U.S. fast-food chain KFC - the world's second-largest restaurant chain by sales behind McDonald's - has decided to junk its "Finger Lickin' Good" slogan because it may be considered inappropriate during the continuing health crisis.
KFC said continuing to use its 64-year-old slogan simply "doesn't feel quite right." It said health officials had issued recommendations to the public to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus pandemic - which include not putting your fingers in your mouth.
The slogan no longer fits the current environment, KFC international chief marketing officer Catherine Tan-Gillespie said. She said that, aside from the slogan, nothing else would change in the company's operations and marketing. Tan-Gillespie said the company would reintroduce the tagline when the "time is right."
Marketing experts said the decision may be nothing more than a marketing campaign. How it has cleverly removed its slogan by blurring it on its billboards is creative and will likely attract a lot of attention, they said.
With razor-thin profit margins and competition, fast-food-chain operators have to utilize creative marketing to attract more customers. The spread of the pandemic has put pressure on these companies - with some choosing to shrink operations to reduce costs. In March, KFC's owner Yum! Brands, Inc. was forced to shut more than 7,000 of its 50,000 restaurants worldwide. Yum! Brands also owns fast-food chains Taco Bell and Pizza Hut.
Apart from closing down underperforming stores during the pandemic, Yum! Brands decided to close dining rooms across its different restaurant chains. The company encouraged customers to order food using its drive-thru or delivery services.
As of August most Yum! Brands restaurants have reopened - albeit with limited capacity. Recently KFC reported a recovery in sales with customers flocking to its restaurants to satisfy their cravings for its signature fried chicken.
