So Good is So Awesome

So Good is So Awesome

The people who created advertisements must be some kind of a genius. Sometimes their "master-piece" is really a so tempting and awesome. I came across this KFC's advertisement in an English newspaper recently that offers a BIG MEAL for an awesome PRICE for this awesome meal. Why not awesome when you take a closer look at the "size" of the drum stick. Awesome size! Isn't it? The awesome size of the drum stick is almost touching the width of the whole plate!

In all my life as an occasional customer of KFC, I swear I have never come across such a awesome drum stick fried chicken at any KFC restaurant when I have my meal there. Yet very frequently I have come across such awesome drum stick fried chicken in KFC's advertisements.

 

That is why there is usually a very small print at the bottom of advertisements which stated that this is for illustration purpose only. Anyway, KFC remains my favourite choice when my urge for fried chicken is there. KFC, are you listening?

"So Good" is now the official slogan of KFC today. But do you know that KFC's slogans have several many times over the years. Early official slogans included “North America’s Hospitality Dish” (1956 - 1966) and “We fix Sunday dinner seven nights a week” from 1957 until 1968. The two slogans were phased out in order to concentrate on the “finger lickin’ good” slogan.

The “finger lickin’ good” slogan was trademarked in 1956. After a local KFC television advertisement had featured Arizona franchisee Dave Harman licking his fingers in the background. Then a viewer phoned the station to complain. The main actor in the advertisement, a KFC manager named Ken Harbough, upon hearing of this, responded: “Well, it’s finger lickin’ good.” The phrase was adopted nationally by the company by the 1960s, and went on to become one of the best-known slogans of the twentieth century.The trademark expired in the US in 2006, and was replaced in that market with “Follow your taste” until 2010. In 2011, the “finger lickin’ good” slogan was dropped in favor of “So good,” to be rolled out worldwide. A Yum! executive said that the new slogan was more holistic, applying to staff and service, as well as food.

Malaysian really love KFC. According to a website, in 2012, KFC Malaysia's revenue jumped to RM1,787.0 million, 8% up on the RM1,655.3 million recorded the year before. KFC has retained its market dominance, and remains as Malaysia's largest restaurant chain. By now, it is believed that there are close to 600 KFC restaurants in Malaysia.

Anyway, my main purpose of writing this blog is to share about some of my experience with KFC when it was a listed entity. But it is just that I do not just want to start my blog directly, instead to inject some sense of good entertaining humour by beginning my blog with one of KFC's recent advertisement. In this way, perhaps readers reading my comment would not find my blog too boring and too direct. In short, I am just trying to inject some creativity into my blog and I hope my efforts will somehow make some readers smiling easily as they continue to read on.

KFC has a very rich saga of corporate stories since those early days. But in the early 2000, "veteran" investors would always look forward to its printed hard copy annual report every  year with joy. Why? Attached inside the annual report is a page that contains 12 detachable coupons (one for each month and for exchanging a food item at KFC restaurant). As my spouse and myself both each bought a 1,000 shares in KFC respectively, there would be a "double" coupons for us. Some of my friends were also shareholders of KFC  for long time keeping the shares - just to receive this annual report and the coupons.

Similarly, KFC's then-parent company Ayamas (later changed to QSR Brands) also practised the coupon system in its annual report. At that time, I owned a 1,000 shares of Ayamas and the annual report would have a page of 6 detachable coupons (one for every two months and for exchanging a food item at Ayamas restaurant).

Later, Ayamas coupons included exchanging for food items at Pizza Hut Restaurant. Eventually these "free-coupons" were not attached in the annual reports of KFC and QSR Brands later (I believed in the mid 2000, sorry if I am wrong).

Because of these "no-more coupons" incentives, we sold off our KFC shares at around RM4 (almost the same price as we bought years earlier) and my Ayamas at RM2 plus almost the same as my purchase price).

Had we held on to our KFC shares until it was delisted effective Feb 7, 2013, my spouse and I would have made at least more then RM10,000 plus. In late-2011, Johor Corp Bhd (JCorp), the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) and UK-based CVC Capital Partners teamed up in a US1.65 bil (RM5.12 bil) offer to buy the business of KFC and QSR.

Massive Equity Sdn Bhd, the vehicle of the buyout, bought KFC and parent QSR Brands at RM4 for each KFC share and RM6.80 for each QSR share, which also include RM1 for each KFC warrant and RM3.79 for each warrant. (Prior to the buyout, there was a bonus adjustment for KFC shares).

It has been more than some 14 months since the delisting of KFC and QSR Brands. Will the "Colonel" makes a comeback to Bursa some days later? I believe the "Colonel" will, but this time it would be on a bigger merged entity (the chicken and pizza business together) and at a rather high premium. After all, who doesn't want to be a shareowner of Malaysia's favourite fried chicken business?

So the next time you are enjoying a "so good" meal of KFC, spare a silent moment and be thankful of one person : the late "Colonel" Harland David Sanders (Sept 9, 1980 to Dec 16, 1980), an American businessman, best known for founding Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), and later acting as the company's goodwill ambassador and symbol.

To all our Muslims,

May your home and heart be blessed with joy and peace. Wishing prosperity and happiness to all loved ones on the holy occasion of Hari Raya.

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri 2014.

Maaf Zahir dan Batin.

From Kassim