Restaurants gear up for Super Bowl with bundled meals

Going beyond the game

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Chains can leverage special promotions such to spur repeat traffic, said Darren Tristano, executive vice president of Chicago-based research firm Technomic Inc. “Brands that are doing Super Bowl promotions are trying to find the right way to get repeat business,” he said. “If you can get customers to do something twice, you likely can build a pattern.”

Chipotle Mexican Grill, which recently began a test of catering, had that in mind with its bounce-back offer for all Burritos by the Box orders picked up on Super Bowl Sunday. Customers must place an order of at least six burritos for Feb. 3, but then may bring back that receipt any time through Feb. 28 to receive a free entrée.

In past years, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell have managed to sustain business of the Big Dinner Box and Taco 12 Pack by promoting it for other group-gathering occasions, Tristano noted, but KFC might have a harder time doing so for the Gameday Bucket — not only does the product’s name imply football season, but so does “couchgating.”

Fans may not get to couchgate again for another eight months after the Super Bowl, he said, so KFC likely has a large rooting interest in getting a spike in sales for Feb. 3.

“Those types of promotions will likely have the greatest impact at the beginning of the season or postseason, when you can have weeks of getting people to ‘couchgate,’” Tristano said. “Ideally, this is reminding lapsed customers who haven’t used KFC in a while that this is a good opportunity for their food at a small gathering.”

This article has been updated to reflect the following correction:

Correction: January 25, 2013 An earlier version of this article stated that Taco Bell’s Super Bowl commercial will air during the third quarter of the game’s broadcast. The spot now will show during the game’s second quarter.

Contact Mark Brandau at mark.brandau@penton.com.
Follow him on Twitter: @Mark_from_NRN