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1851 Franchise Weekly Rewind
Check out the hottest franchising headlines from the past week
You Can Now Order Taco Bell Via Slack
Slack, the real-time workplace messaging system, allows coworkers to communicate via text, emojis and gifs. The company has unveiled the new “TacoBot” that can take delivery orders from company chat rooms. Giving worker bees another reason to never leave the office. To order, users have to engage with the “TacoBot” command, and then they can order using normal, conversational language.
McDonald’s Chairman Steps Down
On April 6, Andrew McKenna, a longtime McDonald’s Corp. director and chairman, who was with the brand through a decade of growth and a reversal through a sales slump, announced plans to step down from the company’s board. After joining the company’s board in 1991, McKenna served as chairman since 2004. He announced he would not be running for reelection. He will be given the title of chairman emeritus after his retirement.
Sonic Releases Photo-Worthy Shakes
In preparation for the crowds at Coachella, Sonic Drive-In’s Inc. will be selling “square shakes” on Instagram. The new milkshakes will be served in unique, clear square containers and will be “sold” via Instagram. For one day only on April 16, attendees can order one of the square shakes via a “shop now” button on the chains Instagram page. Once ordered the shake will be delivered directly to the buyer through a “geo-fence” that can locate their whereabouts. The shakes will be free, but buyers must post a photo of the shake on Instagram. The square shake is one of the first items to be designed specifically for Instagram.
Great American Cookie Offers Extra “Dough” This Tax Day
The national gourmet cookie shop Great American Cookie is continuing it’s annual Tax Day giveaway tradition by offering fans a free original chocolate chip cookie. Customers who stop by participating locations on April 18 can enjoy a free cookie with no purchase necessary. This is the fourth year the brand will be giving away free cookies on Tax Day.
Baskin-Robbins Adds New Candy-Flavored Ice Cream
Baskin-Robbins fans rejoice! The ice cream brand has made a childhood favorite candy into their newest flavor—the Sour Patch Kids Redberry Blast. The new flavor features raspberry and marshmallow ice creams that are swirled together with a Redberry Sour Patch Kids ribbon. The new flavor is the flavor of month for April and will only be available until the end of the month at participating Baskin-Robbins locations.
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About the Author
Nick Powills
FollowNick Powills, CFE, founded No Limit Agency in 2008 and serves as Chief Brand Strategist for the Chicago-based firm. No Limit is a full-service communications agency that establishes and elevates brands by bridging Public Relations, Social Media, Marketing, Advertising, Digital, and a lot of creativity, to best strategize well-rounded and successful campaigns for 50+ global franchise brands. By presenting visionary ideas and building real relationships, No Limit is able to create effective media branding strategies to help companies grow. Nick currently leads a staff of writers, media strategists, designers, social media experts and digital producers in an office think-tank where brands are humanized for strong, compelling media stories. Prior to starting No Limit at the age of 27, Nick spent four years working at a franchise PR agency where he mastered the art of building rapport with media outlets and creating newsworthy pitches for earned media placements. He holds a Bachelor of Journalism from Drake University in Iowa.
