#naturallyraised

Chipotle: Food with Integrity

Everyone needs to eat, that’s a simple fact of basic human life. The only issue is sometimes its hard to find enough hours in the day to make time for a prepared, civilized meal – 3 times a day. That’s the basis for the development of the fast-food industry that dominates American society today, getting food on the go so that a busy person can keep going with their daily obligations. Companies like McDonald’s and Taco Bell thrive off the need of getting a meal “to-go”. But fast food companies are notorious for they’re negligence of what exactly they’re putting in their food and what the health results of those ingredients are, instead focusing on foods that can be prepared quickly with minimal costs to them and their customers. Over the past few years many different media sources and news outlets have come out with really disgusting facts about what you’re putting in your body when you eat at restaurants like these, which has created a market in the food industry that uses more health conscious ingredients while maintaining the convenience and ease of the fast food restaurants.

            In 1993, Steve Ellis founded Chipotle Mexican Grill with the belief that their ingredients matter, and that supporting local farming industries was an important factor for their restaurants. As the company grew into a national corporation, they’ve advanced those central concepts into their corporate philosophy of “Food with Integrity” and developed a reputation for convenient and quick meals, without the sacrifice of quality food and customer service. The company has developed a huge advantage in the industry by promoting more sustainable foods, and it has been embraced by the public, resulting in over a thousand restaurants nationwide and $1.8 billion in sales by the end of 2010.

             With some faults in their promises of integrity, and resulting protests of the company, Chipotle reestablished their commitment to their customers and sought ways to maintain their clients faith in their product. The company launched a few initiatives, all in support of a farm-to-table-to-consumer supply chain. They wanted to “change the way people think about what they eat” through usage of farm fresh ingredients free of hormones and chemical additives, while supporting smaller local farms (within 350 miles of the restaurants). Chipotle also founded the non-profit organization called Chipotle’s Cultivate Foundation, which raises and donates money to support three major causes:

1. Supporting small, family owned farms.

2. Increasing animal welfare and pasteurizing.

3. Increasing nutrition and reducing obesity in children.

The company has donated over $1.5 million in support of these causes, with percentages of their own profits from in-store promotions being used as funding. Another important part of their new campaign effort was to revamp their advertising. In 2012, Chipotle hired CAA (Creative Artists Agency), a Hollywood marketing agency, to create a two and a half minute heart-string-tugging video about a small farmer that industrializes his farm, only to realize the mistake he’s made and later tears it down, opting for a more sustainable future. The video has won many awards, including Best Integrated Campaign and Best Film for Branded Content at Cannes Film Festival, and emphasizes Chipotle’s mission of supporting small farms and sustainable food sources. The company has invested in other video campaigns as well, including a satirical miniseries titled “Farmed and Dangerous” that criticizes the industrialized agricultural industry and the way they raise their livestock. The series was featured exclusively on Hulu during its premiere, but has been released onto other sources recently.

            Chipotle as a company has chosen to put its customers first, by using “naturally raised” meats and hormone free dairy products for their gourmet burritos. Putting an emphasis on supporting family owned farms and local agricultural businesses has set them apart in their industry, along with creating a new market for restaurants focused around the same principles. Choosing quality products over higher gross profits makes them pioneers in the fast food industry, and gives the company a higher level of corporate social responsibility than almost all of their competitors.  

-Brianna Harvey

Works Cited

 Baylis, Bettina. “How Chipotle’s ‘Food with Integrity’ Strategy Can Really Succeed”. Triple Pundit. N.p. 15 October. 2012. Web. 06 March. 2014.