The quick-service taco wars heated up recently, as Taco John’s and Taco Bell sparred publicly over the former’s trademark on the term “Taco Tuesday.” It is admittedly a lopsided “war,” as Taco Bell is a juggernaut in the space, with its nearly $13 billion in 2022 sales dwarfing the second-biggest QSR taco chain by about $12 billion.
But that runner up isn’t taking the fight laying down. Del Taco continues to push its barbell menu strategy — with one side of the menu offering value options for less than $2, and the other side providing high-quality dishes — to appeal to the taco-loving masses. Recently, it’s leaned into that high-quality side of its menu for its communication strategy, leveraging storytelling both internally to its employees and externally to its guests to demonstrate its commitment to quality as a differentiator.
Del Taco chief marketing officer Tim Hackbardt joined the latest episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches to talk about those efforts, offering a peek inside Del Taco’s efforts to communicate in a rapidly fracturing media landscape, plus how the brand is setting itself apart with its value strategy.
In this conversation, you’ll learn why:
- Your brand is full of great stories — you should talk about them
- Guest feedback is easier to obtain than ever
- You need a content strategy for every type of guest
- A barbell strategy could be a good entry into a value menu
Contact Sam Oches at [email protected].
