This week one of the most well-known restaurants, the International House of Pancakes — or IHOP, made an amazing marketing ploy. The chain has been talking about changing their name for months on many social media outlets, leaking a few weeks ago that the “P” will be changed to a “B”. Many of the public believed that the “B” would stand for breakfast. On Monday, the chain announced that it would now be specializing in…burgers.
And the internet went wild.
Twitter users seemed to take the most action against this change. As of today, there were 170 tweets per hour mentioning IHOB. From funny jokes to outright rage, to fast food chains giving their opinions, the simple flipping of the letter p has thrown the internet into a frenzy. (We suggested reading some of the tweets because they are very humorous)
Like all internet trends, the truth has come out a few days later. The chain has spoken out to stay that they are not actually changing their name. They were just trying to make a creative campaign in order to market their new line of burgers. And boy, did it work. As the Wall Street Journal reports, before the stunt, many people admitted to not knowing what IHOP stood for in the first place. The social media frenzy that this joke created has done nothing but good for the company. IHOP, as a company, was down in sales for the last 10 quarters. This Twitter run has given IHOP hundreds of millions of dollars in free advertising, which is projecting mega sales for the chain. It has also put IHOP in the forefront of most Americans’ minds, maybe for the first time in a while.
The IHOB/IHOP campaign has proven that the internet is one underused marketing tool that many people overlook. By having a great website, social media presence, videos and web content you are giving yourself a whole new audience. You are reaching out to people who might not realize you are around or reminding those who know you that you are still relevant.
Bean Media Productions has a team that will help bring your web presence to the next level. Our content developers and video experts are always coming up with creative ways to showcase our clients. With a new website, Video SEO and optimized content, there is no way you will not be seen by the masses. Bean Media Productions has all the tools to help your business stay at the forefront of people’s minds, without having to change your name.
Call us today so we can talk about how to get your company noticed on the web. We look forward to working with you.
Stay tuned to our blog from the latest on Video SEO, Content Development, and news from our office!