Stumbling Good in the Neighborhood?

Brilliant or Poor Execution? 🤔 That Depends…

Applebee's recently offered a hotly anticipated $200 Date Night Pass that provided up to $30 off food and beverage once a week for a year. The limited quantity passes sold out in reportedly just 60 seconds, leaving many consumers frustrated, unable to buy one.

In the days leading up to the promotion, news and excitement about the Date Night Pass went viral on social media. People eagerly shared the opportunity to snag the coveted pass. However, when the vast majority found themselves shut out, their disappointment and anger also spread rapidly online. This seemed nearly akin to recent Taylor Swift concert ticket debacles.

While the pass itself sparked engagement, the backlash over its scarce availability could negatively impact Applebee's brand perception. Many consumers felt misled and may now be wary of trusting future promotions by the brand.

On the surface, this seems like poor execution and a missed opportunity by Applebee's. The demand far exceeded the extremely limited supply – with an almost immediate sell out of passes. The influx of traffic trying to purchase brought Applebee's website down temporarily, vexing scores of consumers who were eager to snag a Date Night Pass. This overload suggests a lack of sufficient planning and foresight by the company.

However, when you consider the bigger picture, one might ask, “Was Applebee's tactic actually a brilliant marketing ploy?”🤔

The hype and controversy around the Date Night Pass generated headlines and had people talking about Applebee's. It ultimately drove significant traffic to their website and social channels. Was their stumble a brand win (in their eyes)?

After the passes sold out, Applebee's updated their website with a landing page encouraging visitors to “join the Applebee's Club” for future updates. At the risk of sounding like a conspiracy theorist, was it swift action to generate that landing page, or a well-planned intentional campaign to gill-net a bunch of club memberships? While this may have netted them many email sign-ups, the question remains whether Applebee's can turn around the negative sentiment from disappointed consumers.

So, was the Date Night Pass debacle brilliant or poor execution?

Well, that depends on your perspective. If you're one of the countless customers who missed out, you probably see it as a failure. But for Applebee's, the pass may have accomplished its goal of engagement and awareness.

Applebee's took a gamble with a scarcity-marketing strategy. Time will tell if the tradeoff was worth it or if brand damage outweighs temporary buzz. As strategists who always put the consumer first, we’re not so sure about the brilliance of the campaign. Depending on exactly how many “date night passes” they actually sold, they may be more guilty of “stumbling good in the neighborhood,” than advancing one of their 24 year old brand tagline promises.

The Bottom Line…

Sure, there was press, traffic, adds to cart, but in the end there were lots of disappointed consumers who may or may not dine with Applebee’s in the future. One final observation: this isn’t the first time Applebee’s has had a brush with brand disaster. We highly recommend Applebee’s take swift action to make things right with a promotion that’s not so exclusive because date nights at Applebee’s are supposed to be “more accessible and flexible” according to the Company.