Slam Dunk UGC: Leveraging March Madness to Promote Whataburger WhataWings

Every year, NCAA March Madness has millions of basketball fans glued to their screens.

Our client, Whataburger, sought a TikTok UGC campaign that tapped into March Madness fan culture to drive sales of their new product, Whataburger WhataWings. With our objective set and roster of seasoned UGC creators ready, we got to work. 

Our Strategy

To integrate Whataburger WhataWings into the March Madness conversation on social media, we capitalized on the frenzy surrounding bracket predictions and watch parties. We assembled skilled, entertaining creators who are diehard March Madness fans to resonate with fellow fans and TikTok foodies alike and execute the following creative concepts.

Concept 1: Top Flavor Picks Bracket

Drawing inspiration from fan-made Final Four brackets that flood the internet during March Madness, we designed a “Top Flavor Picks” bracket pitting Whataburger’s top four WhataWings flavors against each other. We ranked Honey Butter, Honey BBQ, Buffalo, and Sweet & Spicy, associating the flavors with various basketball teams to appeal to a diverse range of fan bases. By tying in teams, we sparked curiosity and encouraged viewers to try specific flavors based on their favorite teams.

Concept 2: Watch Party EssentialS

Whether hosting friends and family or watching solo, our audience does not play around with their game day food. This concept positioned Whataburger WhataWings as the ultimate watch party snack for any fan. Almost every UGC strategy can benefit from a compelling product display and testimonial. The primary goal for this concept was to raise awareness of the variety of flavors and entice fans of any team to give them a try.

Whataburger UGC Campaign Results

The combination of authentic content, strategic targeting, and creative storytelling resulted in high engagement for Whataburger. Performance data from TikTok showed select deliverables were ranked top 7 percent of TikTok ads in the industry based on 100% video view completion, top 4 percent and top 5 percent of TikTok ads in the industry based on clicks, and top 14 percent of TikTok ads in the industry based on CPM (cost per thousand impressions). 

In the fast-paced world of social media marketing, seizing pop culture moments, developing a concept that retains viewers, and hiring creators who speak the language of your target audience, can be a game-changer.

Need help developing your brand’s UGC strategy? Reach out to [email protected] for a free consultation, and check out our UGC capabilities here.