When IHOP Went IHOb, It Sold A Lot More Burgers

IHOP’s temporary name change to IHOb to promote the addition of several new burgers to its menu made waves last summer. The legacy brand’s convincing departure from its pancake-laden roots was received with mixed emotions, but ultimately achieved its desired result: IHOP’s burger sales increased four times over as a result of the stunt, according to the brand’s CMO.

A recent CNBC article said the marketing campaign for IHOP’s line of burgers was designed to lure in customers during lunchtime. Although burgers have been on IHOP’s menu for years, many customers still viewed the brand as a place for breakfast food only.

Prior to the campaign, traffic had been declining for the last 10 quarters, but IHOP parent company Dine Brands reported that same-store sales grew by 1.2 percent in Q3, according to the article, adding that at its peak, the company was selling 500,000 burgers per week.