Traditional values pay: Chick-fil-A makes record-breaking profits after marriage controversy
ATLANTA, – Chick-fil-A has learned upholding traditional values is not just good for the soul; it’s also good for business. Since President Dan Cathy stirred up a firestorm of controversy and protests by daring to say in public that he supports traditional marriage, the fast food chain has enjoyed record sales and increased brand recognition.
A typical line on Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day, August 1.
According to a report by USA Today, consumer use, visits, and ad awareness all rose measurably in the third quarter, despite widespread negative media coverage of Cathy’s remarks to the Baptist Press opposing same-sex “marriage.”
A Sandelman and Associates survey of more than 30,000 fast-food shoppers in markets where Chick-fil-A operates showed consumer use of the restaurant chain rose 2.2 percent in the third quarter compared with the same period in 2011. Their market share rose 0.6 percent. Awareness of their advertising rose 6.5 percent.
Jeff Davis, president of Sandelman and Associates, said the restaurant increased its regular customer base in 80 percent of its markets.
The upswing in business may have started August 1 with “Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day,” when consumers flocked to Chick-fil-A restaurants nationwide to show their support for free speech and traditional marriage. The business enjoyed record sales that day, as people waited in long lines in restaurants and in drive-thrus to buy chicken from the chain.
According to Davis, the media circus surrounding Cathy’s comments was “something that brought Chick-fil-A to the forefront of peoples’ minds.”
“There was a lot of talk that this would hurt Chick-fil-A, but it actually helped the brand,” Davis told USA Today.
