Cinnabon, a franchise concept that began as one man's mission to create the perfect cinnamon bun in a sleepy Seattle mall food court, is now a one-of-a-kind brand with an adoring fanbase. The store now has over 1,200 locations, and the franchise's growth is particularly impressive because Cinnabon's marketing has been historically driven by word of mouth. Cinnabon smartly adapted to social media and leveraged its brand with a plethora of licensing deals. Bloomberg Businessweek reports that Cinnabon currently has over 70 licensed products available in grocery stores alone. This fall has seen continued innovation from Cinnabon as the franchise continues to build momentum toward the holiday season.
Cinnabon's sleeper hit
Sept. 15 marked the opening of Cinnabon's new restaurant concept, the Bon Bake Shop in Houston. The pilot pastry shop targets gourmet dessert buffs over mall shoppers, and the menu is packed with several scrumptious offerings distinctly different from traditional Cinnabon fare, according to AdWeek. Cake flavors include Maple Bacon and Wild Berries and Cream, and visitors will have opportunities to try seasonal pastries like Bavarian Cream Pie and Toasted Coconut. Bon Bake Shop has also distinguished itself from the original restaurant concept with a fresh interior decor and a more refined aesthetic.
Three Bon Bake Shops are set to open in 2014, and the company's willingness to expanding its market reflects Cinnabon's strength as a franchise. After all, the brand makes over 50 percent of its revenue from its licensing deals and could have have remained satisfied with focusing on same-store growth. Instead, Cinnabon may very well have a new hit franchise in its hands. The company is sure to employ an endearing social media strategy to build momentum for its new gourmet cake shops. Even if the venture is unsuccessful, Cinnabon is able to test new products on a discerning market through the Bon Bake Shops and continue building word-of-mouth advertising for its overall brand.
Pumpkin pandering at its best
Cinnabon commonly employs mouth-watering limited time offers to draw in old customers for repeat visits and attract new customers to keep same-store sales strong. The brand released an Oreo- and mint-flavored Chillatta to celebrate 2013's St. Patrick's Day, according to QSR Magazine. More recently, Cinnabon tossed its frosting-glazed hat into the pumpkin craze ring, tempting the gourd-obsessed masses with a new pumpkin-themed menu available through Nov. 30, says Bustle.
The new pumpkin-themed menu will include a Pumpkin Pie Chillatta beverage and Pumpkin Caramel Cinnabons, much to the delight of Cinnabon die-hard fans and fall flavor faithful alike. Limited-time offers have proven to be very successful tactics for driving franchise sales. The success of Wendy's endless rotation of new sandwich options highlights the validity of this approach. In addition, LTO offerings are cleverly introduced to keep buzz about Cinnabon strong. The brand's self-awareness is one of its key strengths, and one of the reasons Cinnabon makes a strong partner for franchisees.