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KFC to Use Hydrants to Market Hot Wings
BRUCE SCHREINER and EMILY FREDRIX
Associated Press Writers
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Fast-food chain KFC is giving two Indiana cities $7,500 so it can emblazon founder Colonel Sanders' face on their hydrants and fire extinguishers to promote new "fiery" chicken wings.
Experts say to expect more ads like this, on public property from sewer grates to the local landfill, as companies look to cut through the clutter of traditional advertising. Cash-strapped governments have long sold space on mass transit, benches, trash cans and other public property to help stretch budgets.
KFC told Indianapolis and nearby Brazil, Ind., it wanted to improve their fire safety by helping pay for new hydrants and extinguishers in exchange for advertising on them. The company plans to e-mail a national network of mayors on Wednesday to find three more cities to participate in the approximately $15,000, monthlong effort, which began Tuesday.
Alternative marketing efforts like this have been growing as people become immune to advertising in print, outdoors and on television, said Allen Adamson, managing director of branding firm Landor Associates in New York.
"I think it's the tip of an iceberg of things to come as marketers struggle to find places to reach consumers and as cities look for ways to squeeze more dollars," Adamson said.
Laura Ries, president of marketing consulting firm Ries & Ries outside Atlanta, said marketers must find new places to reach consumers.
"People ignore advertising, they try to get away from it whenever possible," she said. "So hitting them in unusual and unlikely places, at least initially, is likely to get some attention."
KFC, whose parent company, Yum Brands Inc., is one of the nation's largest fast-food chain owners, wants customers to see it as helping communities, said Javier Benito, a KFC executive vice president.
It spent about $16,000 last year to help fix potholes in four cities _ Topeka, Kan., Chattanooga, Tenn., Warren, Ohio, and Louisville, Ky., where it is based. In return, more than 1,500 potholes were branded "Re-Freshed by KFC" in chalk that lasted about a month.
"These are things that not a lot of people are doing. I think it helps us in terms of creating goodwill with consumers," Benito said.
KFC approached city officials in 8,600-resident Brazil after a local newspaper reported that dozens of hydrants were out of service. Mayor Ann Bradshaw, who said her city's budget situation "hasn't been very good," had no qualms accepting the deal.
The chain will give the city $2,500 so it can put its logo and actual chicken buckets on at least three city fire hydrants, including one each near the courthouse, the post office and a VFW post. Bradshaw said the city intends to use the money to repair hydrants or purchase one; they run about $2,500 apiece.
She's open to more such arrangements.
"I'm willing to jump on board," she said. "I think KFC is out there starting the ball rolling."
Indianapolis will receive $5,000 to buy fire extinguishers and smoke detectors. Some 33 extinguishers will be placed in recreation centers at city parks, and fire officials will hand out the detectors, said Jen Pittman, spokeswoman for Mayor Greg Ballard. The extinguishers will display KFC's logo for at least a month, a KFC official said.
"It's offsetting a need, it's offsetting some of our budget costs," Pittman said.
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AP marketing writer Emily Fredrix reported from Milwaukee.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Associated Press Writers
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Fast-food chain KFC is giving two Indiana cities $7,500 so it can emblazon founder Colonel Sanders' face on their hydrants and fire extinguishers to promote new "fiery" chicken wings.
KFC told Indianapolis and nearby Brazil, Ind., it wanted to improve their fire safety by helping pay for new hydrants and extinguishers in exchange for advertising on them. The company plans to e-mail a national network of mayors on Wednesday to find three more cities to participate in the approximately $15,000, monthlong effort, which began Tuesday.
Alternative marketing efforts like this have been growing as people become immune to advertising in print, outdoors and on television, said Allen Adamson, managing director of branding firm Landor Associates in New York.
"I think it's the tip of an iceberg of things to come as marketers struggle to find places to reach consumers and as cities look for ways to squeeze more dollars," Adamson said.
Laura Ries, president of marketing consulting firm Ries & Ries outside Atlanta, said marketers must find new places to reach consumers.
"People ignore advertising, they try to get away from it whenever possible," she said. "So hitting them in unusual and unlikely places, at least initially, is likely to get some attention."
KFC, whose parent company, Yum Brands Inc., is one of the nation's largest fast-food chain owners, wants customers to see it as helping communities, said Javier Benito, a KFC executive vice president.
It spent about $16,000 last year to help fix potholes in four cities _ Topeka, Kan., Chattanooga, Tenn., Warren, Ohio, and Louisville, Ky., where it is based. In return, more than 1,500 potholes were branded "Re-Freshed by KFC" in chalk that lasted about a month.
"These are things that not a lot of people are doing. I think it helps us in terms of creating goodwill with consumers," Benito said.
KFC approached city officials in 8,600-resident Brazil after a local newspaper reported that dozens of hydrants were out of service. Mayor Ann Bradshaw, who said her city's budget situation "hasn't been very good," had no qualms accepting the deal.
The chain will give the city $2,500 so it can put its logo and actual chicken buckets on at least three city fire hydrants, including one each near the courthouse, the post office and a VFW post. Bradshaw said the city intends to use the money to repair hydrants or purchase one; they run about $2,500 apiece.
She's open to more such arrangements.
"I'm willing to jump on board," she said. "I think KFC is out there starting the ball rolling."
Indianapolis will receive $5,000 to buy fire extinguishers and smoke detectors. Some 33 extinguishers will be placed in recreation centers at city parks, and fire officials will hand out the detectors, said Jen Pittman, spokeswoman for Mayor Greg Ballard. The extinguishers will display KFC's logo for at least a month, a KFC official said.
"It's offsetting a need, it's offsetting some of our budget costs," Pittman said.
