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YUM Brands
Taco Bell's slogan could take on a whole new meaning.
It sounds like a setup for a joke: Hey, did you hear the one about the high school swim champ who got Taco Bell to make him a customized Speedo?
It’s not a hoax, though — more of a lesson in the power of social media marketing and teenage chutzpah.
The week before Christmas, 15-year-old Ryan Klarner posted on Taco Bell’s Facebook page, introducing himself with a rundown of his swimming and diving achievements before making an offbeat request.
“[I]s there any way you guys could make me a customized Speedo that says think outside the buns on the back of it? If you did, that would mean the world to me,” the Illinois teen asked.
Taco Bell, a division of Yum! Brands, Inc., is quick to respond to gripes as well as kudos on its Facebook page. It also isn’t afraid to dive into the silly or the weird in the running conversation it has with its 9.5 million fans, but a request for a customized swimsuit was a new one, said Tressie Lieberman, director of digital and social engagement.
Klarner said he first came up with the idea a couple of years earlier and decided last month to go ahead and ask, even though he never had asked a company on Facebook for anything before. “I did not expect it to blow up as much as it has. I didn’t really expect to get the Speedo out of it, either,” he said.
But last Wednesday, the social media team at Taco Bell wrote back. “What size do you wear? And what’s your address?”
“He really wanted something and he went after it,” Lieberman said. When we think people are really extraordinary... then we want to reward them.”
Klarner said he was “really surprised” and “ecstatic” to hear back from the company after nearly two weeks. (The reply took as long as it did because the Taco Bell team was trying to track down a purple Speedo and come up with a design.)
“Beyond what we’re putting out to the masses, we want to engage with everyone individually,” Lieberman said. “It’s tough to respond to every single person... but we definitely want to make sure people know we’re listening.” When the company discontinued its fire-roasted salsa last year and fans protested, Lieberman said her team rounded up the final shipment and mailed out individual packages to those who posted the most vociferous objections.
In general, Taco Bell’s Facebook fans aren’t shy about asking for stuff: free food, branded merchandise, even jobs — but Lieberman said Klarner’s request, which racked up thousands of “likes” from other fans, caught her team’s attention.
“We’re seeing a lot of engagement with posts put on our wall by other fans. We really wanted to show Ryan we listened to him,” she said.
Since another element of social media is its immediacy, a quick turnaround was also a priority; even with the difficulty of tracking down a purple Speedo, Lieberman said Klarner will be getting his wish granted this week.
Klarner is actually getting two Speedos — since his request incorporated Taco Bell’s old tagline, “Think Outside the Bun,” Lieberman’s team also decided to give Klarner a second swimsuit with “Live Mas,” the slogan it adopted last year, printed on it.
Rules against corporate sponsorships will prevent Klarner from wearing the suits in competitions, but he said he’ll wear them to practices, where the rules are looser and his teammates have a tradition of wearing funny Speedos.
“But this is just way bigger than that,” he said. “I already loved Taco Bell to begin with... now it’s even more of a favorite." He said the chain's status had risen in his friends' eyes, too. "No one thought Taco Bell was this cool.”
From a marketing perspective, that scores a perfect 10.
Leave a Comment:
This request is SO inexpensive for Taco Bell to honor when compared to the "mind share" it just bought. Not only is this kid a fan for life, but now his friends are even more impressed with the brand. Then you factor in Facebook *and* the (basically) free press it is getting now, and you know this was a home run for Taco Bell (YUM). Great job by their marketing team!
Gotta love Toxic Hell!!!
Astronomical ROI.
@ Mike - Absolutely! They will remake every dime they put into it 10X over before tomorrow.
I think it was a cool thing to do too. It's nice to see companies with a sense of humor.
ROI was cranking before Taco Bell even had it in the mail.
Now I want a pair of swim trunks with the Taco Bell logo on the back, and underneath the logo I want it to say "HOME OF THE UNDERWEAR SPECIAL".
Why not just continue making the salsa? It was particularly good on the chicken items. Mailing out 'individual packages' was incredibly short-sighted. Personally, I have gone to Taco Bell significantly less as a result of their no longer providing that salsa. It gave the chicken soft tacos an incredible flavor that simply cannot be reproduced without that damn salsa.
I've had a similar issue with the KFC stores here locally -- when they shifted their suppliers. They switched the entire type of chicken noodles to some bow-tie type, rather than the home-made style of rectangle noodles. I wasn't that concerned with the difference in shapes, and gave it a try. They tasted horrible. I filled out comment cards, confronted managers about their lazy approach to supplying their restaurant, etc., etc. In the end, it mattered not. I went a couple more times to see if they reversed their cost-cutting measure, and eventually just stopped going at all.
The problem with these corporate systems is that they lack the ability to adequately measure the impact their changes will have on their overall customer base. They saw $$$ signs at the removal of that salsa, and assumed that customers would simply adapt to their cheaper and cheaper ways of doing business. I'm sure my business was worth at least a few cases of those salsa packets each year...
but this will make him ineligible for NCAA competition as it is a gift from a corporate sponsor.
i wonder what the kids parents think about their teen receiving a nut hugging show all speedo with sexual innuendo written on it. i know i would be fairly pissed if they tried giving my teen one, very inappropriate.
BRAVO TACO BELL!!!!!
Excellent promotional effort!
Even though this will do little, if anything, to the bottom line, you put a smile on a faithful customers face.
That's what it's all about.
The best one was when you pulled off that "April Fools Day" prank about buying the "Liberty Bell" and renaming it the "Taco Liberty Bell".
Classic!
eric1964...I think it might bum me out to be your teen child.
As for Taco Bell...good for you, reaching out to the little guy.
eric1964
I wouldn't worry too much about the innuendo from a "nut hugging show all speedo".
