Pollo Campero

Case Study

Chicken Challenge Accepted: Getting a Leg Up During the Rebrand of a Beloved Chicken Restaurant Chain.

Situation Overview

When Pollo Campero, the world’s largest Latin chicken restaurant brand, decided to update its already-very familiar and very popular brand, it was immediately clear there was a lot at stake.

The challenge for Pollo Campero: remake and reinvigorate the brand appearance to draw in a whole new customer base, but do so in a way that stays true to the company’s Latin roots, and without alienating its core customers.

Pollo Campero’s plan: redesign and modernize the restaurant and its logo, but keep the “Campero experience” the same, if not better.

Plan of Action

When Pollo Campero announced the impending change, The Power Group knew that an integral part of the success of the rebrand would be to create and implement a public relations strategy that would move in lock step with the company changes.

The Power Group set goals including targeted media features highlighting the rebrand, maintaining alignment with major Pollo Campero benchmarks. One very important aspect of the strategy was to find ways to tell and sell the new Campero story, while preserving the true essence of the Campero brand – its flair and flavor.

Because alignment with Pollo Campero was key to the success of the strategy, The Power Group streamlined communications with the brand and agency partners, and obtained necessary information including internal marketing calendars and training guides.

The goal: to have as much information as possible, as early as possible.

Actions Taken

Armed with a fresh new logo and updated boilerplate, The Power Group created press releases announcing the Pollo Campero rebrand and restaurant remodels and obtained coverage in traditional media and trade publications. Power then worked to call even more attention to Pollo Campero by announcing its year-to-year financial success, in addition to creating excitement for Campero’s marketing initiatives, such as the creation of new dipping sauces and the addition of its new Citrus Peruvian grilled chicken – a product Pollo Campero now calls “a game-changer.”

But the strategy didn’t end there. Power worked to take advantage of both quirky and traditional holidays, publicizing food giveaways on everything from National Empanada Day to Mother’s Day.

Power also worked to place Pollo Campero in events that would give the chain and its new look high visibility among large numbers of people, including Dallas’ Festival de Mayo and Taste of Irving.

Outcome

The public relations strategy behind Pollo Campero’s rebrand has seen continued success. Since its implementation, the brand has received overwhelmingly positive media coverage, including features in Restaurant Facility Business and Nation’s Restaurant News.

Pollo Campero President and CEO Tim Pulido was featured as a “Power Player” in the Dallas Business Journal, and was also included in articles highlighting the brand in both The Dallas Morning News and The Houston Chronicle.

The Power Group’s strategy to go BIG on National Empanada Day was a huge success.  It not only garnered television and print media attention across the country and on social media, in some cases, it increased foot traffic significantly at Pollo Campero restaurants in key cities.