Wendy’s is a corporation that grew from an ideal – founder Dave Thomas, dreamt of a quick-service style restaurant that served the best, freshest food for the whole family. Now with more than 6,000 restaurants worldwide, Wendy’s is one of the largest and most successful fast food chains around; their mission statement reads, “At Wendy’s, we’re all about serving up fresh food, even if it means going the extra mile.”
The company is quite active on social media and their main platform for communicating with fans and customers is Twitter, where they have 3.5 million followers; they boast their product in their bio, “We like our tweets the same way we like to make our hamburgers: better than anyone expects from a fast food joint.”
A major reason for Wendy’s success on Twitter, aside from spicy chicken nuggets, is their ability to interact with fans and followers in a comedic way – unlike the ultra-uptight, old school brands on social media that are fearful of a negative reaction, Wendy’s shrugs off that fear and has an open dialogue with their followers. According to Bonfire Marketing, “humor used effectively, whether by self-aware sarcasm or extra room for puns, ups your chances of eliciting a fast, viral sensation.”Wendy’s successfully uses humor, and their dialogue with fans usually includes jokes, memes, silly arguments, and more. Here are the three major ways in which Wendy’s uses their humor to connect with fans.
Wendy’s pokes fun at similar fast food chains to get a rise from their followers
Wendy’s is always causing a ruckus on Twitter, and most of the time it’s because they’re making fun of similar brands and chains. Whether they are calling out the brands by name or simply responding to tweets from fans, Wendy’s rarely has anything kind to say about their competition, and the fans love it.
A Hootsuite article tells readers that it’s imperative that brands stay updated on the activity of their competitors online, and Wendy’s certainly follows that advice. On January 2, a heckler reached out to let Wendy’s know that, “@mcdonald’s rocks!”, to which Wendy’s replied, “did you forget to write ‘tastes like’ in the middle?” On January 23, a fan tweeted a photo of a McDonald’s bus to Wendy’s asking, “what would you call this?” Wendy’s simply responded, “Is it a garbage truck?”
The tweet now has over one million likes and thousands of retweets. Fans went crazy for Wendy’s, replying with words like, “savage!” and, “DAMN!” – other verified Twitter accounts, like UPS Customer Support and Flex Seal, jumped in and joined the fun as well, sending their condolences to McDonald’s after they were so brutally burned by Wendy’s. By openly joking on the behalf of the competition, Wendy’s taps into the meme-ified mindset of Twitter and connects with fans in a way that other brands have failed to do.
Wendy’s interacts with followers like friends
On the same post about the McDonald’s bus, the Wendy’s Twitter team took time to respond to their followers, deepening the connection with their audience. In response to the burn by Wendy’s, a follower enthusiastically wrote, “WENDY’S TAKING SHOTS!” to which Wendy’s casually replied, “Well, it’s flu season.” That tweet alone received more than 11 thousand likes and hundreds of replies.
Another follower wrote, “Layeth the smaketh down!” While most of us may not understand the sentiment behind that comment, Wendy’s showed their comprehension by replying, “Jabronis don’t want the smoke.” What are “jabronis” and where is the smoke? We’re not sure, but we know that Wendy’s ability to connect with their audience based on humor and a laid-back attitude is undeniable.
Wendy’s connects with pop-culture in comedic ways
Along with all the fan-attention Wendy’s has received from their colorful Twitter content, they have also received shout outs from celebrities and house-hold names. Moz encourages Twitter users to create interesting content and stay relevant to keep followers coming back – what could be more interesting than celebrities?
On January 13, Wendy’s replied to a picture showing the famous cast of the new movie Little Women munching on Wendy’s fries during a filming break, complete with Meryl Streep donning an 1800’s-style bonnet. Wendy’s replied, “Not saying eating our french fries gets you an #Oscar nomination but also…sup.” Fans went wild at the knowledge that the elegant Streep eats fast food just like they do, and they showed their support by liking, commenting, and retweeting up a storm. Wendy’s has also referenced memes, cartoons, and other celebrities in their tweets, proving their ability to stay hip and current in a fast-paced social world.
More than a fast food brand, Wendy’s is the comedic voice that fans want to hear from their favorite brands. Through humor at the expense of similar businesses, casual interactions with followers, and an understanding of the modern world, Wendy’s creates a relationship with their patrons, adding to their success. It wouldn’t be a bad idea for brand accounts to follow in Wendy’s footsteps, let loose a bit, and have a genuine connection with their followers.
What do you think? Does Wendy’s Twitter content make you laugh? Leave a comment below!
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