The Story Wave 48

Taco Bell: The Power Of Reputation – Case Study

“Fast-food” has long been synonymous with “affordable food,” but recent inflationary pressures have shifted this perception. Over the past few years, fast-food restaurants have hiked prices to combat the rising costs of goods and employee wages. In response, most fast-food chains have experienced a significant drop in low-income customers who can’t afford the higher prices. What is one restaurant where this trend isn’t holding true? Taco Bell.

• Throughout 2023, Taco Bell restaurants in low-income markets continued to perform well. This is largely due to Taco Bell’s strong reputation for value.
• Mapping Taco Bell’s brand equity data from QuestBrand by The Harris Poll, we can track how Taco Bell’s appeal has grown among lower-income households.
• The graph below tracks Taco Bell’s purchase consideration. The trendline shows that lower-income consumers’ positive purchase consideration outpaced the general population of US adults starting at the end of 2023 and continuing throughout the first half of 2024. 

How did Taco Bell gain its strong reputation for value? Download the case study to find out.

Secondhand Back-To-School Shopping – AdAge Op-Ed

It’s back-to-school season. Along with the end of summer, the start of another school year means expensive shopping trips for new clothing and school supplies. Last year, Americans spent $135+ billion on back-to-school shopping.

Have parents had enough of these high bills? In a recent op-ed with AdAge, Harris Poll co-CEO Will Johnson explored parents’ interest in the secondhand clothing market:

• Buying secondhand is popular: 51% of parents of school-aged children bought used clothes last year.
• Can we go thift shopping?: Three-quarters of the parents who shopped secondhand last year shopped at thrift stores like Goodwill or the Salvation Army.
• Parents want options: Seven-in-10 parents of school-aged children said more brands should integrate secondhand items into their collections.
• Seller buy-backs?: 86% of parents of school-aged children said they appreciate it when retailers compensate for used clothing.

Takeaway: “To sum up, there’s demand for used clothing and an opportunity for retailers to fill it. We know the messaging that can appeal to parents hunting for back-to-school bargains in particular. It’s up to retailers to take the next step and seize this opportunity.” – Will Johnson

Wendy’s Wins Over Gen Z With Affordability…And Chicken – Brand Story

Wendy’s has made big strides with Gen Z consumers this summer. For what exactly? Two things we can all get behind: affordability and chicken.

• Affordability: Wendy’s attracted price-conscious customers with a $3 breakfast meal and $1 chicken biscuits.
• Chicken: In June, Wendy’s released a line of saucy nuggets in seven flavors. Several TikTok videos covering this release received millions of views.
• The result?: Looking at QuestBrand data (below),we can see the impact on Wendy’s brand momentum. This summer, Wendy’s brand momentum among Gen Z adults significantly rose and outpaced momentum among the general population of US adults.

Read the full brand story for more information on Wendy’s success with Gen Zers.