You may have noticed that IHOP has recently stepped up its Twitter game. The breakfast monolith appropriated a new style of tweeting to appeal to the social-media generation. Only a few weeks ago, IHOP expertly trolled the McDonald’s 24-hour breakfast attempt by hilariously mimicking the Nicki Minaj and Miley Cyrus feud. The #BreakfastBeef was born, and it sure made a lot of people (including myself) head to IHOP for brinner.
This new style of tweeting is no fluke. An article in AdWeek explains why IHOP “sounds an awful lot like a teenage hip-hop fan.” The company’s new sound may alienate some Twitter users, but it’s generating enough interest to capture much more attention than it’s losing. A simple “pancakes on fleek” tweet captured over 26,000 retweets (including one from Funkmaster Flex).
Pancakes on fleek.
— IHOP (@IHOP) October 21, 2014
Engagement is the name of the game according to IHOP’s digital marketing dude, Darrin Kellaris: “Twitter for us skews younger so it’s important to talk the talk when it comes to that fan base.” All of that was good and well until IHOP made a now-deleted tweet, which features a nipply-looking stack of pancakes with the following caption: “Flat but has a GREAT personality.”
https://twitter.com/AndrewHusband/status/655868210059739136
Certainly, the IHOP Twitter account has been going wild lately with suggestive tweets such as these gems:
*licks phone screen* pic.twitter.com/HBO0eBWRXF
— IHOP (@IHOP) October 11, 2015
Dat stack tho pic.twitter.com/unH423t0CM
— IHOP (@IHOP) September 14, 2014
DEEZ are NUTS pic.twitter.com/eqfq1gFm01
— IHOP (@IHOP) October 9, 2015
This approach also leaves IHOP wide open to Photoshopped parodies that are, uh, not so fantastic when it comes down to people believing anything on the Internet.
https://twitter.com/MarkusJ/status/655890236665409536
Meanwhile, IHOP’s real tweets are firing up the masses. People are tweeting their displeasure like crazy. Some people do see humor in the situation and are firing right back at IHOP.
Uh @IHOP I really must advise against. pic.twitter.com/wFKzP1YDSR
— Katie Mack (@AstroKatie) October 18, 2015
.@IHOP I think it's time to review your social media policy
— isabel (@garbage_person) October 18, 2015
https://twitter.com/FARTDAUGHTER/status/655867917767053313
.@IHOP EXECS: We need a new social media strategy.
INTERN: How about: phrases teenagers use to insult girls?
EXECS: Brilliant!— Katie Mack (@AstroKatie) October 18, 2015
https://twitter.com/spokant/status/655868401064128512
https://twitter.com/crushingbort/status/655869052380954625
https://twitter.com/OldHossRadbourn/status/655869440828030976
https://twitter.com/AndrewHusband/status/655894585923805184
(Via AdWeek)