Sometimes Attack Marketing Works Out even better than the commanders strategized.
Take Southwestern chicken chain El Pollo Loco. When KFC launched grilled chicken with a one-piece tasting giveaway on April 27 (“UnFry Day”), EPL’s 420 restaurants gave out two pieces of its own grilled chicken, plus tortillas and salsa, on April 28.
EPL CEO Steve Carley went on TV in the chain’s metro markets — primarily Los Angeles — to challenge KFC executives to a taste test and offered a toll-free number with which to accept his dare.
Several things ensued, all good by EPL’s lights. For one, KFC followed “UnFry Day” with a Web coupon promotion that specifically blacked out Mother’s Day. Carley came back with another commercial asking what KFC has against moms, and offering to take the chain’s printable coupons on that day.
Second, the KFC coupon campaign turned out unequal to the marketing power of Oprah. Coupon downloads stalled; customers couldn’t identify participating stores; franchisees ran out of product. EPL was ready to take the coupons.
Fried, grilled or fricasseed, bone-in chicken is a declining category because it’s hard to eat on the run, says EPL marketing vice president Mark Hardison. “Having a national competitor raise the awareness of the grilled product made us want to be part of that conversation,” he says. The chain’s April 28 sampling gave away chicken to half a million customers.
And EPL apparently did get some KFC response to Carley’s toll-free challenge. Specifically, it got a couple of phone calls purporting to come from California customers touting the quality of the new KFC grilled chicken. In fact, Caller ID showed that both calls came from Kentucky — one from KFC headquarters and one from Yum Brands, parent to KFC.
The recordings of those two bogus calls made it into another TV spot, and have gotten 23,000 views on YouTube.
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