KFC marketing story - part 1

Hi guys! 

When you eat KFC chicken and admire its deliciousness, have you ever wondered about the founder of the firm or even about its history? Don't you query of how KFC can penetrate our daily life and develope into a leader in the fast doof industry? If not, I can tell you all those things, and you will definitely be surprised by the marketing art that people have used to popularize this product worldwide.

So, let's start with the introduction of the company and the product. To have the most elementary knowledge of KFC, we can answer the following questions:

1.            Which product has you chosen and why?

The product that I have chosen is KFC chicken. The reason for me to have this choice is that I love chicken and KFC chicken is definitely one of the most memorable dishes during my child hood. Its special flavor has really impressed me, and until now, I still very love the crisp felling every time I bite one piece of KFC chicken. Moreover, I feel working in the nourishment field, especially in the fast food industry, really make me few comfortable and inspired. Among numerous firms are now operating in Vietnam, I believe that KFC is one of the most popular brand name when people mention of chicken. This’s because the marketing division of the company has done their job well, and it is definitely an honor to me to be a part of those people.

2.            Which is the producing company of the product? Is this company also owner of the brand name?

The producing company of KFC is the Yum! Brands. Although KFC is just a subsidiary of the parents company, this firm is also the owner of its brand name. (KFC Vietnam, 2016)

3.            Briefly describe the history and growth of the company that is selling the product.

Kentucky Fried Chicken, pioneered by Colonel Harland Sanders, is originated in a small dining room of Sanders in the station’s humble living quarters in 1930. He first cooked for travellers going through, and later, in 1935, he was made Kentucky Colonel by Governor Ruby Laffoon for his contributions to the state's cuisine. Over the next ten years, he improved his secret recipe of 11 herbs and spices and the technique that is still applied today. In 1955, with the confidence of the taste of his chicken, Sanders decided to dedicate his life to deal in his chicken, and almost 10 years later, the Colonel owned more than 600 KFC restaurants in US and Canada. His interest in the US Company later was sold for $2 million to some investors including John Y. Brown Jr. This man was later the Governor of Kentucky, under his time, Kentucky Fried Chicken Corporation experienced a rapid growth. It went public in 1966 and after 3 years, it was on the list of New York Stock Exchange, then acquired by PepsiCo, Inc. in 1987. In 1997, this firm divided its quick service restaurants, including KFC, into an independent restaurant company called Tricon Global Restaurant, Inc. That restaurant company now is Yum! Brands, Inc., has become the world’s largest restaurant company working in the restaurant service with more than 39,000 restaurants all over the world. (KFC Vietnam, 2016)

4.         Which other products are sold by this company?

KFC not only sells chicken, it also serves sandwiches, meals, desserts and drinks, however, chicken dishes are still the most requested product of the firm. After many years to complete the menu, today, the restaurant has dozens of option to choose, there are even 6 types of chicken particularly including Original recipe, Extra crispy, Kentucky grilled chicken, Popcorn nuggets, KFC go cup and Extra crispy tenders. (KFC, 2016)

The owner of KFC, the Yum! Brands, Inc. also has other brands: Pizza Hut and Taco Bell. This three have created the world’s largest system in terms of restaurant quick service, becoming the global leaders of chicken, pizza and Mexican-styled food categories. (KFC Vietnam, 2016)

So, now you guys have known the basic information of KFC. In the next part of my series, I will introduce you the Marketing strategy and understanding competitors of KFC, which means that we’re gonna go deeper in the marketing story of KFC.

Bibliography

·         KFC. (2016). KFC. Retrieved September 6, 2016, from KFC: https://www.kfc.com/menu/chicken

·         KFC Vietnam. (2016). kfcvietnam/aboutus. Retrieved September 6, 2016, from KFC Vietnam: https://www.kfcvietnam.com.vn/en/about_us/detail/14/history-of-kfc

·         KFC Vietnam. (2016). kfcvietnam/aboutus. Retrieved September 06, 2016, from KFC Vietnam: https://www.kfcvietnam.com.vn/en/about_us

·         KFC Vietnam. (2016). kfcvietnam/aboutus. Retrieved Septamber 6, 2016, from KFC Vietnam: https://www.kfcvietnam.com.vn/en/about_us/detail/15/yum-brands