How Chick-fil-A Dominates 'Brand Intimacy' — And What Brands Can Learn From It

Chick-fil-A ranked higher than all other quick-service restaurants in regards to ‘brand intimacy’ during the pandemic, according to MBLM's recently released Brand Intimacy COVID study. This is the second year Chick-fil-A has taken the top spot on MBLM’s Brand Intimacy study. 

The study uses in-depth emotional science to rate the degree of intimacy each brand elicits within its customer base, including the level of fulfillment, emotional connection, nostalgia and indulgence. According to the study, which was conducted with 3,000 consumers in late summer 2020, Chick-fil-A is followed by McDonald's, Starbucks, KFC, Dunkin', Domino's, Pizza Hut, Subway and Wendy's. 

1851 Franchise breaks down what brands can take away from the MBLM study.

Customers Love the QSR Industry

The fast-food industry placed sixth out of 10 industries on MBLM’s Brand Intimacy COVID study, and the segment's overall performance improved by 6% since the previous study. Although other industries such as entertainment and tech ranked higher than QSR, brands like Starbucks and Chick-fil-A still cracked the top 25 overall. 

“Despite restaurant closures during COVID, top intimate fast food brands continue to significantly outperform the leading brands in the Fortune 500 and S&P 500 indices across revenue growth, profit growth and stock price,” the MBLM said in a press release.

As dining out remains a risky option across many markets and customers rely on off-premise services such as drive-thru or pick-up, consumer sentiment surrounding fast food has been on the upswing. MBLM found daily fast food consumption has increased by 37% since the beginning of the pandemic.

“Consumers have been more emotionally connected to fast food brands during the pandemic,” Mario Natarelli, managing partner of MBLM, said in an email to 1851 Franchise. “As we return to ‘normal’ life, fast food brands should find a way to reference what we have all been through together and how they have reliably comforted us through this crisis.”

According to the study, the QSR industry ranks number one for the archetype of “indulgence,” indicating that during challenging times, consumers turn to brands long associated with comfort, pleasure, convenience and pampering — fast-food in a nutshell. Brands need to keep this in mind when developing marketing strategies or new initiatives. 

Technology is Increasingly Important in the QSR Segment

With the revamped popularity of loyalty programs, online ordering and mobile apps within the QSR segment, it is clear brands are beginning to recognize how technology can nurture prolonged customer relationships during the pandemic.

Chick-fil-A was investing in efficiency-focused technology initiatives well before the COVID-19 pandemic, including a popular loyalty program, tech-infused drive-thru lines, a tableside assistance button, artificial intelligence to identify food safety issues and more. 

These initiatives extend beyond the consumer as well — in 2018, Chick-fil-A created a custom Restaurant Internet of Things platform to automate operations and streamline the production line through innovations like 3D cameras on the deep fryers. This tech-centric infrastructure allowed Chick-fil-A to immediately pivot operations and appeal to consumers when the pandemic hit. 

According to MBLM, technology will likely continue to play a larger role in how customers interact with fast food brands. The study suggests brands should “market their digital offerings and a touchless delivery experience to deepen customer relationships.” 

How Brands Can Be More Like Chick-fil-A

As the COVID-19 pandemic created increased uncertainty and anxiety, the MBLM study shows that customers clung to reliable brands like Chick-fil-A that were guaranteed to satisfy their needs, both in terms of the menu and the customer service.

The chain has been known to make customer service a priority and has been named the top limited-service restaurant on the American Customer Satisfaction Index for six straight years. In 2019, Chick-fil-A ranked as the top fast-food brand in terms of creating emotional engagement and loyalty, according to Brand Keys. The chain was also ranked the top QSR for sincerity, excitement and competence, according to Zion & Zion. 

The results speak for themselves. Chick-fil-A became the third-largest restaurant chain by sales in 2019, passing Wendy's, Burger King, Taco Bell and Subway within a year. 

Following Popeye’s historic chicken sandwich launch in 2019, many legacy QSR brands started to see an opportunity to tap into Chick-fil-A’s enviable market share through new chicken sandwich menu items. Restaurant Business reported in September 2019 that Chick-fil-A customers who visited Popeyes increased by four percent in one month. 

Now, these menu items offer a potential boost for fast-food brands facing COVID-19 revenue losses. At least 10 major U.S. fast-food chains have introduced fried-chicken sandwiches in the past three months, according to the Wall Street Journal. McDonald’s recently announced the rollout of three new chicken sandwich menu items in January, Shack Shack launched a new version of its chicken sandwich in September and Jack in the Box announced two new chicken sandwiches in December. 

Whether it be new chicken sandwiches or increased customer service, brands would be wise to take a page out of the Chick-fil-A playbook right now. The MBLM study shows that customers are eager to create emotional connections with their favorite fast food brands, and QSR franchises should recognize these relationships are a two-way street.