___
AP marketing writer Emily Fredrix reported from Milwaukee.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Duane P. McCall AEMT on
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The biggest killer of firefighters today is heart disease and heart attacks. Great idea to advertise fast food on fire equipment. Maybe the cops can advertise armor piercing bullets on their crusiers.
Plus how long do you think it will take the mayors of these cities to find places, other than the fire departments, to allocate the advertising money.
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Permalink Reply by Greenman on
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Duane,
We live in a free society where people can make their own decisions about what they eat. As any Nutritionist will tell you, "there's no such thing as a 'bad food.'" All things in moderation.
While KFC is not the healthiest choice in diet, it is a legal product which doesn't harm anyone except the person who bases their diet on The Colonel.
Cities which don't think KFC is a good fit to advertise on their property could use this idea to work with other companies for advertising space on city property. For example, a City fire department could save money by eliminating gyms in the firehouse, but work a deal with a local Gym for free use of the gym by Firefighters and in return the gym gets their logo on the the apparatus whose personnel use that gym. Savannah, GA contracts with several local gyms and each company is required to spend an hour doing PT each shift at a gym in the response area, so it's common to see an Engine or a Truck parked at "24-Seven," or "FitFocus" or any of the other gyms the department contracts with, which means the department doesn't have to purchase and maintain it's own gym equipment...now take it one step further and negotiate a price reduction for the department if they allow the various gyms to place their logo on the side of the apparatus which use their gym, perhaps a 200 square inch area (14" x 14" or so) on the rear side compartment on each side.
I guess what I'm saying is this is an idea with potential and it is what you make of it.
Greenman
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Probably not a tax deduction since they are paying for advertising space, and not simply giving money to the city, but I'm sure the city's attorney checked of the specifics prior to the city entering into any kind of contract with any advertiser they sell space to.
Greenman
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Oh yeah...
If Drug Dealers can sponsor new Sheriff's Deputy cruisers, then why can't local business sponsor a fire Engine?
The County Sheriff cruisers here have "This vehicle purchased with seized drug money" on the back window of the vehicles purchased under that program.
Why not, "this Fire equipment provided by the following sponsors: KFC, Food4Less, WalMart, Gold's Gym, Bobby Lee's Ford, and etc....?"
When I was a kid, the fire district "Sold" sponsorship of Blue Dots to mark Fire Hydrant locations to local citizens and business in order to pay for the reflective markers the district was mandated to install. Some communities allow Hydrants to be "decorated" ( http://www.firehydrant.org/pictures/southbend-decorated.html ), coincidentally the link is to a city in Indiana, where the KFC hydrants in the story are located. If the practice of decorating hydrants aldreay exists, why not sell the "decorating rights" to help pay for needed services? At least the KFC hydrants will all look similar.
Greenman
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Permalink Reply by Steven Fox on
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I can just imiagin it now,
Perp-"Excuse me officer, what's the number on the side of the car?"
Ofc-"9-1-1"
Perp-"No, the other one."
Ofc-"Damn it, 1-800-IAM-OUT1"
I think I would fall over dead from laughing to hard.
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Permalink Reply by Chris on
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I think this is hillarious. As long as it is in moderation and doesnt effect the vehicles operation and safety awareness it is a good way for needed revenue...it should just have a prudent person on the cities side saying whats okay.
A profitable one for police cruisers is a bail bond company.
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Permalink Reply by Brian Dumser on
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You forgot about the part when the fire is out and the Chief sprays champagne all over the crews!
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Permalink Reply by Aussie on
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A few years ago Indiana accepted over 1,200 prisoners from Arizona to house them (in an already crowded prison) for $64 per inmate per day. Indiana also sold the state toll road to a foreign company for over 3 billion dollars. So advertising KFC on fire hydrants? Nope, not a surprise. Since the taxpayers built a $500 million football stadium recently, I guess they need innovative ways to generate money for their fire departments, etc. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Re KFC - they want to improve fire safety by helping pay for new hydrants and extinguishers? Then why not really help and just donate the freakin money without requiring Colonel Sanders fire hydrants? No, they have to try to make a few bucks on the deal; how philanthropic of them. My dad used to tell me "there ain't no Santa Claus." He was right.
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Just one more thing. When an Indiana volunteer fire dept. needed funds, an heiress to a large corporation decided to donate $75,000 to assist them last month. She asked for nothing in return. KFC on the other hand, donates a meager $15,000 with strings attached. Sure, we’ll give you money, but you’re going to have to do something for us in return. If I were the mayor I’d be tempted to tell them to keep their money and their ridiculous caveat. If he went to the community for financial assistance, I’m sure he could have raised the money from local business, etc. with no strings attached. Me, I’d have a bake sale before I took their money with that ridiculous demand attached to it. Maybe if the demand wasn’t so ridiculous and maybe it if was just on a park bench it would be different. What are we going to do next – decorate our police vehicles with Pennzoil logos? Maybe I’ve got too much pride, but I hate to see anybody grovel and succumb to the demands of a greedy corporation for their money. Maybe you just have to suck it up and put needs of others above pride, but it just doesn’t seem worth it for such a meager amount of money.
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Permalink Reply by DUST on
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Whatever you do don't let your department go with the new "safety-ish" KFC sponsored turnout gear...
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I guess that is part of the point I was trying to make previously. Ok, so if we need money, it might be acceptable in some situations. I live in Indianapolis, and I think this is going to make our community look like a bunch of yee haws from Hooterville. If the Indianapolis Motor Speedway wanted us to decorate our hydrants with a checkered flag or something in exchange for a donation, that might be a little more acceptable. It would at least have a little more class than Col. Sanders and we do have a historical connection with the Motor Speedway.
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