• Loading stock data...
Friday, March 29, 2024
2024 Best Venues nominations are open now through April 8! Submit Now

Buffalo Wild Wings Leverages March Madness to Get Back to Sports Bar Roots

buffalo-wild-wings

Buffalo Wild Wings is going back to basics this March.

Once a can’t-miss location to catch sporting events, Chief Marketing Officer Seth Freeman believes the company had strayed from its position as a hub to meet friends for big games. Now, fresh off a sale to Inspire Brands, Buffalo Wild Wings is using March Madness to roll out a slew of activations in a campaign to return to its roots.

“March is the first step on a journey toward reclaiming our heritage as a great sports bar,” Freeman said. “The number one thing we are addressing is that we’ve strayed from our essence as a sports bar and have gotten too close to being a fast-casual dining chain.

“That’s not who we are, and that’s not why our guests love coming to our restaurants. We are making strategic decisions to return to our essence.”

READ MORE: Inside Buffalo Wild Wings’ Super Bowl Plans

Inspire Brands acquired Buffalo Wild Wings in February 2018, making up a portfolio including Arby’s, Sonic and Rusty Taco. Buffalo Wild Wings has partnered with the NCAA as the “Official Hangout for NCAA March Madness” for the past seven years, and Freeman said it has remained among the most important platforms for the chicken wing chain.

“Our partnership with the NCAA allows us to tap into the cultural relevance of March Madness in so many ways, whether it’s in-restaurant, in our TV ads, or on social media – the opportunities are endless,” Freeman said.

But the last seven years have brought myriad changes to how, and where, fans watch sports. Thanks to the advent of smartphones, they might not even watch on a TV at all, let alone in a communal setting like a sports bar. Buffalo Wild Wings has had to adjust its marketing accordingly.

This month, the brand has deployed an aggressive ad campaign with three spots taking a “stand against fans watching games under sub-par conditions, like on their phone or in their cubicle or basement,” encouraging a stop at Buffalo Wild Wings. A new menu also hits the tables as well.

https://twitter.com/BWWings/status/1109129229885734913

On social channels, Freeman promises the brand will be part of active conversations of the games. Buffalo Wild Wings is also partnering with standouts from past NCAA Tournaments including Christian Laettner, Juwan Howard, Charlie Bell and Tyler Hansbrough to appear to targeted fan bases on Instagram.

“If you’re a Duke fan, you’ll probably see Christian Laettner show up in a story telling you that you better get out of the house to watch the Blue Devils game in all its glory at a Buffalo Wild Wings sports bar,” Freeman said.

[mc4wp_form id=”8260″]

Perhaps the most brazen activation for March Madness is the “Jewel Stool,” a riff on the 30 percent uptick in vasectomies during the first weekend of the tournament. The stool has “jewel-cooling coils,” a chilled drink holder and a beer light, for when the recovering patient is ready for another cold one.

“We can connect the dots: They specifically schedule their vasectomies so their doctor-ordered R&R coincides with the most exciting sports weekend of the year,” Freeman said. “The Jewel Stools give vasectomy patients a place to recover without sacrificing the viewing experience with their friends.”

Another big piece of the re-positioning of the Buffalo Wild Wings brand is its partnership with DraftKings and tapping into the future potential of sports betting. Last fall, the company partnered with the gaming company to offer a custom fantasy football game exclusively for restaurant guests. Now the two brands partnered for an “unbustable bracket” competition with 500 prizes up for grabs, including free wings for a year and Final Four tickets.

READ MORE: March Madness Wagers Expected To Cross $8.5 Billion According to AGA

March is always circled on Buffalo Wild Wings calendars, and, even without this year’s massive campaign, their 1,200 U.S. locations would likely stay busy. But the company’s leaders also realize there’s no better time to reintroduce those customers to its core essence as a sports bar rather than let the brand continue to drift into a lane it doesn’t want to be in.

“We want to be the place to be so you don’t miss a second of the action,” Freeman said.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

How Lack of Planning by NCAA, Gonzaga Led to Racial Abuse of Utah Athletes

The NCAA gave Gonzaga a waiver to place teams in an extremist hotbed.
March 22, 2024, Brooklyn, NY, USA; Northwestern Wildcats guard Brooks Barnhizer (13) and Northwestern Wildcats guard Boo Buie (0) react in overtime against the Florida Atlantic Owls in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at the Barclays Center.

‘An Expensive Game’: March Madness and NIL Collectives Are Intertwined

At schools nationwide, collectives are fueling NCAA tournament runs and vice versa.
Iowa’s Caitlin Clark (22) waits to be announced in the starting lineup against West Virginia in a NCAA Tournament round of 32 game Monday, March 25, 2024 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa.

The Women’s Trading Card Market Is Overlooked. Can Caitlin Clark Change That?

Traditionally, women’s sports cards have been a marginal part of collectibles.
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

MLB Opens Season With MLBPA, Ohtani, and Ownership Dramas

0:00
0:00

Featured Today

The Sports Illustrated cover signed by Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez, February 27, 2019, at Don & Charlie's, 7501 E. Camelback Road, Scottsdale. Don Charlie S

Everything You Need to Know About the Ongoing ‘Sports Illustrated’ Saga

Understanding the strange state of affairs for the nearly 70-year-old publication.
March 23, 2024

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Inside the Big East’s Bizarre Online Subculture

Peeling back the curtain on the ‘phenomenally weird’ Big East online ecosystem.
Mar 21, 2024; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Stetson Hatters guard Stephan Swenson (30) reacts during team practice at Barclays Center.
March 22, 2024

First-Time NCAA Men’s Tourney Bids Could Be on the Verge of Extinction

Power and success are consolidating around the richest teams in college sports.
March 17, 2024

‘Everybody Was Under Suspicion’: The Day Selection Sunday Was Scooped

In 2016, the ‘Selection Show’ backfired when the bracket was leaked anonymously.

Careers

Powered By

Careers in Sports

Looking for a new job? Check out these featured listings and search for openings all over the world.
Live Nation
Multiple - USA Careers
Adidas
Multiple - USA Careers
Spotify
Multiple - USA Careers

WWE Borrows From UFC, Puts On-Mat Advertising in the Ring

The wrestling outfit is learning from its MMA counterpart’s playbook under the TKO Group.
September 16, 2022

NBA Legend Scottie Pippen Latest Celebrity To Endorse LIV Golf

The former Chicago Bull is part of LIV’s celebrity marketing campaign.
Drew Brees smiling while wearing hat
December 2, 2022

Drew Brees, PointsBet Pull Off Elaborate Lightning Publicity Stunt

The video racked up over 2 million views in about 12 hours.
Sponsored

How Daily Fantasy Sports Solved NBA Fantasy

The remarkable growth of the #1 Discord sports server in the world.
al michaels and kirk hergstreit
September 15, 2022

Amazon’s Advertising Blitz Ahead Of First ‘Thursday Night Football’

‘Thursday Night Football’ has launched massive marketing takeover ahead of Chiefs-Chargers.
June 21, 2022

NBA Finals Broke Records on Social Media

The NBA closed out the season with a bang on social media, eclipsing 2 billion video plays for a 19% increase over last year.
June 21, 2022

Gallo Winery Could Be New Player For Super Bowl Spots

Anheuser-Busch is giving up Super Bowl alcohol exclusivity for first in decades. NFL sponsor E. & J. Gallo Winery might step up with own commercials in the Big Game.
June 13, 2022

NBA’s Latest Floating Court Hits London’s River Thames

Hennessy continued their global initiative with the NBA by creating a floating court in the River Thames.