Chains like Starbucks and Taco Bell are stealing a page out of Instagram influencers’ playbooks. Fast-food companies are launching products that seem specifically designed to be shared on Instagram. Some, like Starbucks and Taco Bell, use their Instagram pages to create a lifestyle around their brands, making their advertised items appear very appealing with special photos. It’s a strategy that’s often been used by social-media influencers who get paid thousands of dollars a post. Some of the posts may not immediately stand out as advertisements on your feed, which is the whole point. They pay people to make unhealthy and inexpensive food seem like a great idea because it looks like the person posting is eating it, too.
As fast food chains get a better grasp on Instagram, the line between posts from your friends and advertisements may continue to blur. One example of an item that really stood out on Instagram was Starbucks’ Unicorn Frappuccino. The reality was that people didn’t really love that drink because it was too sweet, but the vibrant colors shown on Instagram posts made it popular. The theory is that even if people don’t love the featured item, if the photos bring people in the door, then the advertising worked. Taco Bell made a special advertising ploy when it offered the Naked Chicken Chalupa to people who received special access to try it before it was released to the general public. Additionally, the advertising uses special lighting, angles, poses and color schemes to entice people even more.
