Most people satisfy their food cravings by eating, but there are plenty of other ways to enjoy food, especially if social media is involved. Byrne points to one recent QSR example: McDonald’s purple Grimace shake.
“It was terrible,” he said, “but it made McDonald’s quarter. Kids bought it and then they filmed themselves splashing it on the ground.” The social media content, he admits, had nothing to do with consumption, but McDonald’s was still giving customers what they wanted.
“People crave experiences,” he said. “Not to the same degree they crave food, and you can’t manufacture a social media moment, but you can lay the groundwork.” And maybe when the customer is in the c-store buying their social media prop, they’ll buy a few other things, too, maybe one they’ll eventually find themselves craving.