hype for eating their food, and make it seem like a fun experience to get Taco Bell with friends.

The Taco Bell Snapchat account takes followers behind the scenes of the "Taco Bell Food Lab" on occasion, showing hints of new products as well as building up excitement for twists on old favorites.

Since we're talking e-marketing, we have to mention the app. The Taco Bell app was launched last year and it allows users to pre-order and pre-pay for their food so when they arrive at their nearest Taco Bell store (found through the use of GPS technology), they can skip the line.
Though the app has had a few bugs, they have been minor and the company has made up for it by providing users with coupons for up to 25% off their entire order as well as $1 slushies.

In conclusion, I think Taco Bell's marketing and social media team have things perfectly sorted out and if they continue to keep up with social media trends and pop culture the way they have, they will have no problem staying at the top year after year.