• For the Love of a Chicken Sandwich

    Posted on March 3rd, 2008 by and currently 22 commenting.

    A friend of Brains on Fire, Ryan Sworth, documented his weekend camp out, which just happened to be in the parking lot of a brand new Chick-fil-A in Fort Mill, SC. Ryan sacrificed his Wednesday, his health and a good night’s sleep to hang out with other Chick-fil-A fans for a night of dancing, DJs, 4-Square playing, an ice cream buffet and a guy named Dennis, who was there for his 20th Chick-fil-A grand opening.

    2300600982_0cbf532a7f1.jpgNo kidding.

    There are only a handful of brands that evoke this kind of loyalty. And let’s not forget the ‘new’ definition of loyalty (from Fred Reicheld) ” the willingness to make an investment or personal sacrifice to strengthen a personal relationship. Loyalty is not frequency. It’s not customer satisfaction. It’s sleeping on asphalt and partying with guys in cow costumes in the middle of South Carolina.

    What did Ryan get in return? A year’s supply of Chick-fil-A and, more importantly, a lifetime supply of stories to tell – not to mention a nearly unbreakable bond with a company he loves.

    (Well, I know where I’m going for lunch.)

  • http://brainsonfire.com Matty

    Well, I know who I am asking to take me out for dinner next time I see him!

  • http://www.thebrandbuilder.blogspot.com olivier

    People waste a whole weekend camping out in a strip mall parking lot for a year’s worth of free fast food?

  • http://brainsonfire.com Matty

    I don’t think it was a weekend, in fact it was a Wednesday. But, you have to think, for someone who loves Chick-fil-a, that is a YEAR’s worth of chicken!

  • http://brainsonfire.com Spike

    O, that’s the beauty of beloved brands, isn’t it? We see “waste” and they see getting time to strengthen bonds with kindred spirits and the company they love. It’s more than the “free.”

    Ever seen a Krispy Kreme store opening? Chaos.

  • http://www.biltmore.com Sherida

    Clearly I’m a fan because the idea of winning a year’s worth of Chick-fil-a makes me green with envy. If one opens near me, I’m definitely shaking out the tent.

  • Alva

    I hate to admit it, but this kind of thing really just makes me sad. This kind of loyalty to a fast food restaurant just strikes me as terrible.

    Though, if I look at it from a cost/benefit analysis, it looks fine. An overnight stay for a year’s worth of food is a fine investment.

    The guy who has been to 40 of them, though, just makes me sad.

    I’m not sure I could possibly name a brand I’m even remotely that loyal to.

  • http://www.biltmore.com Jean

    Okay, okay…I no longer want to “sleep out” in parking lots, et al, for bargains or tickets (been there, done that; it’s cold and the ground is hard), but I do love Chik-Fil-A and appreciate their product and their way of doing business.

    30% of fast-food weekly revenue is usually generated by Sunday sales, but Chik-Fil-A stands by their decision to remain closed.

    In my neck of the woods (and feel free to call that neck red if you choose), we refer to Chik-Fil-A as “Holy Ghost Chicken”, because it does seem unlikely that a plain chicken sandwich with just two pickles could be the foundation for a successful chain with such a loyal following.

    Whatever the reason, it works–and works well–for a lot of people. And they’ve probably still got the asphalt marks to show for their love of chik’n!

  • http://www.brandidentityguru.com/wordpress BIG Kahuna

    “Loyalty is not frequency. It’s not customer satisfaction. It’s sleeping on asphalt and partying with guys in cow costumes in the middle of South Carolina.”

    C’mon Spike get real.

    If a customer “frequently” buys from you they are loyal. If a customer is satisfied with you they are typically loyal.

    Fanatics are just that. Normal folks (I’m hoping that’s you, it’s certainly me) don’t sit outside for free freakin chicken.

    Just my opinion as a branding guy.

  • http://www.brainsonfire.com Spike

    Scott,

    Would you rather your customers be satisfied with you or fanatical about you? I don’t know about you, but I’ll take fanatical every day of the week and twice on Sunday. Think about it – how many companies strive for “customer satisfaction?” All of ‘em. It’s the PRICE OF ENTRY. People are satisfied with you when you don’t screw up. It’s the lowest rung on Ben McConnell and Jackie Huba’s (of Creating Customer Evangelists) loyalty ladder.

    Frequency gets you customers with punch cards that leave for the next, better deal when their punch card is full or your offer ends. Satisfaction doesn’t equal loyal in a million years.

    Take Burger King for example. They call their fanatics “super fans.” And they make up 25% of the King’s customers…but account for 50% of the King’s sales. So would you want to concentrate on getting more satisfied customers, or more super fans? (It doesn’t take that long to do the math.)

    And that’s all I have to say about that.

  • http://www.brandidentityguru.com/wordpress BIG Kahuna

    Yes except these fanatics make up a small tiny percentage of their overall business I’m sure. I’m not saying I don’t want these people, I do. You just have to be realsitic about it. But I’ll take repeat business and smile all the way to the bank.

    I know you’re passionate about what you do but the reality of it is you can’t always get people to love you no matter what you do. I’m sure 95% of their customers come (and I’ve never even heard of them) because their food tastes good or they do indeed get good, fast service.

    And Burger King’s been in trouble for years. Their branding is horrible and they play runner up all the time. What’s Burger King’s brand identity? Anyone know?

  • http://brainsonfire.com Spike

    Chick-fil-A sales grew 16% to $2.64 billion last year and has 1365 stores. You haven’t heard of them because they’re not in your part of the country.

