Dive Brief:
- Chipotle Mexican Grill has added a "Freepotle" perk to its rewards program, offering members up to 10 free food items throughout 2023, per details shared with Marketing Dive.
- From Jan. 9 to Jan. 13, randomly selected consumers who comment "Freepotle" on Chipotle’s TikTok Live and Instagram Live fees will have a chance to win free Chipotle for a year via a spin of the Freepotle Prize Wheel.
- Additionally, drawings that can be entered via in-restaurant and digital orders will award 3,100 customers free Chipotle for a year. The brand is positioning its latest rewards program perk as an alternative to competitors' subscription programs.
Dive Insight:
Chipotle has made expanding and enriching its rewards program, which now counts more than 30 million members, a key focus for the last few years. The Freepotle perk is the latest development from a chain that has made free food items like guacamole and other side dishes an enticement for consumers to increase their orders. Existing members will be automatically enrolled in Freepotle and non-members can access the perk by joining by March 6.
The chain is also positioning Freepotle as a more attractive alternative to "pricey subscription programs" that have proliferated at QSR and fast casual chains, per a statement by CMO Chris Brandt. Chipotle competitors Taco Bell and Sweetgreen both added subscription plans, Taco Lover’s Pass and Sweetpass, respectively, last January.
Chipotle is promoting the launch of Freepotle in a variety of ways as it looks to retain members and sign up new ones. The Freepotle Prize Wheel will gamify the live viewing and commenting features of TikTok and Instagram, social media platforms that remain key channels through which to reach ad-averse consumers. In addition, Chipotle Rewards members will be entered to win free Chipotle for a year by making a $5 purchase either in-restaurant or through the chain's digital platforms from Jan. 9 to Jan. 15.
Freepotle is the chain's most recent attempt to boost its digital platforms. The chain earlier this month targeted Gen Z and millennial consumers with a new Snapchat Lens and lineup of Lifestyle Bowls inspired by contemporary wellness habits. Last year, Chipotle tapped into the cryptocurrency craze with a stock market simulation game that was one of the year's best campaigns.
