Which Wich Wicked Campaign Named #1 Idea of 2010, Through Positive Public Relations, Monster Sandwich Transformed from Evil to Good

Power Public Relations LLC today announced that the agency’s publicity campaign created for its client, Which Wich Superior Sandwiches has been named #1 of “50 Great Ideas of 2010” by Restaurant Business Magazine.

When customer Chad Ettmueller doubly dislocated his jaw last spring at a Cumming, Ga. Which Wich while attempting to conquer a signature double Wicked sandwich, jaws dropped at corporate headquarters in Dallas. Would he sue? Would the brand’s image be crushed faster than a bag of chips?

Thanks to creative planning and Ettmueller being a positive patient, what could have been a lawsuit-laden disaster was molded through crisis management into a national social media campaign that garnered attention from AOL news, the Huffington Post, CNBC, Entertainment Tonight, Jimmy Kimmel and Jay Leno’s Tonight Show.

“The marketing lesson for CEO restaurateurs is to act swiftly. Sometimes a potential crisis can become an incredible opportunity. That is exactly what happened here,” says Amy Power, President and CEO of Power Public Relations. “A PR firm that works with you as a partner instead of just a vendor will know your brand well enough to envision opportunities to provide breakthrough moments like this.”

Even though he needed surgery, Ettmueller’s love of the Wicked led him to take his jaw injury in good grace. In exchange for a free sandwich to replace the one he never got to eat, he starred in a reenactment video posted on YouTube, which has tens of thousands of views. Plus he did nearly 60 radio interviews.

Power Public Relations also initiated a social media campaign to rename the Wicked, which was officially rechristened as the Lock Jaw in June based on votes from hundreds of people across the country.

“Today consumers have a lot of influence and voice through social media, so it’s even more important to have communication protocol and strategies in place,” says Power. “This could have been a true crisis, but instead it fueled a positive media campaign that landed lots of positive attention and buzz for the brand.”

“We are thrilled by the positive publicity Which Wich received last year surrounding the Lockjaw incident,” says Which Wich founder Jeff Sinelli. “Being honored by Restaurant Business only solidifies that. Chad Ettmueller has been a great sport and an important ambassador for our brand. Thanks to his positive attitude and our partnership with Power PR, we turned a potentially negative situation into an opportunity to raise brand awareness and generate nationwide buzz about Which Wich. It only shows that anything is possible when you have a solid communications strategy in place.”

The reenactment of the jaw-locking scene can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/whichwichwicked.

The publicity between Ettmueller and Which Wich may continue to pay off—he’s still so in love with their sandwiches that he’s thinking of opening a franchise of his own.

About Power Public Relations, LLC:

Power Public Relations is a full-service PR firm delivering tangible results for domestic and international clients for more than ten years. We work closely with our clients to advance their message, establish credibility and drive demand for their product or service across traditional and new media platforms. What was once Public Relations has truly become Power Relations.

For more information about Power Public Relations, visit the company’s blog and website at http://powerpublicrelations.com. You can also follow Power Public Relations on Twitter at Twitter.com/PowerPR and connect on Facebook at the Power Public Relations fan page.

Power Public Relations, LLC
Amy Power
4141 Siena Drive
Dallas, TX 75205

This release was published on openPR.