Having already convinced the American public that their fat-laden deep-deep-fried chicken won't cause heart attacks, Kentucky Fried Chicken is now preparing a
campaign to assure us all that their "food" will not give us a case of the bird flu (registration required).
Amid rising fears of a bird flu pandemic, Kentucky Fried Chicken is preparing a consumer education plan to reassure customers that it's safe to eat chicken.
Executives from the chain's parent, Yum Brands, estimate sales could drop 10% to 20% in the U.S. based on its experience in China. They recently revealed their contingency plan to a small group of analysts and investors. The program is spearheaded by Yum Senior VP-Public Relations Jonathan Blum and includes TV advertising to educate consumers that eating cooked chicken is perfectly safe.
"We, like others, are watching this closely and have been developing contingency plans which we hope we won't have to use," the company said in a statement. "The World Health Organization has been clear that you can't get the flu from cooked chicken, which is perfectly safe to eat."
This is frightening when you think about it.
Since chicken is a $50 billion retail business in this country -- each American will eat 90 pounds this year -- leading industry associations are also preparing educational efforts about poultry handling.
The chicken is losing its popularity.
Larry Miller, restaurant analyst with Prudential Equity Group, said in a recent investors note that chicken demand is slipping 20% to 40% in parts of Europe and China on avian flu fears. In Guantang, Shanghai's largest poultry wholesale market, sales have dropped by as much as 80%.
Never fear, the National Chicken Coucil is on the job, they even have a web site.
The National Chicken Council has set up a Web site to address consumer concerns (avianinfluenzainfo.com) but has not taken other steps. "To date, we have not had any indications of great consumer concern about this," said Richard Lobb, communications director. "American consumers are not usually inclined to panic. They know the chicken they eat is not a hazard. It's pretty premature to put up posters saying your chicken is safe."
Get ready for PSA's telling you, "Enjoy the deep fried goodness".
Public-relations agency Edelman's crisis communications team is in the early stages of developing contingency programs for clients who may need advice on avian flu.
"We're building on our experience with SARS and watching what's happening, reassuring people and being ready to help clients get ready for this," said Mike Seymour, global director-issues and crisis management. "The best thing to do is to have a plan in place ahead of it. With the research we've done, there are lot of [marketers] realizing the need to get geared up for this."
What's ironic is that, even during a pandemic, people will still much more likely die from a heart attack than any flu after eating this stuff. But then, maybe a good scare will make people think twice before visiting the Colonel.
