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H2 Media Opps Update: Chipotle taps Deloitte Digital for mobile ordering updates

Update (8/30): I keep hearing readers screaming, "Chipotle update it is. You are most welcome.

Chipotle recently turned to Ad Age, "upcoming redesigns of its iOS and Android ordering apps slated for this fall." Per Deloitte, the updates should make customizing online orders easier, as well as make finding nearby restaurants, calculated pickups times and payment options easier to navigate.

Read more about WinmoEdge's take on Chipotle below.

Update (8/17): growing more synonymous with food poisoning every day, has named its first chief communications officer: Laurie Schalow. This is a newly-created position, and Schalow will lead all of the company's internal and external communications. She previously served as VP of public affairs for YUM Brands. She joins Scott Boatwright, who joined as the chain's first chief restaurant officer in May. 

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that Schlaw joined Chipotle right around the time that rats fell through the ceiling of a Dallas Chipotle. That is the stuff nightmares are made of, and does nothing to repair the chain's image (one step forward, two steps back, I guess). While the chain has been trying to improve food safety over the past years, one-off stories such as this make the recovery even more difficult. Part of efforts to combat negative press include a massive infusion of cash to the marketing budget, which I have reported on ad nauseam (more info below). As such, there's not much more to say here, sellers, other than I hope you have been and are continuing to go after your piece of this budget. 

Note that Chipotle in introducing new menu items this fall. During the Q2 earnings call, Mark Crumpacker, chief marketing and development officer, cited boredom and no queso as the major reasons loyal customers have turned their backs on the brand. Therefore, there should be more marketing campaigns touting innovation later this year and into early 2018.

Agency & Martech readers - since Chipotle just moved work to early 2016, placing them right at average AOR tenure (2.5-3 years).

Read more about Chipotle below.

Below was originally published on 7/27:

I hope y'all were looking for a out-Chipotle itself, it did just that.

During the recent Q2 earnings call, CMO Mark Crumpacker will continue through the balance of the year. "While this increased activity has been effective," *(umm, really?) he said, "it's clear that winning back occasions lost to competitors is going to be an ongoing effort." He added that the "solution" to winning back customers is "not simply to spend more on advertising or tweaks the the creative approach." Rather, Chipotle needs to evolve the customer experience and create "more compelling reasons" for visits. I have an idea - stop making people sick? 

Crumpacker said all of the above, and then looped back around and said that the company must also "enhance the effectiveness of our marketing efforts." I'm just as confused as you are, readers. He did say that Chipotle's new menu items (queso!) are "ideally suited" for advertising, specifically calling out the chain's :15-second TV spots that "make up the majority of our television ad buying." Chipotle's next ad push, "which again includes significant TV advertising," is slated for September, so there are possible last minute dollars to pick up, sellers.

In addition to national TV, Chipotle's recent campaigns have also included outdoor, digital, radio, search and social components. There should, then, be plenty of revenue here, sellers. Point of interest: one of Chipotle's top targeted display destinations this year (more below) is AARP.com, so I guess the burrito joint is looking outside millennials (at least a little). I guess when no one wants what you are selling, you try to sell it to everyone? We've told you ad nauseam about Chipotle's struggles and spend and plans (oh my), so hopefully you have been reaching out to secure revenue here.

Chipotle has also recently launched Wonders never cease.

Agency & Martech readers - since Chipotle just moved work to early 2016, placing them right at average tenure. 

Additional Information

New Product Launch: QUESO. Beginning Aug. 1, the chain will rollout queso at 350 locations across Southern California and Colorado. A national rollout, pending customer acceptance, could happen as early as mid-September, said Crumpacker. He also said that Chipotle has already developed advertising, "both for TV and elsewhere," that features queso.

National TV Spend: YTD, Chipotle has spent $12.5 million on national TV ads, per iSpot. Chipotle's first work this year - "As Real As It Gets" - first aired on April 10, so this $12.5 million has been spent in the last three months. In total, Chipotle has aired seven national TV spots this year, four of which are the :15-second spots Crumpacker mentioned (the other three are :30-second spots). See chart for show targeting.

These are the first national campaigns for the chain, as no money was spent in this channel previously.

Digital Breakdown: last Chipotle story in May, so it seems that increased marketing is just getting started (the same is true for TV spend, sellers).

These ads have been mostly online video (75%) and mobile video (21%), placed either site direct (72%) or through Teads ad network (25%). Top ad destinations include: youtube.com, cbssports.com, rawstory.com, esquire.com and aarp.com. For the same period last year, Chipotle spent $4.1 million (242.4 million impressions).

For full 2016, $7.1 million was spent on digital display ads - most of which were run from July - September. 

Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc
1401 Wynkoop St.
Suite 500
Denver, CO 80202
(303) 595-4000

Mark Crumpacker 
Chief Creative & Development Officer (CMO)
(303) 595-4000   
mcrumpacker@chipotle.com

Mark Shambura
Executive Director, Marketing (promoted Feb. 2017)
(303) 595-4000
mshambura@chipotle.com   

Curt Garner
Chief Digital & Information Officer
(303) 595-4000 
cgarner@chipotle.com