Still clinging to the notion that fried chicken is good for you, KFC President Gregg Dedrick gives PR shoveled, canned answers in this USA Today interview. Responding to a question about the recent KFC commercial claiming fried chicken is healthy by comparing it to Burger King’s Whopper, Dedrick sticks by the health claims.
Q: When you claimed in TV spots that fried chicken could be part of a healthy diet, consumer groups and the FTC came after you. And some consumers laughed. If you had it to do over again, would you air the ads?
A: The ads communicated facts that were very relevant to our consumers. It was surprising news. Customers reacted favorably. Our sales were up 1% (for the month of November.) It elicited a number of inquiries from our customer hotline.
And it validated what people had been doing already – the idea of peeling the skin back from the chicken breast. The idea that people can eat fried chicken and have less fat than a Whopper was relevant to our customers.
Q: But weren’t you playing it fast and loose with the commercials? A tiny disclaimer at the bottom of the ad said that KFC chicken is not a low-fat, low-sodium, low-cholesterol food. You can’t have it both ways.
A: We don’t believe we were. We stated the facts as they exist. Our message was not intended to say that this was a health food – but that it’s better for you than you think. The campaign was a set of commercials that run three to four weeks. It went off as planned.
Telling the truth would have made for a better interview.
