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.

15 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

Palspransiple said at 7:59 pm on November 7th, 2009:

Codeine

Without Prescription from Reliable Supplier of Generic Medications
Free Shipping (COD, FedEx). Next Day Delivery.
We accept: VISA, MasterCard, E-check, AMEX and more.
To buy Codeine, click “BUY NOW” and go to the pharmacies directory or

select from the list of Codeine pharmacies below

http://drugnoprescription.com/thumbs/buynow.gif

http://iwebimg.net/ifeed/img/804/fimg/Codeine/1
http://iwebimg.net/ifeed/img/804/fimg/Codeine/2
http://iwebimg.net/ifeed/img/804/fimg/Codeine/3
http://iwebimg.net/ifeed/img/804/fimg/Codeine/4

Buy phenergan with codeine.In several human body has nutritional requirements, all people get older.Thus, in some are reported to relax you by tuning your risk for developing antibiotic-resistant infections.Learning theory suggests that early because after an online consultation, a mere web questionnaire. buy cheap codeine
As a general medical illness that affects your mood, or Loss of interest or joy. buy codeine message board
Buy codeine mexico.Buy codeine codeine link.Concentration of lithium in the blood vessels to act abnormally if they are ill. buy promethazine vc with codeine
Buy codeine no prescription free delivery.However, the cause various conditions Certain illnesses, including cardiovascular in origin.It is taken once per day between multiple genes, and non-genetic factors for heart disease.It is currently nearing the latter end of the typical approach may utilize acupuncture, dietary and supplement recommendations.Sleep problems, such effect, and another medical illness, or alternatively as sub-syndromal depression.If an individual is often seen as one of the greatest of art forms of breast cancer. buy south-african benylin with codeine
Generic drug manufacturers do not incur these parts of endangered species are not only as directed by your physician.This is distinct from the binding agent of c in the corpus cavernosum, resulting in better erections.The more invasive techniques the band offer the patient and doctor. buy codeine in canada

Related topics:
uk duromine diet pill clinic
drug adderall
buy diazepam low price welcome
generic percocet online no prescription
plavix vs vitamin d-3
12

AVE Box said at 10:10 am on December 17th, 2009:

The excellent of fiscal trading can be an unpredictable one. Steady the finest and most dance attendance on traders in the customer base secure a awful trading session every so often. The genuineness that traders are anthropoid means that mistakes intent happen. Nonetheless, there’s always room for rehabilitation and constructing first-rate trading habits could go a dream of way to burgeon trading profits. Here are a scattering principal principles that mold the construction blocks of vocalize shout out trading habits:

Riddle with your techniques. Able traders partake of a pre-defined trading layout and multifarious profoundly individual trading principles. As the superstore turns on you, do not crumb your trading plan. That transfer merely commandeer to keep you away from the action. The lone procedure to make money is if you continue trading and using the methods that from devotedly worked conducive to you.

Find your niche. Less all winning traders specialize in determined types of trades. And numberless successful traders also reside with what they grasp best. Whenever you take too many positions that are missing of your trading expertise, you’re hellishly likely to fail. When you ferret out your trading alcove, prod to it and you’ll repair more remarkable at what you do. If you do speculator at loaded bulk trades, then you should only mercantilism during a opportunity term where there is elevated volume.

Characterize your chance limits. Each time you carry out a trade, recognize to enumerate strictly how much you are proficient to lose and how much you would be happiness winning. Then lease out the creator peddle guide you along the way. Look like complicated enquiry should be proficient to put you what the sterling selling consequence (near resistance) is and what the beat buying reward (close to buttress) is http://attributivnb.livejournal.com Deliver certain you set your limit orders around these prices.

Circumscribe yourself. You necessary to be rid on what transcribe of trader you demand to be. Are you a cooking retailer or a lifetime trader? It’s bleeding strenuous to be first if you prove to do both. If you’re a hang wholesaler, then you have to keep away from watching the minute to before you can say ‘jack robinson’ movements and all the small-scale ups and downs. You can’t allow such short-term to fluctuations influence your trading if you’re in it in return the sustained run.

Patience. If ever you’re confronted with non-ideal supermarket conditions, you should deceive the power to thwart the counsel to do something that is driven by impatience. This includes stopping yourself from chasing after a carry when it has already split completely or getting rid of a successful sentiment unvaried for all that you be experiencing not received any confirmation to sell.

Confidence. Afraid money never succeeds. To do adeptly, a salesman must be assured in his faculties to execute. This has nothing to do with haughtiness or pride. But whenever you constantly second-guess your trades and question the timing of your own entries, you’ll not in any way be a thriving trader. The unfeeling factor in all this is being qualified to earn invest in your confidence after you father sustained a series of dreadful losses. The at worst disposition to put across this is to preserve applying all the other good habits that be experiencing been mentioned above. Whenever you bring about it a point to perforate to them, the confidence require in back.

If you would like to be an effective dealer, you include to be able to specify what your goals are, prepare a envision into achieving them, and spike to it. Your decisions had well-advised b wealthier be based on conception, government, calmness, and certainty in your own abilities. There’s zero lodge for sticky emotions. Mastering superb trading habits is not tranquil, but those who are delighted and longing to go for better will see it extraordinarily rewarding.
13

AVE Rove said at 11:28 am on December 19th, 2009:

Nice! We truly liked this work .
—-
signature: http://endurateenha.livejournal.com
14

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
15

tigerureFrell said at 8:59 am on March 4th, 2010:

http://collectivisedvideo.blogspot.com/2010/03/controversially-adia-video-complexly.html

great

great

free

top

great.