Dive Temporary:
- Chick-fil-A is moving into the leisure enterprise with the launch of a brand new app, Chick-fil-A Play, per an organization announcement. The app will embody unique content material and video games and is designed for fogeys and children.
- Chick-fil-A Play can be out there for obtain at no cost beginning Nov. 18 and can embody family-friendly content material within the type of unique animated exhibits, unique scripted podcasts, video games, e-books and interactive tales and video-based recipes and crafts.
- The announcement comes roughly two months after it was reported that Chick-fil-A was growing its personal streaming service. Whereas it’s unclear whether or not the Chick-fil-A Play app is the results of that exploration, it’s probably tied to the chain’s plans to develop and distribute its personal content material.
Dive Perception:
Chick-fil-A is paving a brand new approach to connect with goal shoppers with Chick-fil-A Play. The transfer notably arrives at a time when branded apps have hit the market much less usually, probably as a result of problem and prices tied to the launch of an app and its subsequent updates. The trouble could possibly be key to constructing a reference to shoppers past the drive-thru. Throughout a interval when entrepreneurs are struggling to make sure their messaging doesn’t seem subsequent to offensive content material, it additionally represents a approach for Chick-fil-A to make sure its advertising and marketing adheres to its desired persona.
“Hospitality and enjoyable have at all times been on the core of the Chick-fil-A household expertise, whether or not inside our Eating places and play areas, or by means of our Youngsters Meals”” stated Dustin Britt, govt director of name technique at Chick-fil-A, in an announcement. “The Chick-fil-A Play App is a digital extension of that have and one other approach we’re reimagining ‘Play’ for our Company, in a novel approach by means of leisure that basically encourages time collectively.”
The announcement was gentle on programming particulars. Nevertheless, one of many highlighted animated exhibits indicated it could happen in a setting known as “Evergreen Hills,” a locale for a sequence of brief animated movies Chick-fil-A started creating in 2019.
A trailer for the brand new present, “Legends of Evergreen Hills,” depicts a fantastical forest land stuffed with “spark energy” that’s created by means of kindness and good deeds. Evergreen Hills, nevertheless, is beneath risk as a result of there are individuals misusing the spark energy, relatively than utilizing it to assist others. A younger lady is enlisted to guard the fantastical world of Evergreen Hills.
Although the app is new, Chick-fil-A’s expertise in digital leisure is just not. After creating its 2019 brief movie, the corporate has produced subsequent Evergreen Hills tales yearly for the vacations. Final 12 months’s 10-minute video, “The Spark Tree,” has been seen greater than 140 million occasions on YouTube. The corporate final 12 months additionally began a video games and actions model, Pennycake, which sells puzzles, garden video games and dialog starter card decks.
The leisure app’s launch additionally comes at an inflection level for media, the place corporations like Goal, Walmart and United Airways are leveraging media networks — and their knowledge — as an promoting channel to generate income. In line with media studies, Chick-fil-A has no rapid plans to promote adverts on its Play app; as an alternative, it intends to be a spot the place households can get pleasure from content material collectively.
Past its new app, Chick-fil-A has sought different methods to construct shopper loyalty throughout the cell expertise. Final summer season, the rooster chain launched “Code Moo,” a digital recreation that challenged gamers to assist take down the model’s “burger-slinging nemesis.” The sport doled out 2.5 million meals rewards every week, whereas provides lasted, to Chick-fil-A One loyalty members who accomplished weekly challenges.
