Cal Brock
Dr. Joe Spencer
MKT 331-FT1
March 31, 2021
Marketing Blog Paper 3
“How KFC shook off its ‘fading old man’ image”
by Manny Pham, March 23, 2021
The fast-food giant KFC admitted to falling behind with consumer trends which
ultimately led to a loss in brand relevance. According CMO Meghan Farren, “KFC had become a
fading old man brand stuck in the past that was too tired and lazy to change.” In order to make
sense of where the problem in branding occurred, KFC reached to experts to understand new
codes and semiotics of food. CMO Farren discovered that there was a new food culture that
valued “fresh ingredients, convenience, company values and personal health.” After the harsh
criticism, the brand got to work to create a more modern brand that adopted “new practices to
drive consumer convenience, improve ingredients and shake off negative connotations
associated with KFC.” One concern the brand had was the false perception that chicken from
KFC was fresh, so therefore KFC decided to invite 2400 influencers, journalists, and customers
into many KFC kitchens to see how the chicken was prepared and sold to customers. In the end,
KFC saw a very positive change in consumer demand and in turn grew in market share in terms
of value and visits.
KFC experienced a decrease in brand equity, which resulted in low market value in
