Chipotle Check-In

I was on Facebook yesterday when an advertisement for Chipotle in the side bar caught my attention. Usually, these tailored ads are more funny than functional, but in this case, I was intrigued. Since Lubbock just built its' first Chipotle, this company made great use of the timing of this social media campaign.

It is a public event that states if you check-in at any Chipotle location November 13-14 using the Facebook Mobile Places application and show your phone to an employee, you will receive a BOGO (Buy One, Get One) burrito, bowl, salad, or order of tacos.

I think this is a great use of social media to drive consumer traffic to Chipotle locations. Many people still do not use FourSquare so I think using a social media tool such as Facebook, which is much more widespread at this point, was a smart idea.

Apparently, this social media campaign worked well for the company so they created a second event for November 20-21. The event is identical except that they were more clear in the description and instructions for receiving the free food. It was specified that you must be physically at the restaurant (...obviously?) in order to participate in the BOGO deal. It also clarified that you could not simply post "Checking-in at Chipotle" on your Facebook status. Some consumers were confused by the last event and merely "checked-in" on the wall of the event. A link to Facebook's blog describing the details of the new application Deals was posted at the bottom of the event description.

Chipotle looking for and responding to user feedback was a smart move. It shows that the company cares about connecting with and clarifying any misconceptions its consumers may have had.  People will remember that Chipotle, as opposed to competitors like Freebirds and Sazón, made use of up-and-coming social media trends to provide deals as well as took the time to relate to its' consumers on a more personal level.

Personally, I'm a Freebirds fan through-and-through. But after observing Chipotle's commitment to its' customers, I just may switch today and make use of this BOGO deal.