Subway recently unveiled an AI powered campaign to launch its double cheese SubMelts and kicked off a series of activities powered by technology including AI software imaging.
What was your marketing strategy for SubMelt Sensation?
We followed a multi-tiered approach that focused on several aspects of the product. I call it the curiosity, emotions, and immersion approach. First, there was the curiosity aspect, with activations such as our 3D stunt, which drove a lot of talk around the brand and drove users to wonder what this new product is taking over skyscrapers in Dubai. This was crucial to get people wondering. Then came emotion.
This is where we took users through a touching trip down memory lane as we made their personal stories come true with the power of AI, all of this was unlocked with the taste of SubMelts pulling them through memories that they were not only able to share but also keep forever in bespoke portrait monuments.
Then came immersion. This was really fun as we worked with our partners in Subway UAE to collaborate with Cinema Akil and have a sponsored screening of “cheesy” feel-good films where SubMelts were the main snack of choice. This gave users a double dose of nostalgia and feel-good moments while building on the theme we’ve successfully been communicating via our AI campaign. Delivering a well-rounded activations approach that lived through several executions across our key channels.
What was your biggest challenge for new product development?
Being a regional brand that offers a wide variety of choices, the challenge always lies in catering to that wide variety of fan palette preferences while ensuring seamless quality and efficiency. With SubMelts, the challenge was educating that this is a product unlike any other that Subway has offered, given that the ingredients were pre-selected, and it was much cheesier than anything we’ve done before.
It was wonderful seeing the positive response in initial trials, but even more satisfying seeing the positive sentiment we’ve garnered from fans on the storefront and social media.
What social media platforms or influencer marketing are you using?
Our hero channel has been Instagram, and Tiktok has been quite a rising star for us recently. From the people partaking in the AI video to those who visited our Cinema Akil activation, you’ll notice we have creators as the backbone of most of our brand activations.
We’re very micro-focused as we’re keen on tapping into authentic and relatable creators, and at the same time, have formed small loyal communities that trust them. This has been far more effective for us than tapping into more prominent names who mass market and might dilute the message.
What do you think the future of AI, customer experience and F&B industry will look like?
AI has a multi-layered role in the future of F&B and how people experience it. We envision a future where AI will complement our work to create a more bespoke customer experience. From dynamic communication served on social media powered by AI to the potential AI can bring to user interfaces and CRM, the potentials are endless and exciting.
Do you think human-centric design of AI is important?
Absolutely, it ensures that AI technologies are developed with a deep understanding of human needs, values, and aspirations. As marketers, we must prioritize the ethical and responsible use of AI Human-centric design focuses on creating intuitive AI systems and on user perception of the brand.
And that’s what we set out to do with SubMelts. The brief was a question on how we could step away from all the AI content focused on glorifying products and create a campaign that puts the taste experience our audiences go through front and center. I’m happy that the outcome was a campaign that put human emotion first.
How will AI transform the F&B Industry?
AI has the potential to transform the marketing landscape in the entire quick service restaurant industry in numerous ways. We can gain valuable insights into consumer behavior, preferences, and trends by leveraging AI technologies. It’s about more than just using generative AI to create an image.
It’s about leveraging the agility and abilities of these tools to create an upscaled output. From a marketing perspective, I can tell you with certainty that, as Subway, we’re keeping a close eye on the technology’s ability to create quality content at scale, which is exactly why we attempted to use it in our recent SubMelts campaign.
By Zeinab El Amrawy, Marketing Head, Subway Middle East Africa and South Asia
