The impact of Chick-fil-A's recent stance and their reputation

1. Chick-fil-A 3 - 6 August
Case Study: What
happens when fast food
brands get involved in
politics.
Danielle Roe, Analyst

2. Contents
 Formalities
 Background
 Where did conversations take place
 Statistics
 Audience
 What was said
 Unintended effects
 Conclusion
 Insight
 More information

3. Formalities
This case study is based on a sample of English comments regarding the brand
Chick-fil-A gathered from the 3rd to the 6th of August, via the saidWot
application.
All opinions in this case study are the opinions of online users, and not saidWot.
If you find this case study interesting, consider the possibilities that our
application can offer you or your brand.
Contact us at:
www.saidwot.com|infosa@saidwot.com

4. Background
Chick-fil-A is an American fast food franchise which specializes in chicken meals.
The chain store is well-known for aligning itself with traditional Christian values.
One of the ways in which they demonstrate their commitment to their beliefs is by not
doing business on the Christian Sabbath, Sunday.

5. Background
The company has recently been the focus of the media eye due to comments regarding
same-sex marriage made by the company CEO, Dan Cathy:
“We are very much supportive of the family – the
biblical definition of the family unit. We are a
family owned business, a family led business, and
we are married to our first wives. We give God
thanks for that.”
His statement sparked a nation wide response from those who support as well as oppose
same-sex marriage.

6. Background
Mike Huckabee declared Wednesday, the 1st of August, National Chick-fil-A Appreciation
Day and urged those who share the restaurant’s philosophy to support their business.
The company recorded all time record sales on National Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day.
Approximately 735,300 consumers showed up at stores in support. Supporters posted
their affiliation, as well as menu choices online. Social media platforms were soon buzzing
with comments from around the world.

7. Background
Supporters of same-sex marriage responded by naming Friday, the 3rd of August, National
Same-sex Kiss Day. Where they would gather in front of Chick-fil-A restaurants and engage
in as well as encourage public displays of affection between same-sex couples. However,
their protest wasn’t as well attended as the Appreciation day.
The supporters of same-sex marriage argued that they were not against Dan Cathy’s
comments and acknowledged that under the American constitution he had the freedom of
speech to say what he believed. They were protesting the fact that his organization
donated millions of dollars to “anti-gay hate groups” and also that he would not meet with
those he spoke out against to continue the conversation.

8. Background
Because Chick-fil-A was one of the sponsors for the Olympic broadcasts in the USA, many of
the mentions included the Olympics. And somewhere along the road the issues got a bit
mixed up.

9. Where did the conversation take place
Twitter Facebook
11.76%
82.52%
FriendFeed
5.72%
Social Media: 100%

10. Statistics
Of 2 177 mentions:
 686 were positive
 746 were neutral
 745 were negative
Positive mentions were mostly related to people who posted when they
ate at Chick-fil-A or product offerings consumers enjoy (lemonade, sandwiches).
Neutral mentions were mostly trending topic round-ups or headline
updates.
Negative mentions were mostly related to protestors, animal
cruelty, product offerings (taste) or gay rights activists.
Many negative mentions were also attributed to people who were against the
issue entirely and felt that it distracted the public from the important issues.
Others were just annoyed by the hype and hysteria.

11. Statistics
Keywords used:
• #Chick-fil-A
• #ChickfilA
• #KFC
• #Olympics
• #noh8
• #hatechicken
• #theirfoodwasnevergoodanyway
• #antigaymarriage
• #yum
• #gaychicken
• #SupportChickfilA
• #hungerstrike
• #sorryihavenomorals
• #WaronChicken
• #neutral
• #ButReallyStopItsJustChicken
• @ChickfilA

12. Audience
Mentions poured in from across the globe, however most were from the USA.
The gender demographic division: mentions from females leading by only 12%
(relatively equal split)

13. What was said?

14. What was said?
Some opportunists just tapped
into the hype to promote their
own unrelated ventures.

15. Unintended effects.
Other fast food brands who were not directly involved also received a lot of attention.
 The majority of these comments were directed at KFC, and suggested the
restaurant as an alternative for those who chose not to support Chick-fil-A. A
KFC spoof advert “KFC loves Gays” also resulted in high volume reposting on
various platforms.
KFC was mentioned 679 times
 McDonalds was mentioned mostly in humorous mentions because of their Olympic
sponsorship.
McDonalds was mentioned 129 times

16. Conclusion
It is easy to assume that since Chick-fil-A showed record
breaking sales their brand benefitted from making public
statements regarding political issues.
Such an assumption would be a mistake.
Their brand has now been associated with this issue, and will
remain so in the minds of consumers for a very long time; long
after the hype has died down, and people stopped going there to
prove a point.

17. Conclusion
Chik-fil-A alienated an entire segment of their market. Being associated with traditional
family values can be a healthy positioning. Since unconventional families may practice
traditional values as well, and enjoy supporting businesses who align themselves
accordingly.
Others might not care but simply enjoy the food they serve.
Now consumers have been placed in a
space where choosing to eat at the
restaurant or not automatically aligns
themselves with one side or the other.

18. Conclusion
Chick-fil-A ‘s new positioning excludes not
only same-sex couples, but perhaps also
their family and friends, as well as liberal
Christians. As a result, people might feel
guilty for inadvertently contributing to a
cause they did not wish to.
Even if they were aware of the brand’s
affiliations, they were able to simply
enjoy the offerings without being grouped
in a camp. However, dining or not dining at
Chick-fil-A is making a certain statement. A
position that might just make people feel
uncomfortable, no matter their personal
affiliations.

19. Insight
The point is:
Fast food is all about “Easy”
“easy experience”
If it is no longer an to eat at a particular
fast food franchise/chain consumers will rather frequent another.
If going to McDonalds suddenly proclaimed your stance on abortion, the
death penalty, inter-racial couples or the legalization of marijuana, it
becomes a complex decision. It becomes a personal decision that a
consumer might not even have worked out for himself.

20. Insight

21. More Information