Brand Mix

Another week, another storm in the Twitter cup. This time it was KFC up-to-bat with a great idea, poorly executed. I didn't get my damn coupon so they are going to pay.....

1) KFC No Longer Honoring FREE 2 Piece Chicken Coupons: Frugal Living
Yes, what a great idea. But what a disaster in execution. Following the success of the Denny's Free Grand Slam Giveaway, KFC decided to get in on the act. Rather than use the Superbowl to promote its giveaway, it managed to get Oprah instead and she promoted the free coupon on the show. So far, so brilliant. But KFC had underestimated our insatiable appetite for free anything-- many people (ME!) couldn't get coupons and now KFC has even stopped honoring coupons from those who did manage to print them out, giving rainchecks instead. Follow the tweets.

2) What does KFC have against Moms? El Pollo Loco
A quirk of the KFC idea was that the coupons were not to be valid on Mother's Day. (This Sunday, in case you forgot, but not in the UK--that's another story.) El Pollo Loco saw the opportunity and jumped in:



3) KFC + Oprah = I Don't Get It: Brand New Day
David Kiley looks at another angle. What's Oprah doing? Isn't she the one who who's all about healthy eating? As David says: "How many shows has she done with doctors, fitness gurus, nutritionists over the years advancing the idea of mindful eating?" Not that there's anything/much wrong with the occasional KFC trip but, still, an Oprah endorsement seems like a big brand disconnect.

4) What FREE will get you: Brains on Fire
And here's another angle. How about the whole question of free? Spike says: "Free used like IHOP and KFC used it is a short-term tactic that wreaks of desperation. They got a spike in mentions and sales, and then the freeloaders are out the door and on their way, looking for the next sucker who might be giving a handout." By coincidence, and unrelated to chicken, Seth Godin also posted this week about "too much free."

5) Chicken: Low Art, High Calorie: Bad Banana Blog (via brandflakesforbreakfast)
Thank God for Google Reader search! Another story about chicken. In fact, a whole book of restaurant signs from independent fried chicken restaurants (who should all be honoring the KFC coupon too if they are on the ball).

6) Two meaningful campaigns that fall short: Marketing with Meaning
A while back, Bob Gilbreath reviewed the KFC initiative to repair potholes at no cost. At the time, he said that the problem with this initiative, worthy as it was, was that it had no link to the equity. Perhaps this week's coupon disaster was a valiant attempt to make the connection?

That's it! See you here on the blog or on Twitter (@martinjbishop) for more stories from the world of brand strategy.