#10. KFC Double Down
Launched: July, 2010
Overview: KFC wanted to redefine the chicken sandwich so instead of adding something, they took something away: the bun. The KFS Double Down is a one-of-a-kind sandwich, which features two thick and juicy boneless white meat chicken filets, either Original Recipe or Grilled, two pieces of bacon, two melted slices of Monterey Jack and pepper jack cheese and of course the Colonel's Special Sauce. KFC says "It's so meaty, there's no room for a bun!"
They sort of reversed direction from the healthier grilled chicken products, KFC's Kentucky Grilled Chicken announced the previous year. Clearly they were appealing to the carb-conscious consumer because it's the first bunless burger-type food. They received some negative feedback from " The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine" a pro-vegetarian group. They thought Double Down was so dangerous they asked KFC to avoid marketing the sandwich to children and to keep ads for the sandwich from within 500 yards of schools. I have a feeling this only gave KFC more business because it intrigued people.
How did they do it?
They created a KFC Kentucky Grilled Chicken website with delicious photo of a Double Down Sandwich prominently displayed center page. They even put the nutritional information for calories, fat and sodium there as well. Surprisingly the sandwiches ranged from 460 to 540 calories, appealing to consumers in the "healthier eating trend".
No surprise that Social media was a key component in their success. KFC like many brands understands the power of Social Media in Food.
KFC was able to create enough spin and Internet buzz to get everyone talking about KFC without them really having to spend a whole lot of money. KFC did not create their own Facebook or Twitter efforts specifically for Double Down. Instead they received free publicity in an unusual way: their fans created their own highly entertaining twitter and facebook pages. KFC claims there is still a great deal of Facebook and Twitter buzz about the Double Down sandwich. KFC customers posted their videos of themselves eating the sandwich on sites like YouTube, and celebrities like Stephen Colbert gobbled it up.
The Bottom Line
KFC Key Sales Figures showed a the Double Down contributed to 5% of KFC's sales. They sold a whopping 10 million sandwich in the first 6 weeks. The power of Social Media in Food combined with the KFC brand was a 1,2 punch to success.
