restaurants

Studies Reveal Chick-fil-A's Search Dominance, Impact Of QSR OOH Ads

Chick-fil-A has the highest share of Google searches in 27 out of 50 states, according to a study that also shows the search dominance of regional chains like Culver’s and Whataburger. 

Separately, a consumer survey by The Harris Poll for the Out of Home Advertising Association of America (OAAA) found more than two-thirds of people who recalled recently seeing a QSR OOH ad saying it had led them to make a purchase at the advertised restaurant. 

Chick-fil-A’s high ranking in share of search was measured by brand-tracking provider My Telescope, which says that share of search data has an average correlation of 83% to future share of market and sales. 

Chick-fil-A is #1 in states like California — where it has 166 locations — as well as Connecticut (12 locations) and dozens of states in between. 

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Operating primarily in the Midwest, the Culver’s restaurant chain is tops in Google searches in Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin but also in Utah. 

Texas-based Whataburger is #1 not only in its home state but also in Alabama, Louisiana, New Mexico and Oklahoma. 

Notably, the top-searched restaurant in New York is Los Angeles-based Sweetgreen, which launched in 2007. 

According to the Harris survey for the OAAA — fielded from May 31 to June 3 — 59% of 1,000 respondents reported having seen an OOH ad for a QSR.

More males (65%) said they had done so than females (54%). Gen Z led the way at 77%, while just 39% of Baby Boomers+ had seen a QSR OOH ad. 

In terms of engagement, among 532 of respondents who had seen a QSR OOH ad and then engaged with the advertised chain, 67% made a purchase at the restaurant’s physical location. 

Of those 532, 39% reported having ordered from an advertised QSR via a mobile app or visited the restaurant’s website. 

“This research confirms OOH's strong value proposition for QSR brands,” said OAAA president and CEO Anna Bager.

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