    I’m not talking about getting people to love you. I’m talking about embracing those that ALREADY love you.

    Burger King has been in trouble? Burger King has posted 16 straight quarters of growth in same-store sales. Doesn’t sound like trouble to me. I think most companies would welcome that kind of “trouble.”

    Case closed.

  • http://www.brandidentityguru.com/wordpress BIG Kahuna

    Does case closed mean you’re taking your ball and going home?

    It’s good to have these types of fanatics but you made the statement that “Loyalty is not frequency. It’s not customer satisfaction. It’s sleeping on asphalt and partying with guys in cow costumes in the middle of South Carolina.”

    That is incorrect there are different levels of loyalty. I own an iPod but I don’t own a Mac. Am I less loyal to Apple? Will I sleep on the street and wait in line like a moron for a new iPhone…ah, no, I have some dignity. Does that make me less loyal? Not if I buy one. Fantaics are great and I love them but out of the 2.64 billion last year I’ll bet a very tiny percentage was those people.

    Case closed…

    Probably doesn’t work for me since you own the case closed button (your blog).

  • http://brainsonfire.com Spike

    Scott, I wrote in the original post what definition of loyalty I am referring to. Just because you buy a product from a company doesn’t mean you’re loyal to them.

    And if you think that passionate customers – loud and proud evangelists – are “morons” and don’t “have some dignity,” then I’m afraid you’ll never see the forest OR the trees.

    As I also stated before 25% of one major company’s customers account for 50% of their sales. I was wrong. I actually found that 13% of their customers make up 49% of their sales. And I’m positive that they are not the exception to any rule. So even if the “fanatics” of Chick-fil-A are a tiny percentage, I’m willing to bet that they make up a large chunk of their sales. On top of that, they create their own marketing messages (for free) and tell everyone who will listen how they should go and try their food (again, for free).

    Loyalty is NOT frequency. Frequency pretty much equates to convenience. And customer satisfaction is not loyalty, either. It’s a customer that likes you. Do you want to be liked? Or be loved. With a passion. Because loyalists love you. As in the original post, it is “the willingness to make an investment or personal sacrifice to strengthen a personal relationship.” THAT is true loyalty.

  • Anonymous

    If the ever elusive “iPhone killer” comes out, would you buy it? If yes (or if there is any kind of qualifier, like “only if it does this and that”), then you’re not loyal.

    The key here is, if a Zaxby’s or KFC opens up next to a Chick-Fil-A, these people would still go to Chick-Fil-A, because they are loyal. And that’s a very important group to recognize and love.

  • http://www.brandidentityguru.com/wordpress BIG Kahuna

    I think what you’re calling an evangelist is something I’m calling a fanatic in this case. Some people like to dress up like Darth Vador to see a Star Wars movie. I like Star Wars and I’m loyal but I sure as heck don’t dress up.

    Guess I’m not one of the evangelists then. But I’ve seen Star Wars about 1000 times and own every freakin DVD. Different levels of love is good. Anytime someone frequents your company they are being loyal.

    Ah, we agree to disagree yet again. Maybe someday one of us will say “hey I totally agree with you”.

  • http://thebrandbuilder.blogspot.com olivier blanchard

    Ooooo. Krispy Kreme! Now you’re talking.

  • http://thebrandbuilder.blogspot.com olivier blanchard

    Remember back in the 80′s, the dweebs who loved Michael Jackson soooo much they wore Michael Jackson jackets? (You know, the red ones with the padded shoulders and all the zippers?) Those guys were fans in need of dignity.

    Camping out outside the Apple store to spend $700 on an iPhone may seem a little nutty – especially since these fans probably don’t make CEO wages – but at least they’re getting an iPhone.

    I am not the type to camp out for days just to be among the first to get an iPhone or Star Wars movie tickets or a Chicken Sandwich or the new XBox or the new whatever. But I have to admire the all too rare company or artist who can generate THAT level of fanaticism in even a few dozen customers/users/fans.

    There’s definitely something pretty special to be learned there.

  • http://xybedublog.blogspot.com Christy

    Spike, do you notice that there are simply some personality types that won’t exhibit this type of behavior, no matter what the product? In other words, just because a segment of the population won’t sleep out in the parking lot for *anyone* doesn’t mean that there isn’t someone who will?

    Or, what moves me doesn’t move you.

    Better, trying to build a web site based on what *you* want, assuming that what you want is what everyone else wants.

    25% of BK’s customers generate 50% of their sales?? Wow! It’s obviously sustaining a healthy business, and ringing true for a good chunk of people. That sounds more like business success to me than being “it” for everyone.

  • http://www.catchyourlimit.com Jeff

    While were on Chick-Fil-A thought you might be interested in this. Perhaps it is part of what creates such brand enthusiasm

    http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/stories/2008/03/03/daily12.html?f=et64&ana=e_du

  • Jenny

    i like chick-fil-a, but the lack of grilled products annoys me…and the fact that everytime i order a chick-fil-a sandwich with the meat switched to grilled (not the chargrilled deluxe, but a regular sandwich with grilled meat) they never get it right.

  • http://www.brainsonfire.com Justine

    Sorry for not getting in this sooner. Because if you live anywhere in the south, chances are you know people who genuinely love chick-fil-a. Including me.

    Here’s a thought.

    The average tenure of a franchise owner within Chick-fil-a is 20 years.

    That says something in an industry where turnover is rampant. If you know anything about how they operate internally (everybody knows about the Sunday closed – but there’s a lot more), it makes you love the brand all the more.

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