Show Summary

In response to a marketing ploy by IHOP, Twitter has decided: Pancakes and burgers do not go together. Last week the International House of Pancakes restaurant chain launched a new campaign to promote its burger menu. There were cryptic pre-launch ads showing the letter P in the logo flipped upside down to make it a B, all in an attempt to stir up interest in what the B might mean. All of Twitter seemed shocked to find the B was for burger, because, if you had not noticed, IHOP is about breakfast. Could this new campaign convince us to choose IHOP for any other reason? If we judge the effectiveness of the campaign based on the Twitter response, the answer would be a hearty no.

In this ounce of Persuasion fast chat, Erin Straza and Hannah Anderson assess this failed online communication and discuss the need for better online engagement. Too often we send out messages like IHOP did: without knowing our audience well enough to shape the message to be properly understood and embraced. There is much we can learn from IHOP’s recent marketing ploy.

Listen in, then continue the conversation on Twitter @PersuasionCAPC or in the CAPC members-only community on Facebook.

Your Hosts

Erin Straza: Web / Twitter
Hannah Anderson: Web / Twitter

Episode 139 Resources & Links

The Best Chain Restaurant Twitter Reactions to IHOP Changing Its Name to ‘IHOb’, People

In defense of IHOb, The Washington Post

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Theme music by Maiden Name. Produced by Jonathan Clauson.

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