About the Brand
Scooters Chicken is a new, quick service, family-friendly chicken restaurant originating in the Metro New Orleans area. They differentiate themselves with great tasting, juicy chicken, friendly service, quality side items, and an ever evolving menu. In the past 2 years, Scooters Chicken has grown from their flagship store 20 miles outside of New Orleans to 7 locations throughout the metro area.
The Opportunity
Scooters Chicken is an out-of-the-box thinking restaurant that aims to be the family place for great food at a better price. The owner of Scooters Chicken takes a holistic approach to creating a brand experience that is cultural (like taking kids out for ice cream after a game, or getting your favorite finger food for tail-gating or a Mardi Gras parade). The key was to differentiate the company from international/local powerhouse Popeyes Chicken, the national chains Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) and Churches, and the growing regional restaurant Canes by utilizing a unique brand identity, interesting and delicious product offerings and superior service delivery.
The Challenge
Louisiana, and especially New Orleans, has already birthed the likes of Popeyes and Canes, and is nationally renowned for chicken recipes by Dookie Chase and Jacquimo’s. Since Scooters Chicken was a startup company with international competitors boasting decades of experience (and complacency), it had to position itself differently/strategically by not selling “Louisiana,” but by selling their unique style of food. Once locally established, Scooters management planned to expand nationally by selling franchises, and this called for a well-planned brand strategy to maintain consistency and standardization for marketing materials and customer service touch points.
Design the Planet’s Solution
Design the Planet was challenged to build the brand so that it did not appear to be “locally owned.” Since our design and marketing team knew franchising would be the key to Scooters Chicken long-term growth and profitability, we felt the brand needed to portray a national look for credibility and broad acceptability. In order to facilitate easier franchising, Scooters Chicken could not be branded as “locally owned,” and because the Popeyes’ brand is positioned as “Louisiana flavor and spices,” they could not sell “Louisiana flavor.” (In 2009, Popeyes developed a new marketing plan positioning itself as Louisiana’s Kitchen with Louisiana spices & cooks cueing to New Orleans and Mardi Gras.)
Design the Planet assisted Scooters with establishing and building its brand identity by creating a website to rival the major food chains, developing and designing high-quality in-store POP marketing pieces, and establishing an overall look-and-feel that did not reflectLouisiana’s culture or represent a “local look.” Additionally, Design the Planet created an impressive array of collateral materials such as the kid’s-meal bag and cup, and tray inserts that are designed to engage customers in company’s brand experience.
The Results
Design the Planet created a brand identity and brand marketing materials for Scooter’s Chicken that exceeded the look of its rival national chains. Each month, Scooters Chicken gets over 30 requests for franchise information from their website alone, and this is directly related to the powerful and compelling branding the company offers.
Often, when discussing Scooters Chicken with prospective clients, industry friends, and family, we are asked how we came by Scooters Chicken as a client. Each time, the listener is amazed that Scooters is a local company with only 7 stores currently operating. Many assume there are just 7 locations of Scooters Chicken in the New Orleans area with many other stores located nationwide.
While directing a photo shoot at the Barataria Blvd. location with the owner of Scooters Chicken, we were asked why we were using that particular store for a photo shoot and why the owner would be in New Orleans. Customers are shocked when they learned the owner is from the New Orleans area and actually went to high school just up the road from this Marrero, Louisiana location.
Testimonial – What Scooter’s Chicken has to say about their Design the Planet experience:
“You make us look great! Every time you send a new proof,
it’s like a Christmas present.”
Brandon J. Hidalgo – Owner/President – Scooters Chicken
