Red Robin Cooks Up Something Different

Over the past two months Red Robin has been running a promotion involving viewers sending in comically altered photos of themselves worshipping Red Robin products, all in pursuit of three prizes of $660 in burgers. This contest, centered around the micro site http://www.obeytheegg.com/ and spread through blogs and Facebook, intended to teach and reinforce their brand identity and show Red Robin's national reach.

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It's telling that the three winners of the contest were from different parts of the country. Red Robin wanted to underscore their presence in markets all across the US. They also wanted to exhibit that they are a burger innovator. The micro site prominently asserts that the Royal Red Robin Burger was the first to have an egg on it in 1973. They underscore that fact by putting a crown on the "royal" egg and making the tag line about obeying it. Instead of past campaigns where 2 or more burgers were rolled out and the emphasis was on choice and tailoring the burger to your need, this campaign seeks to shift demand toward one signature burger that is identified with the chain, chasing the "Big Mac" effect.

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It's also interesting to note that two out of three of the winning photos were of babies. It points to the fact that Red Robin continues to position themselves as a destination for families, especially young ones with plenty of years of buying potential.

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Overall, for the outlay and the cost of promoting it across several blogs with $15 gift cards (who then promoted it on Facebook and Twitter) it looks like an excellent message. They did not seek mainstream news coverage, keeping it kitschy, and patrons who submitted pictures now have the pleasure of seeing themselves on a Red Robin website, further reinforcing brand loyalty with their core segment.