Wendy’s is serving up a saucy side on social media!

While Wendy’s might normally be known for their famous sides – fries, chilli, baked potato, salad and the original frosty – their side of sassy social media responses brought them into 2017 as one of the hottest brands on Twitter.

Earlier in the year, the fast food chain responded to media requests affirming that their social media accounts had not, in fact, been hacked. This after a series of responses coming from the official Wendy’s Twitter account to followers who engaged with the company on social media.

The responses from the fast food restaurant have gained tons of attention online! The responses range from cheeky and witty comebacks to major insults to those who put down Wendy’s brand or praised their competitors.

Amy Brown, social media manager for Wendy’s, was in fact behind the responses that garnered so much attention, before she chose to leave the company in March 2017.

Check out some of the highlights of the Wendy’s Twitter comebacks.

While this particular a customer engagement strategy is not often seen, there’s something to be said about the popularity Wendy’s has received. But the question that remains is whether this kind of attention is positive or negative.

Wendy’s has seen dramatic growth in their social media presence, particularly in Twitter, over the last year alone. In January 2017, Wendy’s had a respectable 1.2 million followers and 10 months later, grew to 2.08 million followers, with some Tweets seeing 10,000 shares and 30,000 likes.

According to Forbes, the popularity of this strategy is due to several reasons:

• The unexpectedness of this tactic, thusly drawing people toward it.
• The controversy this causes, ultimately gaining attention.
• Humour. Everyone loves a good laugh and it brings people together.
• Consistency – Wendy’s has kept up the witty remarks.
• And escalation, with each post, Wendy’s continues to push the limit.

Lessons for Others

While this is certainly not a strategy seen often, it’s probably for the best. Wendy’s has taken big risks by choosing to engage in this type of social media tactic. It takes a great deal of risk to toe the line, and Wendy’s has seen success in doing it. If social media’s past has taught us anything though, its that it only takes one bad joke to ruin a brand’s reputation.

Before choosing to attempt this type of customer engagement, consider your company’s brand, social media audience and the reaction your wit and humour may have.

Want to see what I’ve been talking about? Follow Wendy’s on Twitter: @Wendys

If you have concerns as to the accuracy of anything posted on this site, please send your concerns to Peter Carr, Program Director, Social Media for Business Performance.

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