Nacho Lucky Day

by


We've all had our fair share of burritos and tacos, but I don't think any of you guys have bit into a jalapeño this spicy. In my last blog post I'll be talking about a Mexican grill restaurant that has taken advantage of social technology in the wrong way through ethical and legal principles. 

About Chipotle 

Chipotle (pronounced chi-POAT-lay) opened it's doors in 1993 to demonstrate a fast casual dining experience using high-quality ingredients, classic cooking methods and interior design frequently found in fine dining restaurants. (Mathews, 2014) The company ironically lives through their mission statement - Food with Integrity, that is meant to highlight their courtesy and honesty through their service and food. Chipotle has more than 1600 in the US raking in $327.4 in 2013. (Spong, 2010)

What Did They Do?


When it comes to social media marketing, there is a right way a and a wrong way to do it. The story of Chipotle trying to hype up the company's 20th anniversary promotion through a fake Twitter hack is so ill-advised and outright disingenuous.

Chipotle's Marketing Department thought it was a good idea to increase awareness of the promotion and to gain more followers and fans for the brand by the following tweets:


The intention behind the fake hack was to clearly get more likes and fans on their social media pages but their biggest followers were from business/marketing bloggers and journalists who were disgusted by Chipotle's actions:



 Unfortunately, the intention behind the stunts did not shine through but exposed a major flaw in how Chipotle values their customers and their perception of marketing through social media is so so wrong. Don't they understand that increasing a number does not gain sales or portray what the brand really stands for? But the bigger, more relevant question is that how can customers trust or build an honest, relationship with Chipotle and their employees? 

Food with Integrity?



The company branded themselves on serving "food with integrity" but obviously that was a huge lie and along with that, they exploited their mission statement and relationship with their consumers. Through the 8 Ethical Principles by Simon Rogerson, I will discuss the ethical considerations through the misuse of social media by Chipotle. 

  • Honour: Chris Arnold stated that Chipotle's Twitter account gained more than 4000 followers the day of the fake hack in comparison to the average 250 followers a day. However, the brand did not earn new followers who were interested in the restaurant where numbers only briefly increased. So no, any publicity is not always good publicity as Chipotle mishandled the situation and therefore reproached their mission statement.  
  • Honesty: Chipotle's fake Twitter hack eroded the trust of many of their customers where it mocks the opportunity to build a genuine relationship with new consumers. The company has abused their relationships and has proven to the public that social media is nothing more than a sideshow. 
  • Consideration of Social Cost:  The company admitted that the fake hack was a publicity stunt and that it was part of the 20 day campaign treasure hunt named Adventurito. Chris Arnold, Chipotle Communications Director took responsibility of the stunt and admitted that it was "definitely thought out" and that they "didn't want it to be harmful, hateful or controversial." (Fiegerman, 2013) However, with the negative reaction of the public, I don't think Chipotle will be posting on Twitter for a while. 
All the Wrong Reasons?

Chipotle did gain 4000 followers on Twitter and a few more likes on their Facebook account, but is this really considered a success when those likes were for all the wrong reasons? The potential tangible impacts through the stunt did increase the number of followers on the company's social media accounts and drew attention to the Adventurito campaign and did stir up some hype. However, the intangible impacts of the fake hack lead to the consumers distrust of the company where they may doubt the honesty and reliability with the brand. The stunt also didn't bring a lasting attention to the brand and did not increase the sales where the marketing gimmick is soon to be forgotten.

The fake hack is so ironic for Chipotle - a company that has branded itself with serving "food with integrity." However, I think Chris Arnold has had his fair share of fake Twitter hacks and from experience, rethink every action from the consumer's perspective to prevent any more slip ups.

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