Wingstop has named Stagwell’s 72andSunny its creative agency of record (AOR), concluding a review process that kicked off in December, according to a news release. Leo Burnett Chicago previously handled the quick-service restaurant’s account dating back to 2018.
In a press release, Wingstop CEO Michael Skipworth said that the 72andSunny partnership marks a recent chapter for the chain because it seeks a $2 million average unit volume, a restaurant industry metric that’s typically calculated by dividing total company-operated sales by total company-operated store units.
“While 2022 marked our nineteenth consecutive 12 months of same-store sales growth, we proceed to have a meaningful opportunity to scale brand awareness,” said Skipworth in a press release across the 72andSunny appointment.
Wingstop has been ramping up its promoting spend to preserve momentum within the hyper-competitive fast food category, which has seen its priorities realigned lately due to the pandemic. As some COVID-19 concerns recede, macroeconomic aspects are pushing brands to be more conscious of areas like pricing.
Wingstop’s work with 72andSunny is effective immediately, with strategic marketing plans already within the works. Marianne Malina, 72andSunny’s president of North America, noted that the agency is worked up to amplify consumers’ passion for the Wingstop brand in culture.
Wingstop, which operates nearly 2,000 restaurants globally, was a beneficiary of the pandemic-driven surge in delivery and takeout ordering. Even because the digital boom cools for another QSRs, Wingstop has continued to reap the advantages of the shift, constructing out partnerships with platforms including Uber Eats.
Digital sales for the chain reached $1.7 billion in 2022, with a digital mix above 60%. Delivery accounted for about 30% of sales, and executives consider that there remains to be a possibility for significant expansion within the channel, Restaurant Dive previously reported. That could provide a clue as to where a few of 72andSunny’s early marketing efforts will focus.
“Our awareness on these delivery platforms remains to be really low,” Skipworth said on a call discussing the full-year ends in February. “We’ll proceed to construct that whether it’s through specific promotions or actually using a few of our ad dollars to advertise on those platforms.”
Wingstop reports its first-quarter earnings on May 3.
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