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Popeyes' golden opportunity after Great 2019 Chicken Sandwich War

As the dust settles on The Great Chicken Sandwich War of 2019, the head-to-head battle between Popeyes and Chick-fil-A may end up going down as among the most contested QSR culinary debates of recent history. But in the aftermath, Popeyes is left with a golden opportunity to emotionally connect with consumers.

Photo: iStock

September 10, 2019

By Deb Gabor/Author and Sol Marketing founder

As the dust settles on The Great Chicken Sandwich War of 2019, the head-to-head battle between Popeyes and Chick-fil-A may end up going down as among the most contested QSR culinary debates of recent history. And for that you can thank the all-encompassing power of emotional branding on consumers, making this recent battle of the chicken sandwiches less about conquering sandwich lovers' taste buds and more a grab for customers' hearts and minds.

It's obvious that Popeyes targeted their limited-time chicken sandwich directly at Chick-fil-A. I'm relatively certain that no one — including Popeyes product development and marketing teams — ever expected the internet to completely lose its mind over the whole affair. But it's safe to say that the ensuing social media frenzy that erupted over Popeyes' sandwich happened because a sandwich is not, in fact, just a sandwich — a sandwich actually is the person eating it. 

The clothes people wear, what they drive, the movies they watch, the beer they drink and the fast food restaurants they patronize are all emblematic of who they are and most certainly what they value. And that became abundantly true during this most recent "beak-to-beak" social media storm. 

Chick-Fil-A's founding family's conservative values have caused many of their customers to develop a complex relationship with the brand's product as patrons attempt to reconcile the food they love with political views they often do not. So, what does it say about a customer when they choose to do business with Chick-fil-A? Boatloads of customers love the product, yet many don't feel especially good about that. Popeyes offered an alternative for consumers who would not or could not align their beliefs with those of Chick-fil-A's founders. 

In the restaurant marketing world, parallels can be drawn to the time last year when IHOP rebranded itself as IHOb. In the following days of the "rebrand," thousands of articles and social media posted about it. And consumers watched intently for what IHOP — the International House of Pancakes — was going to do. 

As excitement built, and the rebrand climaxed with the big reveal that IHOb was really just a quasi-rebranding to publicize the chain's new burger menu — as in International House of burgers. There was an overall sense of disappointment. 

The entire country was watching, but in this case, it didn't make a measurable impact on the brand. What IHOP failed to do was use that attention and turn it into a great opportunity to tell a larger story about the brand that could connect emotionally with consumers. 

Outside of the restaurant industry, an example comes from the recent history of Lamplight Farms, the owner of the makers of the so-called "Tiki Torch," Tiki Brands. Theirs is an example of a company that handled a situation steeped in emotion the right way. It happened two years ago, when out of nowhere and through no fault of Tiki Brands' own, the company's name was thrust into the middle of one of the most controversial political debates of 2017 when white nationalist protesters wielded their lit "Tiki" torches at the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. 

But, in this case, Tiki Brands took a potentially horrific brand crisis and turned it into an opportunity to tell the world who they are and what they stand for. By clearly stating what their brand values are, Tiki gave themselves a big boost and added to their long-term brand value. 

Where does Popeyes go from here?

It's estimated that Popeyes received more than $23 million in free advertising from the so-called "chicken wars," but they now have a real opportunity to take control of their brand identity. They have, as I like to say, the chance to "brand or be branded." This can be accomplished through two "next steps" by the brand. 

First, Popeyes should use this opportunity when a whole new cohort of people are paying attention to the brand — some for the first time — to tell a story about its identity by highlighting the chain's other product offerings, and most importantly, relaying "who" and "what" Popeyes is and what they stand for beyond the chicken.  

Second, the brand must focus on its "Ideal Customer" — that is, the most profitable and "best" customers as the brand and its data defines them. When companies aim their brand at their ideal customer, then communicate with that customer in ways that connect emotionally and are consistent with their brand identity, they create conditions of so-called "Irrational Loyalty." This is a kind of bond with the customer that will ultimately grow the brand's long-term value.  

So, with millions of eyes suddenly transfixed directly on Popeyes, in my view, the brand's single biggest mistake at this point would be to forego the opportunity to immediately capitalize on this situation. After all, branding is more than just a logo or a product. It's about building authentic relationships and experiences by telling a story. The responsibility of telling that story falls squarely on the brand itself. 

Deb Gabor is the author of "Irrational Loyalty: Building a Brand That Thrives in Turbulent Times" and founder of Sol Marketing, where she has led brand strategy engagements for organizations like Dell, Microsoft and NBC Universal.