Taco John's has retired its former mascots Whiplash, the Cowboy Monkey, and TJ the DJ, and launched a new marketing program that takes the quick-service Mexican restaurant chain back to its roots.
Whiplash, the Cowboy Monkey, and TJ the DJ, and launched a new marketing program that takes the quick-serviceUnlike most QSR chains, Taco John's neither started in, nor focused on, large urban areas. The first restaurant was in Cheyenne, Wyo., (population 40,914 at the time). Next came Scottsbluff, Neb., Torrington, Wyo., and Rapid City, S.D. More than 40 years and 400-plus locations later, the brand still has an affinity for some of the small cities in the country, and apparently the feeling is mutual.
Customer surveys reveal a common theme. People who grew up with a Town John's in their hometown often associate favorite childhood memories with the restaurant: first dates, celebrating after the big game, or sitting in a favorite booth with best friends.
The restaurant's new "My Town. My Taco John's" campaign celebrates these time-treasured relationships. It encourages the kids who are now adults to share the hometown tradition of Taco John's with their own families.
"Our 40-year philosophy has been to go into smaller towns and communities and become their taco place. What better way for us to celebrate the brand than to speak to those communities directly?" Renée Middleton, vice president of marketing for Taco John's, said in a news release. "I hope (customers) will see a little of themselves in each commercial and celebrate the partnership between Taco John's and their communities."
Returning to its roots doesn't mean ignoring the opportunities of today. Along with Lawrence & Schiller, the company's Sioux Falls, S.D.-based advertising agency partner, Taco John's is developing a digital strategy focused on a customer loyalty program using text messaging, text pictures, Web site and e-mail marketing plus social media sites such as Facebook and FourSquare.
"A lot of agency employees grew up in Taco John's towns," said Tom Helland, senior vice president of client relations at Lawrence & Schiller, "so this campaign has been a labor of love for us."
MyTacoJohns.com will debut in July.
