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Subway kicks off Footlong Nation Appreciation promo
February 3, 2010
Subway restaurants is honoring its customers for their help in making the chain the world's largest submarine sandwich franchise with the launch of "Footlong Nation Appreciation." The day is designed to give thanks to consumers who have contributed to the success and celebrity of the famous Subway "Footlong." Since its debut, the Footlong has been a hit with popular varieties ranging from the Italian BMT to the Oven-Roasted Chicken.
Through the promotion, Subway invites consumers to answer the question: What is America's Favorite Footlong? Consumers nationwide may vote for their Favorite Footlong onwww.SubwayFreshBuzz.com. Fans can log their votes and track how their Footlong of choice is placing in real time. The city or town with the most votes cast by March 22 will be deemed "Capital of Footlong Nation" and receive a donation of 500 Footlongs to a local food bank.
To further show appreciation for making Subway Footlongs famous, fans will have an opportunity to win free Footlongs for a year along with many other prizes. With a new winner selected every day through April 15, consumers can vie for a chance to win online at the microsite.
The Subway Footlong gained particular brand awareness during the chain's $5 Footlong campaign, a promotion that set a precedent for the price point and was picked up by rival sandwich chains and other restaurant brands. For Subway, the initial limited-time promotion created such demand that the chain incorporated its value message into its permanent pricing structure.
"Subway's $5 Footlongs have redefined the fast-food industry and now, along with a chance to win free footlongs for a year, our fans have the opportunity to tell us which footlong is their favorite," said Tony Pace, chief marketing officer of the Subway Franchisee Advertising Fund Trust (SFAFT). "The ‘Footlong Nation Appreciation' campaign allows our fans to have their voices heard, while also trying to benefit their local food banks."
Growth milestones
The Subway chain also is marking its growth milestones met in 2009. Last year, the chain opened 2,164 new locations in 49 U.S. states plus the District of Columbia; seven Canadian provinces; and in 67 countries. Subway now has more than 32,000 locations in 90 countries and is even closer to becoming the world's single largest restaurant brand, in terms of number of outlets.
Throughout 2009, the Subway chain reached quite a few development milestones. New store openings accounted for approximately 2.6 million square feet of prime commercial retail space, while the total international store count added up to more than 9,200 restaurants.
Store expansion climbed in international markets with 1,300 locations open in the United Kingdom, 700 in Germany and 400 in Mexico, where the number of Subway restaurants also surpassed the number of McDonald's restaurants operating in the country. Further milestones included 350 locations in Brazil, 175 in France, 150 in India, 100 in Ireland and 75 each in the Netherlands, Russia and Singapore. Last year also saw the opening of the first Subway restaurants in Macau and Slovakia.
Development increased domestically, as well, when the chain reached a milestone of 22,000 open and operating locations in the United States. Other milestones include 1,700 locations in the state of Texas, 1,100 in Illinois and New York, 600 in Indiana, 500 in Washington, and 400 each in Arizona, Colorado and Louisiana.
In the non-traditional development category, the Subway chain has more than 7,200 locations in places such as airports, department stores, hospitals and park & recreational facilities. But perhaps the most non-traditional is multi-unit franchisee Richard Schragger's newest store. For the next two years, it will be located on top of the world — on a crane, rising alongside the construction of One World Trade Center, also known as the Freedom Tower — providing meals for construction workers as the structure rises 108 stories. At 1,776 feet, the tower will be the tallest building in the United States and one of the tallest buildings in the world.
Subway's franchise expertise earned the chain a number of accolades, including being again named the No. 1 Franchise Opportunity as well as the No. 1 Global Franchise opportunity for 2010 by Entrepreneur magazine in its annual "Franchise 500" rankings. This is the 17th time in the past 23 years that the chain has been recognized with the overall top honor.
In addition to those accolades, the Subway brand was named the No. 1 provider of healthy options and the most popular food brand of chains with 5,000 or more locations in the 2009 Zagat Fast Food Survey.
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