YEAR
2010
PROJECT
Chilito Promotion
CLIENT
Zantigo
Behold the Chilito
Zantigo – a regional brand of Mexican quick serve restaurants – is the home of a super craveable menu item. McDonald’s has the Big Mac, Wendy’s has the Frosty, and Arby’s has the Meats. But none would prevail mano a mano against the savory, cheesy, spicy champion of flavor: the Zantigo Chilito.
Our Hero’s Plight
Pedigree has never been the issue for Zantigo and the Chilito. It’s the real deal. Owners Kevin and Don (or as they’re known south of the border, Kevin and Don) enlisted DKY (a.k.a. Publicidad de Oro) to help with the question at hand: How’s a better but unknown brand of cheap Mexican eats supposed to get the word out?
The Big Idea: Ajetreo
You can sum up our decade-long partnership with Zantigo with one word. Hustle. If you can’t match the big brand’s budget, you scrap and fight to find another way. (Also, be willing to trade some of your labor for tacos and Chilitos. Win-win, right?)
Elevate the Flavor
The DKY team cooked up a variety of in-store promotions, digital marketing, menu systems, advertising campaigns, and loyalty programs with our Zantigo amigos. Like a marketing sheriff in an outlaw town – the disjointed Zantigo brand story was corralled and brought to justice. And the true Zantigo way and brand was restored: the way of quality, flavor, and one-of-a-kind cravings.
Fun Fact
Zantigo enjoyed big success in the 70s and 80s with locations in markets like St. Louis, Milwaukee, Columbus, and Minneapolis-St. Paul. In the late-80s the chain was acquired and converted to the Taco Bell brand, much to the dismay of a loyal fan base. Kevin and Don brought the brand and recipes back to market in the early 2000s in the Twin Cities. And so the legend lives.
The Secret Sauce
In a world stuffed with options, it’s easy for even the tastiest offerings to get buried under a pile of flashy, but flavorless competitors. But at DKY, we live for the underdog story. We love backing brands like Zantigo that have the goods but need a little extra spice to steal the spotlight.
So, what’s the secret recipe for cooking up marketing magic? Here are the six key ingredients:
- A Clear Brand & Value Proposition – Know your distinct flavor profile. What makes your brand sizzle?
- Deep Customer Insights – Understand what makes your audience’s taste buds tingle.
- Focused Goals – Set the table for success. What’s the exact experience you’re seeking to deliver?
- A Smart Plan – Go for quality over quantity. A few well-seasoned strategies beat a bland buffet.
- Crisp, Creative Execution – Bring in the right team. Perfect execution is the key to a mouthwatering result.
- Measure, Adjust & Keep Cooking – Don’t rest on your reviews. Keep tweaking the recipe until it’s just right.
At DKY, we believe that with the right mix of strategy, creativity, and a dash of hustle, even the smallest brands can serve up something legendary.
