“I’m hungry. What about Chick-fil-A?” someone asked.
“It’s Sunday. They’re closed,” everyone responded.
The odd hours, right? It’s a frustrating drive-thru meal planning problem that fil-A lovers suffer one day out of seven. To their chagrin, it’s not changing anytime soon. But to our delight, it has the fixin’s for a fascinating brand case study!
Despite forfeiting a coveted 24-hour sales period, in contrast to the likes of McDonald’s and Wendy’s, America’s favorite chicken franchise continues to inch closer from the third-largest fast-food chain to the top spot, held by its rivals already noted respectively.
So, why the Sunday thing? Quoting Chick-fil-A founder Truett Cathy, “Closing our business on Sunday, the Lord’s Day, is our way of honoring God and showing our loyalty to Him.”
You may agree or disagree with the rationale, but it seems that Chick-fil-A Communicreates℠ their brand with honesty and integrity by closing on Sundays. How?
• By prioritizing core values before fiscal value,
• expressing their core values through exceptional staff and service, and
• managing customer expectations, even on Sundays.
Communicreation℠ considers a person’s principles first—yours, your employee’s, and your customer’s.
The takeaway is nothing new; living your values, and meeting others there, reciprocates community. And these loyal communities are the provenance of stable and continued growth.
You can say all you want about the virtue of your brand, but until you’re ready to walk the talk, it’s either shut up or unopen up.
Don’t be chicken! Let’s chat about your brand.