How Emerging Brand Hoots Wings Is Using Technology To Reach Consumers During Covid

We asked Bruce Skala, Vice President of Marketing for Hooters spinoff hoots wings, what technologies he is finding most effective for reaching consumers during Covid.

Our brand, hoots wings – and its parent company HOA Brands and brother brand Hooters –has taken a multi-tiered approach to reach consumers during the Covid crisis, especially when raising awareness for a new concept. While Hooters has name recognition, hoots wings is an emerging concept that was founded in 2017 and just started franchising in 2020.

Our first step in reaching customers is finding where they are spending their time. This has changed since the start of the pandemic. We have found that digital and paid social ads have proven to be an effective strategy in garnering attention and delivering a brand message. When paired with a call to action, it has been successful in driving online and third-party delivery orders.

We have also incorporated traditional media such as digital billboards and radio. Both have been effective tools for delivering multiple messages. These options give us the opportunity to change and update our messaging by the day, and even hour, to deliver a targeted message. This has been incredibly beneficial as we continue to pivot to the changing business and consumer landscape in the Covid era.

While it may not be new technology, traditional direct mail campaigns that reach people at their residence and within proximity of our stores have had much higher redemption figures during the Covid crisis. Consumers are spending more time at home and, in turn, looking through their mail more frequently. They are also looking for a reason to mix up their daily routine, and a compelling offer delivered to their residence has resonated with them.

Last, we have worked to create unconventional opportunities as we continue to prioritize innovation post-Covid. With the strong uptick in home delivery, we have branded the vehicles used by our delivery service partners. This achieves two important goals: providing 1) a brand message in the neighborhood where a competitor’s food is being delivered; and 2) useful data on where the delivery providers are spending their time. This has allowed hoots wings to use this data to better dial in our direct mail and other marketing initiatives to a more targeted group of consumers.