News

KFC tries to lure competitor employees with free sandwich

July 14, 2010

KFC is focusing on portable options as part of its turnaround plan and apparently hopes to leverage some of the buzz from its Double Down limited-time-offer sandwich for the new Doublicious.

The marketing efforts for the new sandwich, which features a boneless filet, Monterey Jack cheese, bacon and sauce on a sweet Hawaiian Bread bun, include trying to lure employees of competing quick-service chains to turn traitor. This campaign follows last week's open letter to the public inviting World Cup soccer fans to turn in their vuvuzelas for a coupon for a free sandwich.

The Sandwich Amnesty campaign offers a free Doublicious sandwich to the first 10 employees of a competitive fast food restaurant who visit participating KFC restaurants on July 20, for a total of up to 50,000 free sandwiches to employees who are interested in “two-timing” their employers for a free first taste.

Any employee of one of KFC's competitor restaurants can get a free Doublicious by being one of the first 10 competitor employees to visit their local KFC while wearing their work uniform on July 20. Two-timing employee tasters who try the Doublicious for free can also apply for Sandwich Amnesty (in the form of a KFC job application) should they lose their jobs for supporting the tasty new sandwich.

"KFC continues to generate buzz in the sandwich business by following up the Double Down with the Doublicious, a combination of sweet Hawaiian bread and savory boneless chicken," said Javier Benito, executive vice president of marketing and food innovation for KFC, in a news release. "In fact, this combination results in a signature sandwich that is so good, we are certain that even people who work for our competitors will want to secretly switch teams to enjoy one."

The Doublicious Combo includes Potato Wedges and a drink for just $5 (plus tax). The sandwich can also be purchased a la carte. Prices may vary by location.

The marketing efforts for the new sandwich don't require much investment from the company but may garner some attention as KFC hopes to draw attention to its portable options. Apparently the sandwich needs all the attention it can get. The company said Wednesday in its earnings call that the boneless filet offers a variety of possibilities for new product development, but sales of the buzz-worthy Double Down — which the company said hit the 10 million mark — were immaterial to the sales mix.