KFC in Jamaica is like nowhere else in the world, as far as I know. It’s so recognised, so dominant, it has become a cultural icon — something distinctly Jamaican! It is my view that only the Almighty can come down and stop KFC sales.

During major crises on the island, whether natural or man-made, KFC always stands tall and strong, and demand never abates. It’s also said by travellers from many countries coming to Jamaica that we have the best-tasting KFC in the world! Barbeque chicken at KFC is something unique to Jamaica. I love barbecue!

I remember my father retelling a story about me as a young boy after one of the most devastating hurricanes ever to hit Jamaica, Hurricane Gilbert, in 1988. One of the first things I asked was if KFC was okay. Now you tell me! Now, as a father, it is fascinating, albeit not surprising, that one of the highest levels of reward my two sons can get (in their minds) is KFC.

Yesterday marked 50 years since KFC’s official opening in 1975 in Jamaica by franchise holders Restaurants of Jamaica, and KFC decided to pull off one of the craziest anniversary stunts. For every purchase of a Big Deal (3-piece combo), customers would get a free Meal Deal (two-piece combo). Everyone expected KFCs all across Jamaica to be jam-packed! During regular times and with no special promotions, KFCs across the island have consistent and heavy traffic, much less with such a crazy/good promotion!

Kudos to Andrei Roper and the KFC Jamaica marketing team for this excellent idea. I am sure they were more than confident and expecting exponential spikes in sales. However, what I don’t think they imagined is the level of creativity the campaign would spark from other brands, companies, and organisations piggybacking off the anniversary deal! It was a sight to behold! Competitors jumped in, government agencies jumped in, social and health awareness campaigns jumped in, and even the ruling political party, the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), couldn’t help themselves! It was great! Social media, as well as
WhatsApp groups reporting happenings and commenting on spin-off campaigns, were very alive.

It was confirmed yesterday that there are three major forces in Jamaica: the two major political parties — the JLP and the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP), and then Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC). It was touted that if a national election were called and KFC was on the ballots, people would put their X beside the head of Colonel Sanders! There is no other fast-food brand entrenched in Jamaica like KFC. My wife Francesca, who is doing her PhD on social media and Caribbean society, is going to have a field day with yesterday’s happenings for her ongoing research! This is now a case study for social media marketing.

The genius in this spin-off marketing is that every organisation that used the KFC anniversary deal/campaign to pivot to get customers away from KFC or to bring awareness to a cause was still, in effect, marketing KFC. I know KFC didn’t see all of this coming, but I still must give it credit for having the most impactful promotional campaign for at least the last 10-15 years. I might go as far as to say that this is the most impactful promotional campaign in the history of Jamaica! It had the shares, the likes, organic public relations (PR), non-stop conversations, islandwide reach, excitement in the Diaspora, brought traffic in places to a standstill, and most importantly, it had the sales. Wow!

I often lament how creatively underwhelming marketing-related initiatives are in this country, so the biggest gift KFC gave me was not the chicken, but inspiring creativity all across the island, in all sectors. People got creative to piggyback on the 50th-anniversary celebration. Again, this is one of the key reasons I am asserting that this is probably the most impactful promotional campaign in Jamaican marketing history.

Honourable mention and favourite of the day goes to BirdShack! For me, BirdShack orchestrated ambush marketing at its finest. Creative imagery, great message, solid call to action with a tangible benefit. Here is the message from its Instagram page:

“Congrats @kfcjamaica on your 50th year! We are proud to see the BirdShack style Brawta deal lives on in your celebrations. So as you celebrate, on Wednesday, June 18th, we know your lines will be inordinately long. To assist, we are guaranteeing all BirdShack in-store customers that any order that takes longer than 30 minutes will be FREE. Legacy takes time. BirdShack delivers now.”

BirdShack, which I have gone to once before (Red Hills Road), does have great branding, excellent customer service, and their chicken tastes good. KFC is the undisputed king, and I am a KFC lover myself, but BirdShack is something to look out for. They have the ingredients to carve out a nice little niche across Jamaica. Well done, BirdShack!

nicholas.mcdavid@gmail.com

The KFC team at the May Pen location (Restaurants of Jamaica Limited)

Nicholas McDavid