Bob Blumer liked the idea of working with KFC because of his affection for Harland Sanders and fond memories of enjoying Kentucky Fried Chicken as a kid.
“I’m a big food nostalgia guy,” said the Canadian born Food Network host, celebrity chef and author. In the kitchen of his home back in Los Angeles there is a collection of food mascots going back to the 60s. “Everything from Tony the Tiger, to the Little Green Sprout and of course Colonel Sanders,” he said.
When he mentioned the possibility of working with KFC to family and friends, he quickly realized his nostalgic feelings for the iconic Colonel and his chicken were anything but unusual. “Everybody has their warm and fuzzy KFC story, which is really amazing,” he said.
Blumer, who has hosted a number of shows on HGTV, is in Toronto this week to help KFC tell consumers that it serves only real, locally sourced chicken on its menu. The “C is for Chicken” campaign began last month with the launch of an information-dense microsite and a series of videos spotlighting real farmers talking about the chickens they raise for KFC. The farmers react with a mixture of amazement and amusement to suggestions KFC doesn’t serve real chicken.
“Consumers have a lot of questions about KFC and certain misconceptions,” said Beverley D’Cruz, marketing director for KFC Canada, which is part of Yum Brands. “The whole plan of this campaign was to respond to that.” Long time KFC creative agency Grip Ltd. produced the videos while MediaCom handled the digital and social buying.
“When you are a brand as big and as popular as KFC, people tend to talk about you,” she said. “And that is just the reality, both positively and negatively. And if the brand doesn’t have the conversation back then, those misconceptions don’t get cleared up.”
Aside from the videos, KFC is using a programmatic buy, paid search and social to get the message to consumers and, starting Wednesday, is beginning a PR push and influencer program led by Edelman. “We are going to be leveraging influencers who will then use their channels to help propagate this message, because there is only so much a brand can talk about itself,” said D’Cruz. “You kind of need other people to have a conversation about you as well.”
talk about a warm (and crispy) welcome! pic.twitter.com/iJkldYsLJA
— bob blumer (@bobblumer) October 11, 2016
Blumer—who also keeps three chickens in his backyard in L.A.—is speaking to media and food bloggers and other influencers to help dispel some of the “urban myths” about KFC’s chicken. He’ll join six bloggers for a farm visit Wednesday to see first-hand where KFC gets its chicken.
“I was asked to talk about C is for Chicken, which is kind of like being the bearer of good news,” he said.
“It sort of seems unfathomable to me that they actually need to have a campaign like this, because it is very obvious to me—as a foodie and a chef—that these are real chickens raised the way all chickens that end up in grocery stores are raised, but I am happy to spread that word,” he said.
The campaign also comes at a time when fried chicken remains one of the trendiest foods going with fancy “hipster” restaurants in every town offering their take on the classic, he said. Most of those restaurants are getting their chicken from the same producers that KFC does. “In many cases the chicken is exactly the same, sourced from exactly the same farmer, sort of cooked the same way with a different recipe,” he said.
“Whether you are paying $4 or $20, it is the same thing.”