I'd be more concerned about the innuendo from your teens school by giving out free condoms, birth control pills and appointments for abortions without your approval.
eric, swimmers aren't as funny about speedos as you are, and there's nothing sexual about the message. His accomplishments are incredible, he deserves recognition and reward.
.
Good for taco bell. Now if they would just put the chives back on the nachos I would forgive them as well.
Too awesome for words.
Great heart-warming story. When he gets to college on a swimming scholarship, the NCAA will declare him ineligible for accepting a suit worth money from a corporation.
The NCAA cannot rule him inelligable as it does not harm his amature status. It was not payment of services performed by swimming nor is it payment for endorsing said company(Hense the reason he cannot wear it at competition). It was a gift given to a boy for being a overall cool kid with a great idea that has done some great things in his sport of choice.
I think there is some NCAA penalty but I don't think he will be barred from competition. Might have to pay back the cost of the two speedos. Now if Taco Bell compensated him for an official campaign, he's lost his amateur status. Michael Phelps could never swim competitively in college because of his endorsement deals.
Does it have a picture of the little Chihuahua on the front?
LOL!!!
I can see it now.... some gay swimmer will approach Der Wienerschnitzel for a speedo that says "think inside the buns"...
You came up with the idea... so.....
Well, are people normally thinking inside the buns? Or a box of buns? I'm scratching my head here.
Wasn't a former Penn State football coach thinking "inside those buns"?
Or if he is into it with either his girlfriend or boyfriend he could have it read think between the buns.
Let's not forget the movie about the Mexican Revolution.
"Taco-Lips-Now"
I guess it's better than UPS's "What can Brown do for you?"
Maybe that would be more appropriate for this though. If you eat Taco Bell, then within an hour or so you will get a jet stream of brown to help you swim faster
Yeah, he put his hands on the keyboard and asked.
You've got to admire that kind of dogged determination in the face of unstoppable forces.
Not an issue for the NCAA. Most Olympic-caliber swimmers (and gymnasts) don't either attend college, or if they do, don't compete for their schools team. The limitations the NCAA places on practice time are not realistic in the world of Olympic-level individual competitions. Notwithstanding those misleading NCAA ads.
Wrong...NCAA athletes can practice as much as they want, on their own time and as long as they don't use the school facilities or coaches.
jkfan: Practice limits on intercollegiate athletics prevent most elite swimmers from competing simultaneously for both college and national teams. Given that state of the art aquatic facilities tend to be found on college campus, most elite programs are affiliated with the same's program. The stand alone program is extraordinarily rare, at least in the americas. All national team candidates are provided stipends to allow them to focus on training exclusively for: long course nationals, pan-am, finas world cup, olympic trials; olympics. This precludes a significant number of high school/college athletes from international competition, due to potential change to their amatuer status. Unless they elect to take leave of absence, college swimmers cannot adequately commit themselves to the conflicting demands of maintaing academic eligability, while enduring the rigorous training demands of a prospective olympian. I'm not saying it can't be done, but, that the conflicts that arise tend towards exclusivity. Most swimmers continuing their careers at this level for a simple reason: scholarships/grant in aid towards their diploma(s). The only true professional swimmers that I've personally known are open water distance competitors, and of that, only Diana Nyad has made an enduring name for herself. Maybe this will change, with the debut 10k marathon during this summer's London games.
Completely untrue for swimming aside from Phelps who took endorsement deals before college but swam non-competitively with Michigan. Lochte (Florida), Adrian (Cal), Dwyer (Texas), Coughlin (Cal). Most of the swimmers in the Olympics also hold NCAA records. Same with Track & Field. Missy Franklin chose not to endorse any products or accept any benefits so she could sign with Cal. Each sport is different.
Well while we're at it, how about speedos for the whole team:
Nobody better lay a finger on my Butterfinger!
Subway, Eat Fresh
Taste the Rainbow (Skittles)
Two for me none for you (Twix)
How many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll Center of a Tootsie Pop?
Melts in your mouth not in your hands (M&Ms)
Virgin Atlantic, more experience than our name suggests
Isn’t life juicy? (Starburst)
You got your peanut butter in my chocolate! You got your chocolate in my peanut butter! (Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups)
Unleash the beast (Monster Energy)
Put a Tic Tac in your mouth and get a bang out of life.
They’re magically delicious. (Lucky Charms)
And don't forget: That ain't no Baby Ruth floating over there!
Chimi Chunga!!
XX.
Awesome
Without a shadow of a doubt, this increased my respect for Taco Bell
I want one that says "Ryan Klarner is Kool!"
Jealous that you didn't think of it and he is getting something for free? Or that he is in good shape and you are a fat disgusting slob?
If you eat Taco Bell shortly before your match, you can get a little extra propulsion.
Sounds like they have to ban a bean burrito now as a PED (Performance Enhancing Dish)... ROTFLMAO
"Home of the Whopper" (Burger King)
Kind of a dorky kid.
I wouldn't touch Taco Bell 'food' with a 10-foot pole, but cool story.
I'm assuming the “Live Mas” logo will go on the FRONT of the other suit?
New slogan - "Taco Hell, Make a Run for the Sh*tter!"
Not a big fan of Taco Bell food, but totally cool Taco Bell!!
Okay so they know we like the fire roasted salsa.
Bring it back.
I didn't get my share.
Wow! Thanks Taco Bell! A happy story with kids doing great things asking for little...
No "Cliffs" or "Crisis" or Red and Blue conflicts... A happy story!
Hope the kid did great at his meet!
Kudos to Taco Bell. Love the Dorito taco as well. :)
Great Idea - Logos on Swimwear (sell at $2/piece, advertising is priceless). Put the Bell logo in the crotch (or sides to be family friendly) and the wording on the rear.