1851

It&#8217;s no secret that<a href="http://www.kfcfranchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=kfc-goes-back-to-basics-to-turn-its-business-around-and-take-back-the-fried-chicken-industry-5914" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> KFC</a> has had a rough couple of years. The competition in the fried chicken industry has never been hotter&#8212;brands like Chick-fil-A are consistently outperforming KFC. And the margin of victory is wide&#8212;Chick-fil-A&#8217;s U.S. systemwide sales topped $6.8 billion in 2015, while KFC&#8217;s fell below $4.4 billion, <a href="https://www.qsrmagazine.com/reports/qsr50-2016-top-50-chart?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=kfc-goes-back-to-basics-to-turn-its-business-around-and-take-back-the-fried-chicken-industry-5914" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">according to QSR Magazine</a>. But KFC recognizes there&#8217;s a problem, and is now doing everything in its power to make a comeback. <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/venessawong/kfc-confronts-its-lost-decade-in-america?utm_term=.tkXePOOAO&utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=kfc-goes-back-to-basics-to-turn-its-business-around-and-take-back-the-fried-chicken-industry-5914#.llJE2GGrG" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">In an interview with Buzzfeed last year</a>, KFC&#8217;s chief marketing officer for the U.S. Kevin Hochman said, &#8220;We&#8217;ve had quite the while where we have not grown.&#8221; He continued, &#8220;There are a ton of fried chicken competitors, and they&#8217;re all growing.&#8221; In order to become one of those growing brands, KFC is bringing back its signature marketing technique: Colonel Harland Sanders. The brand first started slipping when Colonel Sanders died in 1980&#8212;KFC turned away from its best-selling bone-in chicken menu items in favor of trends like popcorn chicken and the now infamous &#8220;Double Down,&#8221; which is a sandwich that substitutes fried chicken for bread. That&#8217;s when its sales took a turn for the worse, and when customers started looking for other fried chicken alternatives. Now, instead of using cartoon or rapping versions of the Colonel in national ad spots, KFC is going back to its roots. Last spring the brand released an ad featuring comedian Darrell Hammond as Colonel Sanders. Since then, other celebrities including Jim Gaffigan and George Hamilton have put on the Colonel costume for national ad campaigns. It&#8217;s all a part of the brand&#8217;s plan to massively rehab its entire image. But that plan goes far beyond advertising. &#8220;The idea is that we&#8217;re going back to the Colonel, and to his beliefs about treating guests, and making sure that we offer the highest quality and service in our stores, and what better way to do that than to make the Colonel front and center in all of our efforts? It&#8217;s not just in advertising&#8212;it embodies everything we do,&#8221; said Hochman in an interview with <a href="https://www.fastcocreate.com/3061304/creation-stories/how-kentucky-fried-chicken-learned-to-embrace-the-colonel-and-their-full-na?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=kfc-goes-back-to-basics-to-turn-its-business-around-and-take-back-the-fried-chicken-industry-5914" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Fast Co. Create</a>. KFC is making Colonel Sanders a part of its DNA again. In addition to traditional recipes, the brand is also plastering the Colonel all over its new locations, and returning to the original red and white color scheme that made it recognizable in the first place. And of course, different variations of Colonel Sanders are expected to be introduced when the brand markets a different type of chicken. So far, KFC&#8217;s comeback efforts have been met with mixed reviews from American consumers. But the brand is confident that this is the right direction, and is ultimately what will put the brand back on track to becoming the nation&#8217;s leading fried chicken brand. &#8220;It&#8217;s going to take time. You can&#8217;t just pivot from Double Downs to &#8216;We make fried chicken in the back of the house&#8217; overnight,&#8221; Hochman told <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/kfc-is-finally-turning-business-around-2016-5?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=kfc-goes-back-to-basics-to-turn-its-business-around-and-take-back-the-fried-chicken-industry-5914" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Business Insider</a>. He continued, &#8220;We have to have a point of view. We&#8217;ve been playing it safe for so many years&#8212;some people will like it, some people won&#8217;t like it, but at the end of the day if we&#8217;re growing our business and we get more people into our brand, it&#8217;s worth it,&#8221; <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/kfc-is-finally-turning-business-around-2016-5?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=kfc-goes-back-to-basics-to-turn-its-business-around-and-take-back-the-fried-chicken-industry-5914" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hochman told Business Insider</a>.

1851 Franchise

The brand is relying on Colonel Harland Sanders to be the boost it needs to repair its damaged reputation among American consumers.


