A New Brand Vocabulary at Culver's

Culver's develops new lingo to better define the restaurant chain and its iconic menu items.

By Margaret Littman, Contributing Editor -- Chain Leader, December 1, 2008

Culverisms are at the root of Culver’s new branding campaign. These sayings, which summarize what the chain is all about, appear everywhere, from the company Web site to straw wrappers.

Ask Vice President of Marketing Chris Contino to describe Culver's iconic menu item, and he'll say, “We think frozen custard is what ice cream wants to be.”

It is a funny quip, but for frozen custard fans, it has the ring of truth to it. From a branding perspective, though, it can present a challenge. “Sometimes it scares people not familiar with it,” Contino says of the dairy dessert.

Contino helped the Prairie du Sac, Wis.-based chain launch a new branding campaign this year to help make the unfamiliar—both the chain and the custard—familiar.

In late 2007 the chain switched from using a Wisconsin-based ad agency to signing MARC USA, based in Chicago. The move was designed to help Culver's ButterBurgers & Frozen Custard extend its reach outside its traditional upper Midwest core market, preparing it to exceed the 400-unit mark and for its 25th anniversary, both in 2009.

Loyal Following

“Culver's was a little bit like Coors in 1975,” explains Jean McLaren, president of MARC USA's Chicago office. “They had this cult following with people who were just off the charts in terms of loving Culver's.” That devotion made McLaren's job easier. “It is not like this brand was a disaster,” she says.

Still, MARC USA had its challenges. The economic slowdown was beginning to hammer the industry, if not the chain, late in 2007, and the brand has some quirks that make it hard to define. In addition to the basics, like what is frozen custard, confusion sometimes pops up about Culver's industry segment. The chain is quick service with a drive-thru, but dishes are made to order and servers deliver orders both to customers waiting in their parked cars and to tables in the restaurants.

Those points of differentiation—and an atmosphere that harkens back to what McLaren calls a kindler, gentler time—laid the groundwork for what was eventually termed “Culverization,” the process of becoming familiar with and a fan of the chain.

New TV commercials highlight some of Culver’s core differences such as servers delivering food directly to customers waiting in line.

Culver's frozen custard and ButterBurgers are legendary among its fans, but MARC USA found that the attitude and ambience of the chain were equally important in defining the brand.

“In society right now, there is this craving for civility. We have lost the ability to live graciously,” McLaren says. “Part of Culverization is that courtesy. And that allows people to make an emotional connection to the brand.”

Language Arts

In addition to billboards and online advertising, a new TV and radio ad campaign underscores these elements. In one ad a man “prepares to be Culverized” while waiting for his drive-thru order to be delivered to him in his car. A sweet, polite server brings him his order as he is talking to himself in the car. Another commercial focuses on the table service inside the restaurant. The ads, which began airing in April 2008, are paired with information on specific menu items such as the Concrete, Culver's extra-thick custard shake with mix-ins.

New TV commercials show customers in a variety of scenarios being “Culverized,” the process of converting customers into fans of the chain.

It was not just the new ads that helped Culver's solidify its positioning. The chain ran contests, urging employees and guests to submit ideas for “Culverisms,” platitudes that summarize the chain's attitude. The in-store menu board, materials and packaging feature the Culverisms. Takeout bags feature one Culverism, “Think of this as a gift bag for your taste buds,” while a coffee sleeve reads, “Holding me is like a handshake with an old friend.” The Culverisms are on e-cards, too, that customers can send through the chain's Web site.

The team also overhauled the menu boards to make them easier to read and prevent diners from being overwhelmed by the chain's large menu.

This new branding effort has also allowed the chain to emphasize the value customers get at Culver's—a fast-casual experience at a QSR price—without having to get competitive with price promotions. In its 24-year history, it has never had a dollar menu and has shied away from price promotions.

More Eating Occasions

So far, the effort is paying off. To date in 2008, systemwide sales have increased 10 percent.

Culver's is looking to continue that trend by extending its reach. Sampling vans, something Contino says the chain has been trying to do for years, are slotted for 2009, as are more Web and broadcast advertising.

An expansion of the Culverization branding campaign in 2009 will emphasize that the chain is not just a place for lunch or dinner (the two dayparts are equally strong for the chain, Contino says), but as a dessert after a dinner date or a post-school snack for the family.

The additional dayparts are an important part of the strategy as Culver's enters its 25th year and plans to expand beyond 400 units. Explains Contino: “We can get extra transactions from current customers. They will help us get new guests as well. Sometimes we spend too much time and money trying to get new customers.”

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