News

Sonic reaches out to Hispanic consumers with new bicultural website

February 14, 2012

Sonic, America's Drive-In, is reaching out to the fast-growing Hispanic demographic with its new bicultural website.

The site is designed to seem like consumers are sitting in their car at a Sonic restaurant, and includes distinctly Hispanic features such as:

• The "Encuentra un Sonic" tab, or restaurant locator;
• An engaging tutorial showing how easy it is to enjoy Sonic;
• Information about Sonic's newest products and menus;
• The "Diviertete" section, where guests can send virtual gifts to friends, such as a pair of iconic Sonic roller skates;
• Free Sonic-branded wallpapers for fans' desktops and unique ringtones for their phones; and
• Sonic Tunes, where guests can be among the first to hear emerging Latino artists' new songs.

The experiential website, sonicdrivein.com/espanol, presents Hispanic customers with relevant content in the language of their choice -- Spanish, English or Spanglish, a combination of both languages.

The new site was designed by Lopez Negrete Communications, Sonic's Hispanic marketing agency.

"The website is all about creating an online understanding of an actual drive-in visit and showcases the ability to personalize an entire dining experience at Sonic," said Patricia Burgos, group account director at Lopez Negrete Communications. "We go a step further and reflect our bicultural target's lifestyle, combining the best of their Latino culture with their U.S. experience to create their unique world. Just like Sonic, they can create food combinations and dining experiences as unique as they are."

One-third of the nation's population 19 years old and younger is expected to be Latino by 2015 and marketing plans have reflected that trend.

"As the Hispanic consumer population continues to grow and become a greater share of total restaurant spend, it is necessary to create specific strategies to build awareness, encourage trial use and, ultimately, attract this demographic into an operator's store," said Darren Tristano, executive vice president of Technomic Inc.

Read more about online marketing campaigns.