Fast-casual chain Sizzler rang in National Cheese Toast Day yesterday by inviting fans to visit a mobile-optimized site and create personalized memes depicting how the dish makes them feel, showcasing how restaurant marketers can capitalize on millennials? love of viral images.

The quick-service restaurant brand ramped up excitement for the national event, which took place on September 15, with a mobile marketing blitz that included a still-running selfie contest and merchandise giveaways. This year, Sizzler?s National Cheese Toast Day celebration also leveraged a meme generator that played into younger consumers? enjoyment of creating and sharing personalized photos with humorous taglines.

?Content sharing has always been the main foundation of social media, and throughout the years, brands and social leaders have figured out ways to get more creative with how they can share their messages across different platforms,? said Justin Phu, marketing coordinator at Sizzler. ?With the trend of memes and allowing users to express their feelings in a few short words or emojis, combined with the world's love for cheese toast, Sizzler is connecting with a newer and broader audience.

?We have been excited to see how cheese toast fans have been using this "Cheese Toast Got Me Like" meme creator on our microsite.?

Marketing with a side of memes
Sizzler?s mobile-first National Cheese Toast Day activations highlight the brand?s desire to connect with younger demographics and give consumers added incentive to engage with its content while on the go.

The restaurant marketer rolled out a cheese toast meme generator this week, giving fans a simple way to create memes within seconds and share them with friends and family.

Consumers can visit www.SizzlerCheeseToast.com on their smartphones or desktops to upload a desired photo that acts as the background for their meme. If individuals do not want to upload a photo, they may use a standard template provided by Sizzler.

The generator enables users to position the phrase, ?Cheese toast got me like?? with several smiley emojis atop their photos. They may also input a word of their choice that accurately depicts how they feel about cheese toast.

Once individuals are satisfied with their memes, they can download them onto their device and share it with others.

This offers Sizzler the opportunity to promote its menu items in a less overt way and differentiate itself from its competition. While plenty of casual dining chains have employed social advertising techniques with personalization capabilities, few have forayed into the much-loved realm of memes.

The virality factor of memes could also give Sizzler a boost in organic brand awareness.

Selfies and sweepstakes
Sizzler is also complementing its meme marketing tactics with a selfie contest and giveaway.

Now through September 30, consumers can upload a selfie featuring Sizzler?s cheese toast onto Facebook, Twitter or Instagram via the hashtag #cheesetoastselfie. Entries must also include the caption ?Sizzler Contest.?

Participants can enter the sweepstakes once per day for a chance to win a $100 gift card to the fast-casual chain, as well as various cheese-toast-themed merchandise, such as handkerchiefs, t-shirts and hats.

Entries will be judged based on their relevance to the theme, creativity, quality and emotional appeal.

A slew of quick-service restaurant marketers have updated their marketing strategies to include a bigger focus on mobile channels frequented by their target customers.

Additionally, many of these brands have rolled out campaign microsites and generators that enable fans to create their own GIFs and videos.

Earlier this year, the Wendy?s Company promoted a new addition to its 4 for $4 menu, the Crispy Chicken BLT, through a mock news station Tumblr site featuring humorous YouTube stories, building on the chain?s use of microsites in previous social media campaigns (see story).

Additionally, Denny?s recently heated up awareness for its new buttermilk pancakes with custom Snapchat filters, Facebook Live events and a mobile-optimized interactive simulator that let consumers practice informing loved ones their pancakes come second to the brand?s (see story).

?Mobile has become one of the most predominant platforms for people to gain information, seek entertainment and stay connected,? Mr. Phu said. ?Sizzler is a huge proponent for traditional media, such as TV, radio and print, but we can't ignore the fact that attention has been shifting for the past six or more years ? and will continue to shift ? toward platforms that solve for convenience and quality.

?Mobile is one of the main solutions not only for the broader market but for our target audience of young families, as well. Sizzler will stay forward thinking to leverage how we can better communicate our story via mobile.?