The chain’s World Cup-timed activations arrive as Yum Brands reports rising loyalty and digital sales.
The global “L.O.C.O.S.” effort comes as Taco Bell’s parent company, Yum Brands, continues to work the restaurant chain into popular culture to build its loyalty program and digital infrastructure. Centering the platform on the emotional highs and lows of a major sporting event like the World Cup gives the brand a way to connect with consumers regardless of the outcome, while positioning itself within the event without being an official sponsor.
Fandom, and sports fandom in particular, has become a popular go-to for marketers looking to connect with culture. Prebuilt communities around interests, such as sports, give brands a target audience united by a shared passion.
In addition to the mobile component, in-person activations largely line up with major tournament moments. On June 25, the brand hosted activations in New York and Los Angeles, coinciding with the United States team’s final group-stage match against Türkiye. Taco Bell’s June 27 London activation coincided with England’s match against Panama. Other markets include Spain, Brazil, Australia and Canada.
“L.O.C.O.S. takes an existing fan behavior and builds a global platform around it, giving Taco Bell a bold new way to show up for fans in moments they care about most,” said Taylor Montgomery, global chief brand officer at Taco Bell, in press materials.
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Taco Bell is looking to expand its loyalty program following a first-quarter period in which loyalty sales grew 30 percent year over year. Yum Brands saw digital sales near $11 billion in the same quarter, with digital mix increasing to 63 percent. Christopher Turner, chief executive and director of Yum Brands, said expanding loyalty programs is a key part of growing the company’s digital business during a call with investors.
Yum Brands saw first-quarter sales growth of 6 percent, and Taco Bell’s same-store sales grew 8 percent, putting it ahead of the quick-service restaurant industry as a whole, according to an earnings release.
