Gen-Z, Millennial Opps: Krystal teams up with new influencer partner, surpasses FY 2021 digital spend (Score 53)

Sales Lead: Krystal recently utilized a new partnership with social media influencer Brittany Renner in an initiative promoting its "side chik" sandwich.

• Made by Chemistry Atlanta, the campaign rolled out on October 3 (Don't forget, Fullmetal Alchemist fans!) across social, TV, and OOH, among other channels.
• The company will likely:
  • Keep increasing spend
  • Pursue similar future influencer partnerships
  • Conduct agency reviews under its new CMO (more below)
• Target demographic: 
  • Gen-Z and millennials with a male skew

Additional spending insights:

• Digital and social insights (digital ad spend, effectiveness, impressions, and performance)
  • YTD spend: Krystal has spent approximately $3.4m on digital ads YTD, 3% more than the approximately $3.3m spent in all of 2021.
  • YTD data: So far this year, the fast food chain has earned around 283.1m digital impressions via desktop video/YouTube (62%), Facebook (26%), and Instagram (11%) ads.
  • Last year: In 2021, Krystal spent roughly $3.3m on this channel, more than double the roughly $1.3m spent in 2020.
• Additional channel insights  
  • The company also utilizes OOH and local broadcast.

Additional agency insights:

• Opportunity: Contact soon, if you haven't yet done so, to see if roster shifts end up following Krystal's recent appointment of CMO Casey Terrell.
  • An advantage will probably go to those with quick-service restaurant experience.
• Current agency roster:
  • Chemistry Atlanta: Creative agency partner
  • Dagger: Creative AOR
  • Plein Air: Media AOR
  • Ink Link Marketing: PR AOR

Insight Sources: Digital spend insights estimated by Pathmatics; additional channel insights estimated by Kantar.