How Chipotle is Fostering Brand Loyalty

If you enjoy Mexican food as much as I do, then you have probably been to Chipotle more times than you can count. Chipotle Mexican Grill is an American chain of restaurants with locations in the United States, Canada, and several European countries. The company has been able to maintain a loyal customer base despite an incident in 2016 where two separate outbreaks of E. coli were linked to food served at its restaurants. How has Chipotle been able to do this? Yes, they have good quality food that is relatively healthy compared to other fast-food chains. However, their consumer base, which is primarily composed of Millennials and Generation Z, has become particularly engaged with the company through the ways in which it markets itself in new and innovative ways on social media. 

Photo: 1000 Logos

"Lighthearted." That is one word that can be used to describe Chipotle's social media marketing strategy. Being a food company, Chipotle is not exempt from receiving complaints about the quality or availability of its products. For example, the brand received a complaint via social media from a customer who was upset that their local restaurant was out of guacamole. Rather than offering an excuse, or a simple apology, Chipotle offered a humorous response: 

"We apologize, we didn't mean to guac in and out of your life like that."

This lighthearted approach, while it did not solve the problem at hand, showed a friendly human element of the brand. This way of speaking makes Chipotle more relatable to its customers. The response was personalized, as it was similar to an informal response one would receive from a friend of theirs. It was also conversational, as it proved to be a direct response to a comment that makes the original commenter feel recognized as important to the company. Ultimately, Chipotle is able to engage its customers with responses like this one. The human element of its marketing strategy is just the beginning of its triumphs on social media. 

Photo: Fox Business

According to Petre, Chipotle was the first chain to interact with its customers on TikTok back in 2019 which was highly successful in creating brand awareness. The brand's history with video-based social media content has enabled it to continue to thrive in 2020. With the Covid-19 pandemic spreading across the world, restaurants were affected greatly as they were forced to close their indoor seating for extended periods of time. Chipotle adapted to these changes back in March by switching to a strictly pickup/delivery model of serving its food. While some brands might see this as a step backward, Chipotle saw this as an opportunity to engage its customers who were stuck at home due to the pandemic. The company launched its "Chipotle Together" campaign on Zoom and Instagram Live which was basically a hangout for thousands of fans featuring celebrity appearances and rewards. Chipotle offered a new episode each day for a week and even published its lineup via its Twitter feed. The series rewarded select fans who watched the Instagram live stream with a code for a free entrée from any Chipotle restaurant. Ultimately, this initiative was a success as it allowed Chipotle to talk to and engage its fans in a way that even promotes their well-being by staying at home. 

Photo: EHY

Chipotle has been highly successful at engaging its customers via social media. The brand's ability to come up with several different ways in which it can speak to its customers is quite intriguing. Millennials and Gen Z are generally not fooled by traditional advertisements, so the brand has tried some different strategies that other companies should try using in the future. Chipotle's lighthearted tone in its messages and social media campaigns is keeping it relevant despite its previous struggles with E. coli and the circumstances of the pandemic. The brand has also pushed initiatives throughout 2020 emphasizing the safety of its consumers (see below). The company is coming up with new and innovative ideas to engage its target audience each year, so definitely expect to hear about a new social media campaign of theirs as we head into 2021.