Ordering Up a Connection

Denny’s is all about the warm and fuzzies lately. In an attempt to revitalize the brand it’s been on a mission to reconnect with America. I mean, when was the last time you went to a Denny’s? We’ve likely all been there at one time or another, either for breakfast or at 2:00 am after a night out with friends. But at some point, as we grew up our tastes evolved and our perception of the chain changed. We haven’t forgotten Denny’s, we just broke up and moved on. “It’s not you, it’s me.” Brand recognition isn’t enough if people don’t actually want to go to the restaurant. So in 2009, Denny’s set out on a journey to rediscover its soul and establish a human connection with its customers. An important tool in this reconnection has been video content.

Let’s face it, online video is becoming a part of Americans’ daily lives. People watch more than 500 million hours of videos on YouTube each day. Logging on for more than just entertainment, people watch everything from how-to videos to product descriptions, helping them make important purchase decisions. Videos have become consumers’ preferred type of brand content. It establishes a personal relationship and allows brands to use storytelling to share their brand identity. But when establishing a connection, today’s consumer craves authenticity and Denny’s has taken notice. Take for example the adorable viral video of comedian DJ Pryor talking with his toddler Kingston.

Denny’s immediately noticed the special connection between Pryor and his son and how it represented their brand. Recognizing the power of everyday conversations which happen in a diner booth they sought to recreate the video while aiming to keep its authenticity intact. The result was a Father’s Day video which was posted on their Facebook and Twitter pages.

We’re spending Father’s Day with the internet’s favorite father/son duo: DJ Pryor and Kingston. Won’t you join us?

Posted by Denny's on Saturday, June 15, 2019

The results highlight one of the advantages online video content has over traditional television spots, superior analytics. On Facebook alone, this single post has achieved over 13M views, 565K likes, 26K comments, and been shared over 136K times.

In an effort to further this reconnection with America and lapsed customers, the “See you at Denny’s” campaign is strengthening Denny’s messaging from an emotional standpoint by again bringing diner conversations to life. Through a branded content series from SoulPancake, Denny’s is helping friends reconnect and shares with viewers the bonds that occur across one of their tables.

As video content becomes more important as a marketing tool, it is essential to include it as part of a successful communication strategy. Its accessibility and ability to reach large audiences at any time gives marketers more bang for their buck while establishing invaluable cross channel marketing opportunities. Creating a platform for more meaningful engagement.

References

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Collins, A. & Conley, M. (2019). The ultimate guide to video marketing. HubSpot. Retrieved from https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/video-marketing

Entis, L. (2019). Denny’s recreation of viral video also goes viral. PRWeek. Retrieved from https://www.prweek.com/article/1590920/dennys-recreation-viral-video-goes-viral

McCue, T. J. (2018). Video marketing in 2018 continues to explode as way to reach customers. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/tjmccue/2018/06/22/video-marketing-2018-trends-continues-to-explode-as-the-way-to-reach-customers/#6c25b70f598d

Pearl, D. (2018). How Denny’s rebuilt its fading brand into a modern, social-savvy business. Adweek. Retrieved from https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/how-dennys-rebuilt-its-fading-brand-into-a-modern-social-savvy-business/

Smith, A., Toor, S., & Van Kessel, P. (2018). Many turn to YouTube for children’s content, news, how-to lessons. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from https://www.pewinternet.org/2018/11/07/many-turn-to-youtube-for-childrens-content-news-how-to-lessons/

Stanley, T. L. (2019). Q & A: How Denny’s advertising is embracing inclusivity as more than a buzzword. Adweek. Retrieved from https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/qa-how-dennys-advertising-is-embracing-inclusivity-as-more-than-a-buzzword/