#ChickenWars: Y’all Capitalizing?

As your’e reading this, #ChickenWars is delivering the ultimate marketing fantasy.

Imagine that your brand is being seen and talked about by hundreds of thousands of people. And that this social talk/exposure has not just raised awareness of your product but it has simultaneously and instantaneously resulted in a dramatic spike in your product’s consumption.

And – wait for it – you haven’t spent a penny in marketing money to make this happen.

It’s Clucking Incredible

The “chicken (sandwich) war” has erupted on social media and grabbed mass attention in a “Gangnam Style” sort of way.

While Chick-fil-A and Popeyes are the main event, Wendy’s and even Boston Market have jumped in the ring.

And why not?  Look at the engagement on Popeyes “…y’all good?” tweet.

And this was before things got crazy.

The Scoreboard

If you’re keeping score in #ChickenWars, Adweek marks it as a win for Popeyes.  They note that Popeyes is getting massive attention to the degree that the brand is now a significant social competitor to (and even winner against?) fast food giants who have significantly larger audiences, marketing budgets, and top of mind.

Ink.com gives props to all combatants saying, “…it’s a brilliant move for the chains to attack each other like this on social media. It’s like pro wrestling for restaurants — a made-up, choreographed fight that people can’t seem to stop watching.”

Why Radio Should Care

Radio should be particularly interested in #ChickenWars because debating “Who has the best chicken sandwich?” isn’t too far removed from debating “Who has the best radio station?”

Choosing what you’ll listen to today is based on personal and often subjective decisions. “Who plays the “best music,” the “most music,” has the “most entertaining morning show,” “makes me feel good when I listen,” “has DJ’s that I can relate to/sound like my friends?”

It’s radio’s version of “who has the crunchiest/spiciest/tastiest/biggest” chicken sandwich. 

There’s a lot of subjectivity here of course. But listener subjectivity absolutely plays a role in both radio programming and sales – and ultimately in ratings and revenue.

#ChickenWars Actions

We shared with our partner stations twelve #ChickenWars actions and strategies for right this minute as well for future social explosions. Here are five:

1. Strategic, well-planned social is a powerful tool. Note the emphasis on strategic and well-planned. #ChickenWars commands attention with story arcs served up with generous portions of timely and snappy humor. The big players have a plan before jumping in. You need one too.
2. Be proactive. Troll social for opportunities where you can be a logical part of the conversation. Quick action (think hours not days) is critical. Always being “mentally in the moment” is a huge help. It increases your ability to find conversations you can participate in.It also enhances your relatability, marks you as a thought leader, and bumps up your top of mind.
3. Finding a moment where you can be in the social media spotlight is a rare gift so make the most of it. Take every opportunity to engage because engaging with listeners is your number one goal.
4. Make every new interaction better than the last in a way that increases engagement and advances the topic. This is especially when parrying a competitor.
5. If you jump in, be prepared to defend yourself. Have a response plan for any competitor attacking a weakness or position. And in this too, a rapid response is critical.

#ChickenWars is an evolving story arc that’s both addictive and shareable. It’s a conversation that is happening on and offline right now.

You need to jump in. Don’t wait.

And don’t chicken out.

Photo Credit: I snapped this at a Florida Popeyes. Yes the cars waiting in the drive through wrapped around the building. It took 15 minutes to get my sandwich (spicy) because of the demand. And yes (YES!!) it was worth it. A near religious experience I might add.

Related:

Shark Week: A “Finny” Thing Happened on the Way to the Marketing and Promotions Meeting

It Only Takes Two Things to Be In the Moment

Being In Sync: Taking Advantage of Things that Bring Us Together