Marketing Blogs

First it was the burger. Then the Big Mac. Then the Quarter Pounder. And now it is KFC’s Double Down. The fast food industry is ever expanding, with revenues reaching over $166.5 billion in 2006,and has revolutionized the way people think about food. No longer does the average consumer wish to sit down after work and enjoy a nutritional home cooked meal just like their “mother used to make,” rather choosing to pick up a quick meal-to-go at their local fast food establishment.  The latest evolution of the sandwich was released on April 12, 2010 by KFC and was dubbed the Double Down. This gourmet entree is not your stereotypical sandwich, rather using two chicken breasts as a bun with bacon, two different types of melted processed cheese, and the Colonel’s secret sauce to complete this meat monstrosity.

When most people consider buying food, one of their main prerogatives is whether or not it will taste good. Don’t get me wrong, deep frying anything usually makes it enjoyable, but there has to be some limit. In this case, I am sure it would taste fine, maybe even great, but does that really negate the health risks? One Double Down consists of 1,380 milligrams of sodium, and yes, that is the correct amount. How much sodium should an average person have in a day according to Health Canada? 1500. The question remains: how does a company like KFC have success with  a nutritional sandwich such as the Double Down?

Expressing one’s own opinion, whether promoting or slandering a product, is none the less marketing for the company. One cannot dispute that fact. In this particular case, the amount of publicity that this product has received is astonishing. Merely searching the words ” KFC Double Down” via Google produces 254,000 results. Seeing as how this product was only released in April of this year, this data would suggest that there are quite a few people voicing their opinions about this product. When I first heard of the Double Down, I thought that it must have been an April Fools’ Day joke (which was when it was first announced), and even after realizing that it was a legitimate product, I still found it difficult to fathom. I mean, before then who had ever thought of replacing the traditional bun with two fillets of chicken and then adding bacon, cheese, and sauce?  I would never have thought of making such a sandwich, but now that it has been created, I am definitely tempted to try it.

The promotion of bizarre products has a tendency to attract a lot of attention, and this has been no different. Just over a month into promoting their new sandwich nationwide, KFC had already sold 10 million Double Downs. Now this may not compare to regular burger or even Big Mac sales, however it is still quite an accomplishment. What made those people buy it? Surely not the nutritional benefits. Was it perhaps the allure of trying such an oddity, even among fast-food restaurants? I would say that this is closer to the truth. I believe that many people would be tempted to try this sandwich (regardless of their opinions on it) just for the sake of saying that they HAD tried it. Regardless of how much positive or negative publicity KFC has actually created themselves, they have definitely introduced a successful menu item. They have gotten the name out there, and hence, people are buying. Marketing has played a crucial role in the success of this product, and I believe that, regardless of the health benefits of a product, as long as it is promoted well (in terms of the quantity of opinions expressed)  then a product will achieve success, at least in the short term.