This brand page has been paid for by 1851. Content within this page that is paid will showcase a Sponsored icon. This means the brand has engaged 1851 FRANCHISE to write the content. Content without the Sponsored Icon is aggregated media placements the brand earned. Questions can be sent to editorial@1851franchise.com

KFC Goes Back to Basics to Turn its Business Around and Take Back the Fried Chicken Industry

kfc-goes-back-to-basics-to-turn-its-business-around-and-take-back-the-fried-chicken-industry

Lawn Doctor

Design with photo of John Perry and Lawn Doctor logo

How a 20-Year Industry Veteran Tripled His Sales With a Lawn Doctor Franchise

lawn-doctor-franchise-success-story-john-perry

Fitness Premier

The Secret to Fitness Franchise Success? It's Not Just the Workouts

fitness-premier-franchise-marketing-support

Fresh Coat

Photo of Fresh Coat vehicle with ladders on top

The Rise of Home Improvement Franchises: Why Now Is the Time to Invest

why-invest-home-improvement-franchise-fresh-coat

HomeTeam Inspection Service

Photo of HomeTeam inspector in red polo and khaki pants, walking by branded vehicle

Real Estate Today: Behind the Drywall: The Truth About Home Inspections

purpose-of-home-inspection

Dog Training Elite

Dog Training Elite Franchise - DTE - National Service Dog Month - 1851 Franchise

Celebrating Service Dogs: Why Proper Training Changes Lives — And How Dog Training Elite Is Leading the Way

dog-training-elite-national-service-dog-month

Buying a Franchise Masterclass

 Franchise Opportunities

Get Support Buying a Franchise

How to Buy a Franchise White Paper

How to Buy a Franchise

How to Sell Franchises

How to Grow a Franchise

Find a Franchise Supplier

1851 Franchise Opportunities

Franchisor News

Franchisor Power Rankings

FranCamp Mastermind Summit

Franchise Development Website Builder

Franchise Resources

What ALEC-Laffer's Report Means for Franchising

Website Awards

Power Rankings

About 1851

Advertise on 1851

Contact 1851 Editorial

Terms of Use

1851 Login

GROWTH CLUB LOGIN

facebook

instagram

twitter

linkedin

youtube

Design with American and Federal Reserve flags against light blue background

Federal Reserve Expected To Cut Rates by Quarter Point, a Move That Could Boost Franchise Growth

fed-rate-cut-boosts-franchise-growth

Potbelly to be Acquired by RaceTrac in $566 Million Deal 

racetrac-acquires-potbelly-in-566-million-deal

Health Care Hiring Slowdown Highlights In-Home Care Franchise Opportunities - 1851 Franchise Agg

Health Care Hiring Slowdown Highlights In-Home Care Franchise Opportunities 

health-care-hiring-slowdown-in-home-care-franchise-opportunities

Caribou Coffee Names Scott Kennedy CEO, Eyes Continued Growth

caribou-coffee-names-scott-kennedy-ceo-eyes-continued-growth

McDonald’s Launches New Extra Value Meals as Consumer Demand for Value Continues to Climb

mcdonalds-launches-extra-value-meals

1851 Franchise Deep Dive graphic with Sparkle Squad logo

Sparkle Squad Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

franchise-deep-dive-sparkle-squad-franchise-costs-fees-profit-and-data

graphic image of a financial deep dive of americas swimming pools co.

America’s Swimming Pool Company Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

americas-swimming-pool-asp-franchise-deep-dive

image of The Cleaning Authority Franchise Deep Dive Article financial investment details

The Cleaning Authority Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

the-cleaning-authority-franchise-deep-dive

Jollibee -Launch-Story-Brand-Page-Deep-Dive-2025

Jollibee Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

jollibee-franchise-costs-fees-profit-and-data-for-2025

Hely and Hiral Patel Bring Their Longtime Dream to Life With The Brass Tap

brass-tap-franchise-pasadena-maryland-hely-hiral-patel

1851 Keyword - The Secret To Succeeding With a Part-Time Franchise Is Picking the Right Model

The Secret To Succeeding With a Part-Time Franchise Is Picking the Right Model

part-time-franchises-picking-the-right-model

Franchisee spotlight graphic with photo of Ricki Oberoi and Layne's Chicken Fingers logo

Multi-Unit Wendy’s Operator Signs 12-Unit Deal With Layne’s Chicken Fingers

ricki-oberoi-laynes-chicken-fingers-growth

DevHub - Meet the Supplier - 1851 Franchise

DevHub: Scalable Digital Marketing for Franchises and Multi-Location Brands

devhub-meet-the-supplier

Design with school-aged child standing on pencil with text "Education Franchises" and "<$500K"

KFC Goes Back to Basics to Turn its Business Around and Take Back the Fried Chicken Industry

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS