New Chick-fil-A Billboard Misses Chance to Connect

Posted: April 13th, 2009 | Author: GinnySkal | Filed under: Marketing, Social Media | Tags: Chick-fil-A, cow, Marketing |

Chick-fil-A has a lock down on cows in marketing. The chicken-only fast food chain started using cows to promote its brand back in 1995, when the company put up a billboard with cows painting the now-famous misspelled phrase: “EAT MOR CHIKIN.” Since then the billboard cows have turned 3-D and they continue to paint a variety of catchy, anti-chicken messages alongside roadways in America.

In North Carolina’s Triangle area, the billboards appear to be updated with some regularity, often changing to reflect different seasons or trends. The latest billboard we spotted is at I-440 and Hillsborough Street in Raleigh, and it may be the most clever yet. The billboard features a real toll-free phone number (1-866-613-COWS) and when you call it you get a light-hearted recording that features ringing phones, mooing cows and this message:

Chick-fil-A Billboard Recording from This Is Beautiful on Vimeo.

“You have reached the bovine chicken chat line, where you can chat with tons and tons of cows about chicken. All our cows are busy. While you’re waiting, why not get to know some of these fuzzy fans of chicken. Hefer 9672 is a twelve hundred pounder from Kentucky who likes long walks in the pastor, watching cars go by from poastor and eathing the pastor. She’s also an aspiring author, writing a book called “The Burgers of Wrath.”

Bull 5541 is a bull from Chicago, with a pierced nose and a nasty temper, but he loves people who eat chikcen and the good folks at Chick-fil-A who make the chicken. Bull 5541’s pet peeves are cow tipping and the color red — espcially when it’s meat.

All our cows are still busy please try calilng the bovine chat line later. The cows thank you for calling and for not eating burgers. This call made possible by Chick-fil-A. You may hang up and grab some chicken now.”

We think it’s cool that Chick-fil-A is trying to find a new way to reach potential customers. We’re sure a lot of curious drivers have dialed the number while cruising down the road (which raises the issue of safety … but we’ll leave that one untouched today), and they probably chuckled like we did when we heard the cute message. But the recording leaves you wanting more.

We wonder why Chick-fil-A didn’t use the recording as a way to generate fun feedback from its customers. Maybe the message could have ended by encouraging callers to leave a message of their own about Chick-fil-A. Sure, they probably would have to sift through a lot of fratboy humor to get to the few good nuggets (wokka, wokka!) that were recorded, but wouldn’t that be fun? Perhaps, Chick-fil-A could have encouraged callers to do their best cow impression and posted the variety of “moos” people recorded while driving down the road.

The toll-free number, while clever, is also a missed opportunity for Chick-fil-A to build its community and receive feedback from its fans. The restaurant already has a huge fan base, otherwise folks wouldn’t dress up like cows for free food or camp out overnight at new restaurant openings to win free Chick-fil-A for a year.

Chick-fil-A had a chance to engage its community. The chain was almost there. They posted a funny message that sticks to its cow-boasting brand. It may have been better, however, if they took it one step further and let its audience have a voice.

17 Comments on “New Chick-fil-A Billboard Misses Chance to Connect”

1

Benny Mac said at 9:32 pm on April 13th, 2009:

This makes want to go to Chick-Fil-A.

I think this has accomplished its task, by the mere fact that I want Chick-Fil-A. If I want to give the company feedback, I’ll give a store owner the business.
2

Michael Palko said at 9:42 pm on April 13th, 2009:

This is the first time I’ve seen the billboard and agree it’s a great idea. If I was Chick-Fil-A I would have added a coupon code at the end of the message that gave callers a free something-or-other. I would also be collecting the incoming phone numbers and occasionally send txt messages to callers telling of deals or offering more free stuff.

I agree they ALMOST hit the mark…
3

Camden said at 10:04 pm on April 13th, 2009:

Ha! So glad you captured this, as I have been driving by and wondering what the phone number led you to (and didn’t want to waste day time cell phone minutes to discover it, or wreck my car while driving by and trying to read the number). I completely agree that they could’ve taken it all to another level. Great blog post.
4

Steve B said at 12:49 am on April 14th, 2009:

I have an example perhaps relevant to your concept: that of Merge Records in Carrboro and a band they represent called The Arcade Fire. One of the films I saw at Full Frame Documentary Film Festival this year, Miroir Noir, was about the band’s extended tour in support of their album _Neon Bible_. Having posted on their website a number to call about the album with just the title, and then later a song or two to listen to, the film included several short contributions by fans to an answering machine connected to the telephone number. Several of the recordings speculated on the cryptic phrase “neon bible”, sometimes extensively. An impressive way to build advance interest.
5

GinnySkal said at 10:00 am on April 14th, 2009:

@Steve That’s a perfect example of the type of thing that works when you ask people to participate. Oh, and I absolutely dig Arcade Fire.
6

Meet Ginny Skalski » New Chick-fil-A billboard misses chance to connect said at 9:27 pm on April 16th, 2009:

[...] (originally published on ThatIsBeautiful.net) Chick-fil-A has a lock down on cows in marketing. The chicken-only fast food chain started using cows to promote its brand back in 1995, when the company put up a billboard with cows painting the now-famous misspelled phrase: “EAT MOR CHIKIN.” Since then the billboard cows have turned 3-D and they continue to paint a variety of catchy, anti-chicken messages alongside roadways in America. [...]
7

DSF said at 1:50 pm on May 7th, 2009:

This is so hilarious…I love those billboards. Unfortunately I have not had the pleasure of seeing this one yet in person. I think I might just go get me some chic-fil-a for lunch Great Post!
8

Kim Rheaume said at 9:11 am on May 11th, 2009:

I agree that this is a great marketing tactic, but there is also one major flaw. More and more people now have smartphones with the full qwerty keyboard. I no longer have the letters placed on my numbers as they normally correspond to earlier phones. I got so frustrated after going through the alphabet in my head a few times, that I just gave up. I think including the actual number is something a lot of companies are going to have to do in the near future. Trying to dial 1800 GET MORE is not going to be so convienent anymore…………
9

GinnySkal said at 10:19 am on May 11th, 2009:

Kim,
You are absolutely right! I am so frustrated that I have to try to do the phone alphabet in my head whenever I want to call a “word number”. Including the actual digits is so important in this smartphone age.

Do you feel like it’s a fail on behalf of phone designers to eliminate the letter from keyboard function or do you believe it’s a fail on behalf of marketers not to adjust to the times?
10

PatovefetaKit said at 8:57 pm on July 5th, 2009:

Hi everyone i am new to this. Just thought that i would say hello to everyone! dont really know what else to say. so bye
11

Addefdurekedo said at 5:47 pm on February 27th, 2010:

Hi There

i’ve just joined here and wanted to say hi to all of you!I really hope to give something back to this board…

Cheers
12

AtmobDop said at 12:45 pm on March 11th, 2010:

Unsure if its me mainly because I still just had virtually no time to upgrade so am still using IE 7 but while taking a look at this web page I actually seen some form of strange letters all over the web site, in case it is important I simply assumed I’d inform you about. It shows now this with loads of other stuff following it, similar to Notice: Cannot modify footer tag … and the like. It is actually a little weird because for me my own web page lil wayne music with standard ones such as for instance google and yahoo do show up free of problems.
13

nomoreaccidents said at 5:26 pm on April 20th, 2010:

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14

Foxnewbee said at 5:50 pm on May 15th, 2010:

Excuse me. Does someone understand how to find a smart Forex Expert Avisor from bad and a real trading signals from fraudulent? sorry for inconvinience
15

Appaptete said at 6:44 pm on July 22nd, 2010:

If you are an active parent that likes to jogging every day, but you have just had a child, then this article will give you some information into some of the things to consider when buying them, and finding the right jogging stroller reviews that will tell you what type of stroller is the better choice to buy. Here are a few things to take into consideration.

One of the first things to look at before you buy a stroller for jogging, is to check it for stability and strength. Check the wheels to make sure they are not wobbly or loose. The reason for this is because when jogging you are running at a faster pace than walking, and if a wheel comes off while in mid motion it may cause an accident they will injure you or your baby. So always check the wheels to make sure they are fastened properly.

Next thing to think about is how many children you have that are old enough to fit in these strollers. If you are a person who was lucky enough to give birth to twins there are strollers that are made just for you. There are some that have been made with two carrying seats that are available to hold more than one child. These are great especially if you have more than one baby.

Checking the straps is another good idea to ensure the babies safety. Inspect each strap that will be holding your baby in for tears or any other thing that may jeopardise the safety of your child. Straps should be strong, and not pull out from the strollers sides. Another thing is to check for handle height to make sure that they are at a comfortable level when jogging. If you are a taller person, adjustable ones are also available.

There are many different types, brands and styles to choose from, but if you want the best idea of which one to buy, why not look on the internet at reviews for these types of strollers. Reviews give you ideas as to which ones are the better quality and the safest.

So if you are looking to buy a new jogging stroller and you need to know more about them, then why not do some research so you can feel comfortable with what you are buying. You may just be able to find the right one at the right price.

http://www.i-am-pregnant.eu/finding-the-right-jogging-stroller-reviews.html
16

Appaptete said at 2:35 pm on July 24th, 2010:

Babies and children always get stains on their clothes. You wish to keep them happy and so, you will not blame them for the stains. On the other hand, the stains are really big troubles as they are so difficult to clean. Very often, you cannot remove all the stain with a machine wash. For some of the fabrics, you may use bleach to remove the stains. For delicate ones, you probably don’t. Also, bleach is no good for your babies and children, so you need other better ways to remove the food and beverage stains.

