Known for its Slurpees and Big Gulps, 7-Eleven became a grocery destination for many consumers during the early days of the pandemic. The convenience store chain, which has more than 77,000 stores globally, is now trying to continue that momentum with new brand partnerships and marketing campaigns.

Just before COVID-19, 7-Eleven rolled out 7Now, a new delivery platform. The timing was serendipitous, said Marissa Jarratt, chief marketing officer.

“We saw a huge increase—our delivery business quintupled in 2020 and shows no signs of slowing down,” Jarratt said on the most recent episode of Ad Age's “Marketer’s Brief” podcast, noting that consumers were buying more home essentials, larger pack sizes and indulgent items like ice cream, Slurpees and alcohol during early lockdowns. In addition, the timing of sales changed, she said. Consumers who used to stop by for coffee in the morning on their way to the office started stopping by for an afternoon cup of java to break up their Zoom sessions.

7-Eleven has been trying to capture such new demands with its marketing. Earlier this year, the 94-year-old brand debuted “Take It to Eleven,” its largest TV investment in six years. Dentsu's 360i handled the campaign. The convenience store is also paying close attention to its social feed in order to tap into conversations organically and activate against them, Jarratt said. The brand recently collaborated with Philly girl band Froggy on a music video after band members touted their love of 7-Eleven nachos on Instagram.

“We reached out to them and asked about a partnership,” Jarratt said, noting that the collaboration is “a reflection of how we’re trying to embrace this mantra of taking it to eleven.”

The company is also engaging aspiring social media influencers on its new Fuel Your Fandom program, which pays fans of both football and 7-Eleven to post content on social channels.

Along with boosting its influencer programming, 7-Eleven is exploring new products to reflect changing consumer behavior. On the podcast, Jarratt discussed what might be on the roster, including how the chain feels about adding its popular pumpkin spice latte coffee flavor to a Slurpee.