For years, Taco Bell has built its brand in the U.S. by connecting itself to four cultural pillars — music, sports, fashion and art — and turning its “Live Más” tagline into a consumer lifestyle. Now, it’s looking to replicate that cultural approach in other markets.
International growth has been a priority for Taco Bell as the chain seeks to hit $20 billion in annual revenue. The brand now has more than 1,000 locations across 31 countries outside the U.S., and Yum CEO David Gibbs has said that Taco Bell International has a bright future.
“At Taco Bell International, the team is working on building brand relevance,” the executive said on a recent earnings call. “It is still early days in many markets and trends remain volatile but we remain confident in the long-term opportunity.”
As part of those brand building efforts, Taco Bell UK this month kicked off Encore Hours, keeping select restaurants open late so that music fans don't have to choose between listening to artists' encores and getting food at restaurants that close as early as 10 p.m.
“Taco Bell is a place that we grow from infusing ourselves into culture,” said Taco Bell International CMO Amy Durini. “This program really came from the fans.”
The first Encore Hours activation kicked off in London from Aug. 15-20 at Taco Bell Wembley High Road and kept a location that is a short walk from the U.K.’s largest music venue, Wembley Stadium, open until 2 a.m. The first 50 guests received limited edition t-shirts, and the first 500 customers could earn a free Crunchy Taco with their order. The activations will continue throughout London and in Brighton into December.
Endless white space
Despite Taco Bell's U.S. success in marketing around culture, it's not a “plug-and-play” situation — not everything that works in the U.S. works in outside markets, Durini explained.
“We definitely try to lean into local insights and understand what the fans are saying in each of our markets so we can take our broader brand strategy and put some local cultural context around it,” the executive said. “Encore Hours doesn't exist in the U.S. but it's a perfect example of the magic of how to talk about this relationship with music.”
One musical effort that was easier to export was Feed The Beat. The long-running program supports touring musicians by providing free gift cards and often can lead to song placements in the chain's ads. Feed The Beat in the U.S. has recently keyed into up-and-coming punk acts like Turnstile and Militarie Gun, a strategy it replicated by tapping hardcore-adjacent act High Vis for an ad around its UK launch — the first market it has taken the program to outside the U.S.
“With that launch of Feed The Beat [in the UK], we are starting to build our culture around music, and leverage the authentic relationship Taco Bell has had for years in the U.S. and take it outside of the border,” Durini said.
Whether Taco Bell International's marketing moves are new initiatives like Encore Hours or exported hits like Feed The Beat, the chain will continue to lean into local insights and trends to help build its brand that is still very much at the “ground floor” internationally.
“When we look at our sister brands, they are much bigger,” Durini said. “We have this opportunity for us to continue to build and grow, and the white space is endless.”