Tea stains on clothes are very common as we all like different kinds of tea. As tea is brown or dark brown in color, when it gets on clothes, it is really noticeable. If you are not able to remove the tea stain, I am not sure if you wish to wear those clothes again. Washing your clothes with hot water is the best and easiest way to remove the stain right after a tea spill. If you miss the right timing, you need other procedures. Mix water and salt into a highly concentrated salt solution. Soak you clothes for a while and then wash it.

Another common stain is coffee stain. Similar to tea stain, coffee stain can be removed with hot water right after the spill. Otherwise, you may apply a mixture of glycerin and egg yolk onto the stain. When it is dry, wash it with water. If the coffee is on a white shirt, you can wipe the stain with soda. As soda is slightly alkaline, you will find the stain disappears after a while.

Both adults and children love chewing gums. But, children easily get chewing gums stuck on their clothes. Though children’s’ clothes may not be expensive, you certainly do not wish to throw them away. What you need to do is to remove the chewing gum with a little knife from the clothes first. Then apply some egg white onto chewing gum stain to make it loose. Brush away the stain with a toothbrush. Finally wash the clothes with soapy water and rinse with water.

Now we come to solution for juice stain. As you may know, juice stains like grape juice and cherry juice stains are very difficult to remove. You may try one of my suggestions to see if it works on your juice stain. The first method is to sprinkle some table salt and add a few drops of water onto the stain. Wait for a while and wash it with soapy water. The second method is to use white vinegar to remove the stain. Simple add a little bit of white vinegar onto the stain. Wait for a while and then rinse with water. Final method is to use lemon juice instead of vinegar.

Stain removal is not difficult. But it is no good to get in touch with too many chemicals as most of them are harmful to us and our families. Therefore, you can notice many of the above stain removers are natural and edible. So, you are safe when removing your clothes stains.

http://www.i-am-pregnant.eu/how-to-remove-stains-on-clothes.html
17

Appaptete said at 6:18 pm on July 25th, 2010:

Toilet training can be a stressful time for both mother and baby, but cloth training pants help train your toddler without tears.

In fact, having said that, it is only in the developed nations that toilet training is frequently considered to be such a hair-raising issue and a subject fraught with debate from all angles; whether to use disposables or cloth nappies, how soon to begin toilet training, and whether to persist if the child appears resistant.

So let’s have a look at some of the reasons why cloth training pants are a better alternative when it comes times to begin potty training.

The decision whether to use cloth or disposable nappies is usually based on the family’s personal preferences and needs. Lifestyle, finances, the amount of available time and environmental concerns are only some of the reasons why parents opt for either disposables or cloth nappies or a mix of both.

Similarly, the decision about when is the right time to begin toilet training is also based on these plus a number of personal, social and cultural factors. Ironically, children raised in affluent, advanced Western cultures like Australia, the US and the UK where disposable nappies are considered to be the norm’, toilet training is often delayed until the child is 36 months or older.

However, in a vast number of cultures throughout Africa, South America and Eastern Europe, where disposable nappies are virtually non-existent, babies as young as 6 months are toilet trained. In fact, according to a study released by Contemporary Pediatrics, over 50% of the world’s children are toilet trained between 6 and 12 months
and 80% by 12 months to 24 months.

And the reason why? Because disposable nappies do their job, or the job their advertising slogans sell: they keep wetness away from baby.’ So it stands to reason -if a baby can’t feel when it’s wet because the disposable nappy soaks up the wetness, how is he going to learn what being wet means and what to do about it once he’s old enough to understand the concept of potty training?

Disposable training pants don’t make the process any easier either. They are designed to make it easier for both mother and child to get the pants on and off, but they still soak up the moisture, so any child who has worn disposable nappies since birth has no concept of what it means to be wet’.

And that’s wear cloth training pants come into their own. Although many mothers choose to insert a disposable liner in baby training pants, the liner is primarily designed
to capture solids rather than soak up liquids. As a consequence, from an early age, a baby who wears cloth nappies learns instinctively what a wet nappy feels like.

The mechanics of how a child learns to associate feeling wet with using the grown up’s toilet is way beyond the scope of this article, but it seems logical that there is a connection between a child’s perception of wet toddler training pants and her eventual realization that mummy is going to be very happy when she lets mummy know that she needs to use the potty.

In addition, cloth training pants may soak up a small amount of wetness, but they certainly won’t support the same amount disposable training pants will, so your child is going to start feeling distinctly uncomfortable if they try to get away with more than one accident’.

The important point for mums to remember is that accidents are only accidents and toilet training won’t be a fait accompli overnight. Toilet training requires patience, tolerance, acceptance, understanding, gentle words of comfort, forgiveness, a sense of humour, humility and the ability to just get over it – all those things a mother is good at!

http://www.i-am-pregnant.eu/cloth-training-pants-how-to-train-your-toddler-to-use-the-toilet-without-tears.html