Fancy Fast Food: Wendy's New Upscale Instagram Account

Craving a cheeseburger? Wendy's might be to blame. The fast-food restaurant chain recently upped its Instagram game to attract visual-obsessed millennials. The new strategy is an effort to keep up with competitors such as McDonald's and Burger King on the social media platform.

Digiday reports that despite Wendy's presence on other social networks such as Facebook and Twitter, the company believes Instagram is the "soul" of its social marketing strategy, says Chris Corley, group creative director at VML, Wendy's digital agency, and Brandon Rhoten, vice president of digital at Wendy's.

"Instagram is the under-34 powerhouse platform at the moment, so we feel it deserves special attention," Rhoten told Digiday. "Our testing has shown Instagram, when we have the right creative, improves people's perceptions of the brand. Earlier, it wasn't really differentiating us from anyone else. You couldn't tell it was us."

The new upscale photos are certainly a change, but incorporate "a tone that still stays true to Wendy's but leaves the silliness at the door," Rhoten said.

"These platforms want you to be successful; it's beneficial for them if you're successful," said Rhoten. "They actually have a formal process for helping brands get online. If you have enough media spend, you're going to be a long-term valuable partner."

In addition to developing a stronger Instagram strategy, Wendy's is also committed to becoming a modern advertiser across other social platforms. Most recently, it's tried campaigns in both Snapchat and Periscope. Digiday reports the fast-food chain has also partnered with influencers Rhett and Link, personalities behind the daily morning talk show "Good Mythical Morning."