Chili’s Names Fact & Fiction Social Agency of Record

Following a nationwide search, Grill & Bar selected Fact & Fiction as their social agency of record. For the first time, Chili’s is using social to ignite a significant brand shift.

Through a unique structure of streamlining strategy, concept and creation, Fact & Fiction has built their agency to move at the speed of social. In a time when brands are struggling to stay relevant in the ‘always on’ culture of the modern consumer, Fact & Fiction evolves content creation to be proactive, responsive and relevant. This new approach caught the attention of Chili’s during their search for a new social partner.

“In a rushed and oversaturated world where you have milliseconds to capture someone’s attention, we realized that telling our story through social media was an area where we could reinvent ourselves,” said Steve Provost, chief marketing and innovation officer, Chili’s. “We needed the right partner to challenge us, energize us and give us the production chops to be able to tell our story at the speed of social.”

“Social should be fun – it’s the perfect avenue to articulate a brand’s personality and voice strategically, yet fearlessly,” said Kyle Taylor, partner, Fact & Fiction. “The Chili’s brand has a strong heritage for a reason, and I’m thrilled that we get to help tell the story of what they do best: connecting friends and family over burgers, ribs and fajitas.”

Last month, Chili’s announced a 40 percent menu reduction and a clear message that the company is moving away from trying to be everything to everyone in a crowded casual dining segment. Instead, Chili’s is going back to its roots and focusing on offering its Guests the best burgers, ribs and fajitas. Using content created and produced by Fact & Fiction, Chili’s revealed the specific items leaving the menu. To date, the campaign has garnered Chili’s best-ever social metrics, including a 285 percent increase in engagement and a 123 percent increase in mentions.

Fact & Fiction reminds clients that when it comes to social, brands aren’t competing with other brands, they are competing with people and self-curated feeds. “You must find to find a way humanize and connect. Your biggest risk as a brand isn’t occasional failure, it’s sustained mediocrity. In the competition for guest attention and engagement, we are fortunate to work with a brand like Chili’s which recognizes that value,” said Taylor.