Last Summer, Popeye’s, a famous fried chicken fast-food restaurant chain in the US launched a new product – a delicious fried chicken sandwich. After a quick exchange of tweets with rival Chick-Fil-A a massive and unexpected social media “battle” ensued (all in good fun). It triggered such a surge in sales in Popeye’s that their supplies ran out in two weeks, and they had to discontinue the product. I recently read some articles about it and learned lessons from the story. To read them click here and here.
Who are these People?
This event highlighted something that has been baffling market analysts for years. Chick Fil-A is now the fifth largest quick service chain in the US in total sales, outselling global competitors with twice the number of stores. In the middle of this chicken sandwich conversation, people also became aware of other aspects of Chick-Fil-A that are far more important than sandwiches. Here is what food consultant Kara Nielsen had to say.
“There's so many people now who have an understanding or a notion of what Chick-fil-A is, even if they never eat there or if they've never seen one.”
So What?
The reason Chick-Fil-A’s popularity has as much to do with their core values and their culture than with their delicious sandwiches. Here is what another food industry analyst had to say.
“Chick-fil-A scores high on authenticity. It has stuck to Christian roots by keeping stores closed on Sundays, for example.”
Leadership Lessons
Beyond being known for their sandwich, Chick-Fil-A did the amazing feat of bringing Christian values to the national conversation about chicken sandwiches, teaching us leadership lessons about building a value-based organization, whether it’s a church, charity, or a profitable business.
Never Compromise Values. It has been four decades since Truett Cathy decided to take his chicken sandwich to bigger markets. Neither the sandwich, nor their commitment to Biblical core values has changed. This consistency and integrity give the company its identity and influence. That is why they score high on “authenticity” with customers.
Think Long-term. I doubt Cathy imagined that his small restaurant chain would one day become a household name in America, but it is clear that they never traded long term vision for short term profits. Eventually, it paid off. The company’s annual sales range in the billions of dollars.
Invest in People. Chick-Fil-A is not hugely popular simply because of the quality of its food. Everyone recognizes that it’s because there is a company-wide culture of authentic servant leadership, from the top executives to the young people serving the counter.
Honor God. By identifying themselves with God and maintaining their integrity for so many years, they have built a reputation of integrity and now reap the harvest of their faithfulness – and I don’t mean in material wealth, but in a level if influence in our culture that is unprecedented of any business.
I heard that the Popeye chicken sandwich is delicious. I won’t be able to confirm it, since the product sold out a long time ago. The “war” is over, but the influence remains, and so do the lessons for those of us who don’t sell chicken sandwiches. It is possible to have a positive influence for God in society we remain true to Biblical values, invest for the long-term, value our people and our culture, and, above all, honor God with what we do and who we are.
Data and information are essential for knowing how effective your organization or ministry is, but knowing the right data to measure is the most important key to your success.