ATLANTA - For the fourth consecutive year, Chick-fil-A is taking its competitors “to school” on nutrition and product quality with its annual fast- food products comparison campaign. Just in time for New Year's resolutions, this year's campaign, “Welkom to Chikin 101,” reminds Chick-fil-A's customers that its products are far better both in nutritional content and quality than its major competition.
“The Welkom to Chikin 101 campaign also capitalizes on the popularity of the Chick-fil-A “Eat Mor Chikin” Cows, one of our strongest marketing assets, to help show customers how much more nutritious our products are versus other quick-service restaurants,” said Steve Robinson, senior vice president of marketing for Chick-fil-A, Inc. “Traditionally, the January -- February nutrition campaign is our most successful campaign of the year with our customers and the most popular with our restaurant Operators. We feel that incorporating the renegade Cows helps teach the public what the Cows have known all along -- our chicken products are better for you.”
With nine items with less than nine grams of fat, and 14 items that stay within the U.S. government recommended daily level of less than 30 percent of calories from fat, Chick-fil-A's menu offerings have a clear advantage. For example, Burger King's Chicken Sandwich has 43 grams of fat and 710 calories, while Chick-fil-A's Chicken Deluxe Sandwich has only nine grams of fat and 300 calories. Arby's Grilled Chicken Deluxe, which has 20 grams of fat, falls far short of the Chick-fil-A Chargrilled Chicken Deluxe Sandwich, which has only three grams of fat.
“It's no secret that Chick-fil-A serves the most nutritious chicken products in the quick-service restaurant industry,” said Woody Faulk, vice president for brand management at Chick-fil-A. “We spend a lot of time to ensure our restaurants are serving consistent menu items, and that only the best part of the chicken is used.”
And, as consumers continue to prefer chicken over beef and other red meats, Chick-fil-A has enlisted its infamous “Cows” to help reinforce its nutritional message. The chain is incorporating the international-award- winning advertising theme of protesting cows, urging the public to “Eat Mor Chikin”, into its nutritional comparison campaign in 1999. The Cows aggressively compare Chick- fil-A's nutritional values with 31 chicken-based and burger products from other major chains -- including Wendy's, Burger King, Subway and McDonald's.
Through the end of February, Chick-fil-A customers will receive a “Welkom to Chikin 101” nutrition quiz card (no purchase necessary). Each scratch-off game card has a nutrition comparison question that pits the nutritional value of a Chick-fil-A product against a similar chicken or popular burger product of a leading competitor. If the customer chooses the correct multiple choice answer, he or she wins a free Chick-fil-A menu item. (Scratch-off game cards will not be available at licensed locations.)
There are 31 questions to illustrate Chick-fil-A's nutritional advantages. Among the queries are:
-- "How many Chick-fil-A Chargrilled Chicken Sandwiches could you eat to equal the fat in one Burger King Whopper?" (answer: 13 sandwiches)
-- "The McDonald's Crispy Chicken Deluxe has 25 grams of fat. How many grams of fat are there in a Chick-fil-A Chicken Deluxe Sandwich?" (answer: nine grams of fat)
-- "How many more fat grams does Wendy's Breaded Chicken Sandwich have than the Chick-fil-A Chicken Deluxe Sandwich?" (answer: nine grams of fat)
-- "A Subway six-inch Turkey Breast Sandwich has four grams of fat. How many grams of fat are there in a Chick-fil-A Chargrilled Chicken Sandwich?" (answer: three grams of fat)
Chick-fil-A's product superiority does not stop at nutritional content. The National Quality Survey, conducted by Marketing and Research Counselors, Inc., shows that customers continue to favor Chick-fil-A's product quality over the competition as well. For 31 consecutive National Quality Surveys conducted over the past 17 years, the original Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich, created nearly 40 years ago, has been rated the highest on overall quality. Chick-fil-A Nuggets, the Chargrilled Chicken Sandwich and Chick-fil-A Chick-n-Strips also have topped the survey's ratings since their introductions in 1982, 1989 and 1995, respectively.
A 1998 double-digit same-store sales increase for Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A also confirms customers' response to the nutritional and quality advantages of the Chick-fil-A menu.
Meat Industry Insights News Service
P.O. Box 553
Northport, NY 11768
Phone: 631-757-4010
Fax: 631-757-4060
E-mail: sflanagan@sprintmail.com
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