The internet was captivated by the battle of the fried chicken sandwiches in 2019.
The August 12 launch of the fried chicken sandwich from quick service restaurant Popeyes Louisiana Chicken nearly went unnoticed, until rival restaurant Chick-fil-a sent out a tweet reminding customers that their own sandwich was “the original.”
Following a Twitter feud that went viral, the Popeyes sandwich sold out in less than two weeks. The brand relaunched the sandwich in November, boosting restaurant sales more than 10% in the third quarter of 2019.
Forbes estimates that the online buzz generated more than $65 million in equivalent media value for Popeyes as a result of the chicken sandwich wars.
What can marketers take away from the success of the chicken sandwich wars?
Have a mission
Having a long-term purpose for what you’re trying to market is key to success. This includes having a goal for future profits, determining who is the products core consumer and who are your competitors. In this case, Popeyes main competitor was Chick-fil-a, resulting in a planned call-out during the launch.
Build the hype
Popeyes began promoting the new fried chicken offering on social media platforms before the sandwich was even available to consumers, building online buzz and fueling interest.
But the buzz had an added bonus. It also gave the brand a voice and a specific persona.
“Many QSRs are coming up with their own brand personalities online,” Alison Shapiro Dandry, director of communications and technology for Krispy Krunchy Foods LLC, a convenience-store-based quick service restaurant chain specializing in fried chicken, told www.cspdailynews.com. “Customers talk to them daily in the social-media sphere, and you can see how these brands speak to their consumers.”
Be ready to pivot
While it’s important to have a plant to start with, online marketers need to be ready to respond within minutes.
When Chick-fil-a targeted Popeyes with a tweet that said “Bun + Chicken + Pickles = all the [love] for the original,” the ad agency, GSD&M, managing Popeyes social media campaign pivoted back with “…y’all good?” More than 85,000 people retweeted the conversation.
“The reason it happened so quickly is that we had established trust with the client in the beginning of the year,” Angela Brown, social strategist at GDS&M, told adage.com. “A lot of other clients would have been too scared to act.”
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