Mr. Empanada wanted to find the next big inspiration for its restaurant chain, as part of its 10th-anniversary celebration. Unsure of what to do, president Audrey Perez consulted with social media agency 21Digital. Out of that meeting was born a simple, yet effective idea: a “Build-Your-Own-Empanada” contest.
“I wanted to do something out of the ordinary to celebrate our 10th anniversary. It’s a special time for us and required something inspirational that was ubiquitous to our brand,” Perez says. “The Build-Your-Own-Empanada contest honors who we are and what we do every day. We are certainly looking forward to adding a unique new seasonal food item to our menu as a result of this contest.”
The “Build-Your-Own-Empanada” contest is underway on the Mr. Empanada Facebook Page. To enter the contest, guests can visit the Mr. Empanada Facebook Page and follow the instructions to register. Contestants must be at least 18 years of age to enter.
The Contest is broken out in two different portions. In the first stage, which ended on September 23, consumers were invited to submit their original ideas for building a new empanada. Contestants had to submit 10 ingredients or less and a short paragraph outlining the recipe concept. Then, an evaluation will take place by Mr. Empanada, from September 24–29, to select the top five recipes.
In the second part of the contest, which runs from September 30 to October 14, the five chosen recipes will be posted on the Mr. Empanada Facebook site for the public to vote on their favorite.
The grand-prize winner will be announced on October 15, 2013, on the Mr. Empanada Facebook site in a post. Not only will the grand-prize winner receive an Apple iPad (valued at $499), but the winner will also become “Chef for the Day,” cooking the winning recipe at a private Mr. Empanada open-house event.
“We had a lot of fun helping Mr. Empanada come up with and execute this campaign,” says Kevin Marshall, president of 21Digital. “It’s the type of social media contest that really makes it fun for our client, as well as their customers.”
