Taco Bell Launches Breakfast Menu: Will You Try The Waffle Taco?

It has recently come to my attention that T-Bell is in the midst of launching a breakfast menu.. Mixed emotions already? I'm spectacle too, but let's not overlook Taco Bell's potential for breakfast greatness. I mean.. Who doesn't love a breakfast taco? (Maybe a few people, but work with me here.) One of the best parts- the menu item that is catching the most attention isn't your typical breakfast taco, but.. wait for it... the "Waffle Taco"! Mmm sounds super messy. Regardless, I love the innovative spunk T-Bell is bringing to the table (no pun intended). Personally, I'm most excited about the "A.M. Crunchwrap" which consists of scrambled eggs, bacon or sausage, shredded cheese, and hash browns... Pretty much a breakfast buffet wrapped up into a giant tortilla. Yes, please.

From a business standpoint, I think Taco Bell's menu launch could change the competitive landscape of the fast-food breakfast market. With only a few restaurants, such as McDonald's and Dunkin' Donuts, serving on-go-breafasts, Taco Bell's decision to pursue the breakfast niche is a wise one. Seeing as there has already been immense buzz concerning the upcoming breakfast launch, I think Taco Bell will be pleased with their menu addition. Of course, the restaurant's menu must first 'pass' consumers' taste and social acceptability requirements before it can reach its full profit potential.. I know many are skeptical about the restaurant's meat products and overall cleanliness.. But considering anything is socially acceptable on the weekend in a college town, Athens, GA is a great place to try out Taco Bell's new menu. I will certainly be watching the drive-thru line in mornings to come to see if T-Bell's breakfast menu is driving new traffic to their location.

TED Talks: Ideas Worth Spreading

Has TED Talks taken over everyone else's YouTube and Netflix home pages? For weeks I've tried to ignore them because I didn't know what the shows were about.. Or who the heck Ted is... (Really though who is Ted?) To put my inquiries to rest, I finally gave in and watched one of the shows and I'm sure that I will be frequenting (his?) clips often.

Today, I watched the TED talk titled: "Dan Pink: The Puzzle of Motivation" and it filled some sort of mind-void if you will.. It was as if I was in need of some mind expanding conversation and Dan Pink's 'puzzle' fulfilled it. Dan Pink's TED Talk centers around exploring 'the mismatch between what science knows and what business does' in regards to how they motivate people. He explains how we have scientifically proven that higher rewards/punishments do not necessarily yield higher performance and in fact often destroy creativity... yet that's how most business managers still choose to motivate their employees. Furthermore, he discusses how autonomy and an internal intrinsic drive are key components to achieve high motivation- and some of his examples prove this to be true. Overall I really enjoyed his 'case' and felt his 'ideas were worth spreading'. I encourage you all to watch the clip too and give it some thought.

Dan Pink: The Puzzle of Motivation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrkrvAUbU9Y

Chick-fil-A's Mobile Order App

Like many others, I have always noticed and loved Chick-fil-A's witty marketing tactics. The restaurant's use of traditional billboard marketing with a twist is remarkably hysterical and eye-catching--especially in comparison to the numerous dull "Call such and such attorney" billboards that fill the roadways. Each road trip I've been on thus far, at least one of Chick-fil-A's billboards has caused me to do a double take and giggle. I mean.. Really... the billboards are filled with three-dimensional cows painting persuasive notes with the goal to get all people to "Eat More Chicken" in numerous different ways. If the idea of 3D cows wasn't enough, here are some good examples that will hopefully at least cause a silent laugh or smile... (imagine that you are on I-20 stuck in traffic in Alabama before looking-- that should help)

It is clear that the Chick-fil-A knows how to use traditional marketing strategies and is a very successful company. Chick-fil A has over 1,700 restaurant locations and the restaurant's annual sales were over $4.6 billion in 2012. (Jeez.. I wonder how much of the profit the cows get? Anyway... Back to the real discussion) Despite these statistics, I wondered how/if the company is using social to continue their success. Instead of researching the conventional social platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, I chose to look at the iPhone App Store to see what I could find... And holy cow (no pun intended), I found something that could make me never miss Saturday morning breakfast ever again. Chick-fil-A has a few Apps such as location finders and so forth, but the one that caught my eye is the "Chick-fil-A Mobile Order" App. Let me show you how this thing works:

Note: This App does not work for the Alps Road location in Athens, but it will show you many options and hopefully expand in the near future. Stay tuned.