Storyboard: By the People, For the People

Moe’s latest promotion showcases ads created by its customers.

By Margaret Littman, Contributing Editor -- Chain Leader, 2/1/2007

In June, the Atlanta-based chain launched an online promotion to solicit customer-made advertising videos under the theme, "A Moe’s Burrito in Every Hand." The grand prize winner, to be selected this month, will be awarded Moe’s burritos for life (in the form of vouchers equal to one burrito per week for 55 years).

Moe’s has not yet determined whether the winning commercial will be shown on TV, but the company may use still shots from the video for print ads, banner ads and other promotional efforts. But more than getting a top-notch creative work over the transom, the online campaign was designed to increase awareness of the brand among its young demographic.

Looking Younger

Founded in 2000, Moe’s is the 330-unit flagship concept of Atlanta-based Raving Brands, with growth plans for 100 new units in 2007. But it likes to think of itself as a small, grass-roots concept. "Moe’s is a young brand. I think that lines up with the online atmosphere," explains Sara Riggsby, director of marketing for Moe’s.

The online ad contest targeted the 18- to 34-year-old demographic Moe’s is courting, with an emphasis on 18- to 24-year-olds. The chain reached out to college public-relations societies and other on-campus groups to "connect with a population that is more Web savvy," Riggsby says.

To make its customer-driven campaign possible, Moe’s partnered with Atlanta-based ViTrue Inc. and ViTrue’s YouTube-like Web site, Sharkle.com. Motivated customers (and aspiring videographers) used tools—including logos, backgrounds, sound effects and music—on Sharkle.com provided by Moe’s to create ads according to contest specifications.

Moe’s has received 42 commercials so far. Fans voted online for their favorites. At press time a panel of judges was evaluating the top 20 customer picks to find a grand prize winner. Submissions that didn’t meet standards—such as those with obscene language—were not posted on the site.

"Moe’s vs. the Flying Saucers," created in October, was among the most popular, determined by the frequency of online viewings and votes. In the spot, a burrito in every hand fends off a Martian attack. Other spots feature a music video by a fictitious rap group, Notorious M.O.E., and a faux political ad from a candidate promising to end hunger with Moe’s.

Thanks to the Information Superhighway

Because customers were required to register online before participating, Moe’s obtained the e-mail addresses of interested customers. "This is a great way for us to get information on loyal Moe’s fans," Riggsby says. "We are really trying to grow in the e-mail arena, and this allows us to do that." Final numbers for the Web site viewing were not yet calculated, but Riggsby estimated that the site had about 24,000 unique visitors by press time.

While Moe’s has not analyzed from where, geographically, the customer-submitted ads are coming, the omnipresence of the Internet is helping get the word about Moe’s burritos to customers outside its Southeast stronghold. That will be crucial as the chain expands in the Northeast and Midwest.

Riggsby will not divulge Moe’s ad budget, but says that the Sharkle.com effort was approximately one-third the cost of a traditional advertising effort. "The only advertising we are paying for is banner ads," she says. TNS Media Intelligence reported that Moe’s spent $976,000 on media buys in the first nine months of 2006, a 23 percent increase over the same period in 2005.

"If Moe’s were to create the ‘Moe’s vs. the Flying Saucers’ ad, which has amazing production values, it would have cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and taken a lot longer," says Josh Hilby, marketing managing for ViTrue. "Plus, Sharkle is a lot more engaging platform. There’s a real level of stickiness."

Moe’s is the first restaurant chain to work with ViTrue, but other chains such as Chipotle Mexican Grill have experimented with other outlets to encourage their diners to create their own ads. "We were ViTrue’s first [and so far] only restaurant partner, and we liked that idea," adds Riggsby. ViTrue has also worked with the Cincinnati Bengals, the TBS cable network and Lance Inc., the cracker company.

Measuring success will be a little difficult, as the standard advertising campaign metrics don’t translate, Riggsby concedes. "We’ll have to look at the exposure value," she says.

"A restaurant is more than just somewhere to eat," Hilby adds. "We’re bringing people into a community around the brand. That’s pretty exciting."

To check out some of the commercials that Moe’s customers created for the contest, go to moes.sharkle.com/index.html.