Taco Bell CMO on what to expect from Live Más Live

While fast food chains have long conducted private franchisee meetings to preview upcoming menu innovations and marketing efforts, Taco Bell last year took the extra step of conducting a separate keynote event, filled with music and celebrities in a bid to build buzz with common fans. It was enough of a success that the chain is doing it again this year with an event tomorrow at the Brooklyn Paramount. Like last year’s event, this year’s program is modeled after an Apple-style keynote and will serve as an early testing ground for products. But Taco Bell this time will focus more on real fans and less on celebrities, while sharing more about marketing. “The biggest learning from last year was that our fans just want to connect and hear about the food,” said Chief Marketing Officer Taylor Montgomery. “This year we have peeled away some of the musical guests and content about the history of the brand. I think one surprise is that we are not just going to talk about food innovation, but big marketing moments coming later this year, similar to our launches last year of Cantina and the Decades menu.” Last year, the event took place Feb. 9 in Las Vegas. Executives including Montgomery, CEO Sean Tresvant and Chief Food Innovation Officer Liz Matthews took to the stage to announce menu items including chicken nuggets, a Baja Blast gelato and the Cheez-It crunchwrap. Montgomery pointed to several examples of items introduced last year that did and did not get released based on fan feedback. For example, Taco Bell showed a new sauce packet design that did not hit restaurants. But early positive reactions from fans also fueled the Cantina menu rollout, which is focused on lighter options. The chain just announced it will continue the line with spicy chicken options. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Taco Bell (@tacobell) This year, the event moved to New York in response to the Los Angeles fires. “We had a venue already picked out in Los Angeles, but after the devastation, we as a brand did not think it was fair to take away from recovery efforts,” Montgomery said. (Taco Bell is based nearby in Irvine, California.) Mongomtery says the Yum Brands-owned chain has also homed in on the guest list, saying that this year there will be more creators and real fans of the brand, though there will still be some celebrities. (The Brooklyn Paramount seats up to 2,000 people.) Last year’s musical acts included Armani White, LP Giobbi and Omar Apollo. “Last year, we didn’t know what type of guest list we needed,” Montgomery said. “We were not sure if it was supposed to be more fans or more like a fashion show with celebrities and athletes. This year is more about real fans.” He added that it also gave fans moments in the year to look forward to, almost like a spread-out advent calendar. The event is a way for the chain to deepen its connection with its already devoted fan base, many of whom promote the event and the product drops to their own followers. The chain also put a focus on real consumers with its Super Bowl ad. Creator and Taco Bell superfan William Bradford, known as Yo Quiero Taco Ballads, will attend this week’s Live Más Live, and is looking forward to having a chance to capture content around new menu items before they are released. “After the event, there was a second room with different stations where you could try all the new menu items,” he said of the 2024 event. “It was so nice to make all this content in one day because I already had the video shot for when the item dropped.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Yo Quiero Taco Ballads (@yoquierotacoballads) Montgomery said that the live event set the tone for the brand last year and helped it sustain its marketing momentum. “It’s like reaching the peak of a roller coaster,” he said. “The higher we get it now, the further we can keep it going.”

Taco Bell CMO on what to expect from Live Más Live

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