Chick-fil-A event in Chicago
Chick-fil-A is expanding into the Chicago area. To generate buzz, the brand reached out to local fans that have been longing for Chick-fil-A to come to Chicago. Last night, Chick-fil-A hosted a launch event for 600 of those lucky fans.
The event itself was great. Interesting venue, a sampling of favorite menu items, speeches, entertainment, dancing cows, and a swag bag. Who knew Chick-fil-A threw good parties?!
Chick-fil-A swag bag
What was even more interesting was the focus on social media. Facebook played an important role before, during, and after the event. Many attendees heard about the event via Facebook — specifically the “Chick-fil-A in Chicago” Fan Page. Robert McLaughlin, Sponsorships & Event Marketing for Chick-fil-A and the MC for the evening, even invited the fan page creator on stage for a public thank you. What a great way to connect with loyal brand enthusiasts! Fans that were not able to attend could watch the event live on a Ustream feed from Chick-fil-A’s official fan page. A Chicago tab was added to the fan page and attendees were given a code to view a special message from Dan Cathy, President and COO.
From the entertainment to the food to the peek inside Chick-fil-A corporate culture, the event gave fans a lot to talk about to their personal and social networks. Attendees were also encouraged by executives to connect with the brand on Facebook and Twitter and help spread the word as brand ambassadors.
The Chick-fil-A event was an interesting example of how event and social media marketing can be tied together. For highlights from the event and a peak at the entertainment check out these videos:
Marina is a Digital Strategist at Arc Worldwide. She has an M.S. in Integrated Marketing Communications from Northwestern's Medill School and a B.S. in Marketing from Indiana University's Kelley School of Business. She is passionate about branding, social media, and digital marketing and loves to stay on top of trends and experiment with new tools. Connect with her on Twitter @marina81 or at
www.marinamolenda.com. 
Haha. So not only does their food taste good, but their social media is on lock as well. That's pretty sweet.