Sonic’s new logo as part of its new marketing and branding campaign.
Sonic
After a nearly 15-year run, Sonic Drive-In is bidding farewell to its signature “Two Guys” spokesmen and introducing a new marketing campaign that focuses on real customers and their experiences.
That means comedians Peter Grosz and T.J. Jagodowski are no longer promoting Sonic’s menu innovations via improvisational conversations. Rather, four families across the country have taken over the spotlight, going about their daily routines without a script and enjoying Sonic’s food as part of those routines.
Also as part of this shift, the brand is making a tagline shift from “This is how you Sonic” to “This is how we Sonic.”
Though that may seem like a subtle change, it is a significant one, according to CMO Lori Abou Habib. Sonic tapped Mother Los Angeles as its agency of record last year to lead this campaign, which also supports what the company is calling an entirely new brand identity. This work aligns with years of intensive consumer research.
“We have been trying to understand our consumers better and we have found that they use Sonic as a destination for both big and small experiences. Shifting into how ‘we’ Sonic moves from telling people how to do it to celebrating how they do it,” Abou Habib said. “There are so many nuances to the Sonic brand and we’ve only been showcasing a small section of that–our view. Now, we’re going to celebrate how our customers are experiencing the brand, from their view.”
Now is the right time to change gears, she added, because Sonic is riding a year of significant momentum. In 2019, the company turned in record average unit volumes of $1.3 million.
“We are using this campaign to build on those high points. The brand identity is something that we think will make a lasting impact and the new campaign reflects those opportunities,” Abou Habib said.
Still, competition has no doubt intensified in the quick-service space and Sonic hasn’t been immune to that. Prior to Inspire Brand’s acquisition of the chain, Sonic experienced eight quarters of sales declines. In 2018, however, Sonic’s sales and unit counts increased nearly 1% and 0.4%, respectively.
That makes the 2019 results all the more significant, especially because those results came from a balance of both check and traffic, the latter of which has been elusive for restaurant chains across all segments. Abou Habib attributes part of those results to coming under Inspire Brand’s umbrella, sharing that space with Arby’s, Buffalo Wild Wings, Rusty Taco and, most recently, Jimmy John’s.
“2019 was a milestone year and a part of that was being able to leverage efficiencies from being in a multi-brand platform,” she said. “Another piece comes from us building up our digital technologies for the past couple of years.”
Those technologies include a dynamic menu board system and an order-ahead app. Sonic’s order-head process allows customers the ability to “be first in line every time.” In an increasingly hastened world, that is a big deal.
Sonic is also leaning into personalization with its digital integration, from the app to the digital menu board. Though Abou Habib wouldn’t disclose specific numbers, she said the mobile adoption rate has been “fantastic for the brand.”
“These are some of the levers that have been fueling growth,” she said.
Sonic plans to accelerate these digital initiatives, including in the “next couple of months” expanding on an artificial intelligence test that began last year. That test began last year in partnership with Mastercard and kiosk maker Zivelo. Such AI-driven, personalized systems have yielded early success at other chains, including McDonald’s.
“We’ve made those investments and continue to look at our ecosystem to fuel growth for franchisees. At the heart of all of this is personalization. How can we offer more convenience and more personalized experiences for our customers? The main thing we want to do is drive more brand relevance for guests so they associate more closely with the brand,” Abou Habib said.
With this new brand identity and campaign, she believes Sonic is perhaps even better positioned to differentiate itself in a sea of sameness.
“That’s why we cast real customers, so we can achieve that authenticity and relatability. I adore Two Guys. Sonic adores Two Guys. They created our brand personality,” Abou Habib said. “But there is so much more to Sonic than what consumers know, than what we’ve told them. I’m excited to reach more people with our story.”
The menu playing its part
As part of this work, Sonic will continue to rely heavily on prolific menu innovation pipeline that spans five dayparts. The campaign will serve as the launching point of the brand’s new, Reese’s Overload Waffle Cone.
Without sharing specifics, Abou Habib also hinted at the chain’s “menu modification” work that will take place later this year. This work also correlates with the intensive consumer research conducted for the campaign.
“Our goal is to create more opportunities for more consumers to access our menu,” she said. “We expect our innovation channels and new product news to continue to drive traffic for us across dayparts. That is a major differentiator for us. Our consumers want that from us.”
