Bojangles Takes New York by Storm

How do you get national media exposure for a regional brand? You get your biggest fans talking about it on the biggest stage possible: the media capital of the world, New York City. 

That’s precisely what the Luquire team did last week in helping longtime client Bojangles introduce its new Bo’s Chicken Sandwich to national media, influencers and thousands of fans. With only six weeks to plan, the team executed a series of high-profile events that kicked off one of the biggest product launches in the iconic Southern brand’s history. 

With restaurants exclusively in the South, it can be challenging to get national media attention for Bojangles because many journalists have never heard of the brand, let alone sampled its food. But in America’s largest metro area there are thousands upon thousands of Southern transplants, so we decided to bring them a taste of home via a specially outfitted food truck. 

Working with the Bojangles brand team, we planned sandwich giveaway events in Times Square, right outside the Good Morning America studios. We also held three other events: one in the Flatiron District for Bojangles board members and investors; one in Brooklyn for restaurant industry workers; and another at the Manhattan VA Medical Center honoring our military veterans and their caregivers. 

Throughout the visit we arranged drop-ins and deliveries with top-tier media and influencers – many of whom had ties to the South – so they could experience Bo’s Chicken Sandwich firsthand. And a series of carefully orchestrated social posts attracted Bojangles transplants throughout the metro area to line up for a taste of home. 

The city was buzzing about Bojangles, with more than 2,000 people getting a chance to try the new chicken sandwich. High-profile media coverage ranged from the TODAY Show and Yahoo Finance to Mashed and Thrillist. The news was also shared by numerous NYC food bloggers as well as influencers such as Peloton star Cody Rigsby, CBS Sports writer Jonathan Jones and The Bachelor’s Matt James. 

What’s next for America’s favorite chicken and biscuits brand? Stay tuned . . . .