KFC, Popeye’s and others battle back against the burger giants.
It’s getting hot in the chicken coop. Feeling the pressure from McDonald’s and Burger King, which have successfully added poultry options to their menus, many of the leading fast food chicken chains have responded with new ads and products.
Kentucky Fried Chicken is leading the charge. Last week, it announced it is testing Kentucky Grilled Chicken in 6 cities with a national debut expected next year. Late last month, it scrapped a 4-year-old ad campaign in favor of a new one, themed, ‘Life Tastes Better with KFC.’ The chain also launched a chicken wrap to compete with McD’s successful Snack Wrap.
KFC’s sales were down 1.2% last year, per Technomic, Chicago. KFC’s share, $5.14 billion, represents about a third of the chicken category, which has been stagnant for the past 3 years.
‘KFC’s menu is evolving to meet the changing needs of customers who are looking for a wide variety of great tasting foods,’ said KFC rep Rick Maynard. ‘We’re confident offering grilled chicken will help bring in new customers who are looking for nonfried options.’
A TV campaign running in 2 of the test markets, via DraftFCB, Chicago, shows construction workers adding ‘& Grilled’ to the KFC logo. KFC is owned by Yum! Brands, Louisville, Ky.
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