KFC's Colonel makes a comeback
Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) in Australia has captured the interest of the U.S. market after charges of racial stereotyping for an advertisement. The chicken company now takes a worldwide approach in its advertising campaign.
In January, KFC released an advertisement showing an Australian cricket fan placating West Indies supporters with chicken. The advertisement was immediately pulled out from broadcast after growing complaints.
KFC will now bring back Colonel Sanders in its marketing drive. The basis for reviving the image of its founder is also found in a survey of the chain's key demographic which is customers aged 18 to 25 years.
The survey shows more than six in 10 Americans couldn't identify Colonel Sanders in the KFC logo. However, more than half of young Americans surveyed thought the store's founder was a made-up corporate icon. A third of the respondents had no idea who the 65 year old founder was.
The world's largest chicken chain will use its Facebook presence, Twitter, MySpace, the KFC website and other digital methods to tell Harland Sanders' investment story and explain his role in the company.
The Colonel has more than 500 stores in Australia alone. The largest chicken chain in the country “has a strong commitment to supporting and growing cricket” that it has entered into a partnership with Cricket Australia.