Mickey’s, the rapidly expanding fuel and convenience store chain, has established a significant footprint in the Midwest with over 45 locations and growing. However, despite the business’s strong roots, its brand identity hadn’t evolved to match modern consumer expectations.
With new store builds in the wings, the launch of their flagship location on the horizon and a need to quickly adapt, Mickey’s partnered with thunder::tech to fully modernize the customer journey, leading a brand evolution and taking over the Mickey's digital presence while unifying the physical experience through new in-store signage and Out-Of-Home (OOH) efforts.
Within six months, our team turned around a full suite of environmental and branded materials for both existing and new locations. We're talking over 700 in-store and OOH placements designed to amplify the customer experience while keeping it recognizable to their loyal patrons.
Our creative work included:
But our work went beyond the shiny new signage and into the digital world. The thunder::tech social media team got to work building a strategy to drive audiences to the pump, the store and the app.
Incorporating the revamped brand into Mickey’s social feed, our team focused on four key areas to capture both faithful fans and new ones: brand personality, customer loyalty, product promotion and audience engagement. And in just over four months, we created 349 posts across Facebook and Instagram and significantly boosted engagement on both platforms.
To drive immediate local relevance and amplify the brand’s new visual identity, we leveraged our long-standing relationship managing Mickey’s Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) partnerships. We handled the full lifecycle of their college football content creator program, including high-profile photoshoots, video production and integrated social media campaigns. This influencer strategy was key to rapidly introducing the modern brand to high-value, local audiences and making Mickey’s a relevant part of the college sports conversation.
Simultaneously, our mobile app support ensured a smooth customer experience, whether users were in-store or online. thunder::tech took ownership of the Mickey’s app management system, consistently updating over 100 specials and push notifications every month to drive users to the pump and the store. This focus on engagement and value resulted in an incredible 3,629% increase in total app users in one year.
thunder::tech’s work brought visual consistency across Mickey’s 45+ stores, but also established recognition among frequent travelers, trust with locals and an engaging customer experience for any individual making a pit stop. This cohesive foundation was essential, ensuring the seamless, high-profile launch of the new Mickey’s flagship store.
Social media results:
If your brand is on the ramp and ready to soar in front of a bigger audience, then thunder::tech is the team to get you there. With over 25 years of building and growing brands, we bring the strategy and creativity to make your business a destination worth pulling over for.
Your brand deserves premium results – let's make that happen.