Image provided by KFC Australia.
When KFC Australia set out to elevate its Real Food brand truth — a marketing focus that puts the spotlight on its passionate cooks, fresh ingredients and the secret Original Recipe — internally, the strategy began and ended with its people…or, rather, its humans.
Taking an extra-crispy spin on the #humansofnewyork series (a blog-turned-social-media-phenomenon created by photographer Brandon Stanton, who shares photos of and quotes from people he encounters), the KFC Australia team told its team members’ stories by taking their photos and posting descriptive captions to the market’s internal social network, dubbing it “#humansofkfc.” The series proved to be such a success that it launched a conversation and tongue-in-cheek comments from other team members adding to the enthusiasm, like this one from cook Doc Solomons: “When I bread up some Original Recipe chicken it’s poultry in motion.”
“The objective of the #humansofkfc campaign was to highlight the care and precision that our teams put into preparing our Finger Lickin’ good chicken (and other products) from scratch,” said Emily O’Brien, the internal marketer behind the series. “We saw very strong engagement on these posts considering there was no call to action for our users; they drove the engagement authentically via liking and tagging their friends.”
O’Brien says the team will likely continue the series next year with fresh faces, because it’s “a powerful way to showcase our people and their journeys with the company,” but for now, here are four Humans of KFC who are making the Colonel proud.
Name: Holly Broadhurst
Job Title: Shift Supervisor
Years with KFC: 4
"I am the OG salt bae. [Chip supplier] Mr. McCain delivers the goods when it comes to this country’s most iconic chips. I am honored to be a part of the process that delivers the crispiest, most flavoursome hot chips possible. Even distribution of salt is essential to the perfect batch of chips. I would describe it as an art form." #friendchip
Name: Kenzo Ueda
Job Title: Shift Supervisor
Years with KFC: 2
"They call me the KFC Karate Kid… Packing on the drive thru I’ll admit can be a tough gig. One of the most emotional days for me was when we said goodbye to our beloved crispy strips and hello to original tenders, I was hesitant at first. But I can now see their true potential. They are nurtured by our cooks from the very start, coated in the 11 secret herbs and spices and delivered to customers with my speed, precision and eye for detail. I am the strip sensei."
Name: Shinai Insull
Job Title: Cross-Certified Team Member
Years with KFC: 6
"They tell me that potato and gravy (P&G) is a mere side dish, a snack, an afterthought…They are wrong. A humble container of P&G warms the soul. It is an inspiring combination of a soft, creamy clouds with the elixir of life itself. The swirling motion of the gravy in the bain creates an out of body experience that only I as its creator can understand. The first time my gravy came to the boil is a day I’ll never forget. I was young, naïve and unable to comprehend the greatness I was conjuring."
Name: Jonathan Goodacre
Job Title: Full-Time Food Production Team Member
Years with KFC: 7
"I wake up at the crack of dawn, I meditate, I say my daily prayer to the Colonel and visualize 7-10-7 [referring to the chicken breading procedure] in my head. Being a chicken engineer is not a job, it’s a lifestyle. I would describe breading original recipe chicken as an art form, the soft granules of flour caress my hands... the herbs and spices waft into my nostrils. The folding motion helps to coat every inch of the beautiful piece of bird. I am a KFC cook, no… I am a god who walks amongst men."
