Sonic 2008 Annual Report Download - page 38

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Travel the country, and almost any place you visit you’ll find people talking about Sonic –
even if there is no Sonic there! They’ve seen the ads, heard about the food, perhaps even
remember Sonic from having lived in Oklahoma, Texas or other areas fortunate enough to
have a Sonic Drive-In. Whatever the reason, this building excitement reflects a ready-made
and eager customer base, motivated by strong brand awareness, all waiting for the day
when Sonic comes to town.
Much of our growing fan base is directly attributable to a broad and concerted media
program that has spanned the past several years. In 2008, Sonic dedicated $190 million to
media expenditures, up nine percent for the year and almost twice the amount spent just five
years ago. These increasing funds support local cooperative marketing efforts, local
broadcast television and radio, as well as new media initiatives, especially Internet-delivered
messaging that reaches teens and young adults – demographics where we enjoy strong
market share versus others in the QSR industry.
Still, a sizable portion of these expenditures, almost one-half in fact, is targeted at national
cable advertising that enables us to reach a nationwide audience in our existing, new and
potential markets, efficiently and effectively. Some may say that’s a shotgun approach,
taking the Sonic message to every market in America and places that may not know a drive-
in from a drive-thru. They ask: “Why stir people up for a concept that has not yet arrived?”
Our answer is simple – and compelling. While we plant the seeds for the Sonic brand in
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