KFC is using the power of scent to drive people to its restaurants.
To plug the launch of its $2.99 Deal meals, the company rolled out a “scent-focused” pilot program offering free meals to office workers at three companies.
Mail clerks at Chemistry.com in Dallas, the Chicago headquarters of the Salvation Army and the Trade Association & Society Consultants in Washington, D.C. carried the meals along with the interoffice mail, bills and packages on carts passing office workers during pre-lunch runs. Workers who were enticed by the scent were given the $2.99 Deal meal, which included chicken, a side item and a biscuit.
“There is truly no better brand ambassador worldwide than the signature aroma of freshly prepared Kentucky Fried Chicken,” said James O’Reilly, KFC’s chief marketing officer, in a statement. “And we couldn’t think of a better way to showcase the value of our new $2.99 Deal than to inject the mouth-watering scent of Kentucky Fried Chicken into the corridors of corporate America.”
KFC gave away about 300 meals along with $5 gift checks as part of the weeklong promotion, which ended Tuesday.
The program was a test to see how corporate employees would react to the aroma of Kentucky Fried Chicken, said KFC spokesman Rick Maynard.
“It’s one of those things that if you smell it, you have to have it,” Maynard said. “We took the special delivery to other corporate offices to see if folks would have the same reaction, and they did.”
The goals behind the promotion were to raise awareness around the $2.99 Deal, as well as lure new customers to KFC restaurants.
An online game, through a partnership with American Greetings, at AmericanGreetings.com lets players catch their own KFC $2.99 Deals and other menu items.
And in a separate promotion, KFC is offering the chance to win $100 worth of KFC gift checks to people who share their own tales of finding a great deal, like a recent tale that talked about a bargain bridesmaid dress. Stories can be entered through Sept. 27 at KCF.com.
Entrants will receive $100 in KFC gift checks if their story is posted on the Web site. Online marketing supports the contest.
Weber Shandwick handled PR and KFC meal distribution for KFC.
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