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customer journey kfc

The KFC Customer Experience: A Historical Journey Map

Managed to create a formula that combines a mouthwatering product with the KFC customer experience, keeping consumers coming back for more.

When it comes to fast-food giants, KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) is a name that stands out. Known for its delicious fried chicken, the company has managed to create a winning formula that combines a mouthwatering product with the KFC customer experience, keeping consumers coming back for more.

With over 25,000 locations in more than 145 countries, KFC has firmly established itself as a global powerhouse in the fast-food industry. What sets KFC apart, however, is not just its delectable chicken but also its unwavering dedication to providing memorable moments for its customers. This article will explore some of the customer experience initiatives and measures that have allowed it to earn a top spot in its industry.

KFC: A Taste of History

KFC’s journey began in the 1930s when Colonel Harland Sanders started serving his unique blend of fried chicken in a small roadside restaurant in Kentucky. From these humble beginnings, KFC has grown into a global icon of finger-licking goodness.

While KFC’s secret recipe of herbs and spices has remained a closely guarded treasure, the company’s relentless focus on the customer experience has truly propelled it to the top. KFC understands it’s not just about the food but the dining experience.

Customer-Centric Initiatives by KFC

KFC has consistently demonstrated its commitment to enhancing the customer journey through a variety of initiatives, many of which have contributed to the chain’s immense success worldwide. Here are some of the most notable initiatives:

  • Service Guarantee: KFC takes its commitment to customers seriously, even guaranteeing satisfaction. If a customer’s order doesn’t match their prescription, KFC is quick to make amends, often by offering a refund. This level of dedication to customer satisfaction helps build trust and loyalty.
  • Technology in the Kitchen: KFC recognizes that technology plays a vital role in ensuring speed and efficiency. Implementing technology in the kitchen allows KFC to serve up its iconic dishes quickly and consistently, ensuring customers get what they crave without unnecessary delays.
  • “Scoop to Order”: KFC has introduced a unique approach called “Scoop to Order.” Rather than pre-packing sides, KFC employees scoop sides for each order, akin to an assembly line of open ingredient preparation. This approach enhances the freshness of each order and ensures that customers get their meals just the way they like them.
  • Guest Experience Survey: KFC values customer feedback and actively seeks it through guest experience surveys. Customers can share their thoughts on their dining experiences, helping KFC identify areas for improvement. As a token of appreciation, KFC offers rewards for participating in the survey, enhancing customer engagement.
  • Digital Marketing Program: KFC has rolled out an innovative SMS and mobile wallet digital marketing program at its locations. Powered by Vibes, this program offers unique promotions, rewards for repeat visits, and real-time targeted messaging to keep customers engaged and informed about the latest offerings.

The Importance of the Customer Journey for KFC

The customer journey is critical to success in the fast-food industry. KFC recognizes the significance of every touchpoint , from the moment a customer enters a restaurant or places an order online to their dining experience and beyond. Understanding this journey allows KFC to:

  • Identify areas for improvement and address pain points promptly.
  • Personalize interactions, tailoring the experience to individual preferences.
  • Measure success through data-driven metrics.
  • Foster teamwork and cross-functional collaboration.
  • Continuously enhance the customer experience to maintain its position as a leader in the fast-food industry.

Customer Journey Map of KFC

One way to visualize these measures and appreciate the relationship between customers and the brand is by using the Customer Journey Map methodology. In this representation, it’s possible to include information that allows the entire team to visualize all related factors in a concise and clear manner.

To make the concept clearer, we have created an example based on the previously mentioned points about KFC and combined them with the most common actions and touchpoints within the industry.

customer journey kfc

Stage 01: AWARENESS

Stage 02: consideration, stage 03: conversion, stage 04: loyalty, stage 05: advocacy, start improving the dining experience for your customers.

KFC’s secret to success lies in its legendary product and the experience it offers to people who consume its products. These elements are not exclusive to large companies and can also be carried out by any establishment with the interest of growing and satisfying its diners.

In QuestionPro, you will find all the tools and resources necessary to delve into the consumer’s mind and understand their needs and perceptions regarding the treatment received at each touchpoint of their journey.

From surveys to advanced analyses, in QuestionPro CX, you will find everything you need to improve your service and provide an experience that delights even the most demanding. Contact one of our advisors, and we will be happy to answer any questions.

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MyKFCExperience: A Delectable Journey of Customer Satisfaction "

customer journey kfc

KFC Marketing Strategy: A Comprehensive Analysis

KFC, or Kentucky Fried Chicken, is known worldwide for its finger-lickin' good fried chicken. But what sets this fast-food giant apart from its competitors? The answer lies in its effective marketing strategy . In this article, we will explore the key elements that have contributed to KFC's success and made it a household name.

Understanding KFC's Marketing Strategy

At the heart of KFC's marketing strategy is a strong focus on branding , product innovation , and advertising techniques. By understanding the role these elements play in the company's success, we can gain valuable insights into what makes KFC tick.

The Role of Branding in KFC's Success

KFC has built a powerful brand identity that resonates with consumers worldwide. The company's logo, featuring Colonel Sanders, is instantly recognizable. But branding goes beyond a logo – it encompasses the overall image, values, and experience associated with KFC. The consistency in branding has helped KFC establish trust and loyalty among its customers.

When customers see the iconic red and white KFC signage, they immediately associate it with the delicious taste of their famous fried chicken. The branding efforts have been so successful that even the sight of the Colonel Sanders logo can make mouths water in anticipation of a finger-licking good meal.

KFC's branding extends to the restaurant's interior design and customer service. The warm and inviting atmosphere, coupled with friendly staff, creates a memorable dining experience that keeps customers coming back for more. KFC has successfully created a brand that not only represents tasty food but also a sense of comfort and familiarity.

Related: Dyson Marketing Strategy: A Look at Home Appliance Go-to-Market Strategy and Branding

The Impact of Product Innovation

KFC is not just about fried chicken. The company has continuously introduced new products and menu items to cater to changing consumer preferences. From introducing healthier options to embracing plant-based alternatives, KFC has shown its commitment to keeping up with evolving trends and meeting the diverse needs of its customers.

One notable example of KFC's product innovation is the introduction of their Beyond Fried Chicken, a plant-based alternative to their traditional chicken. This move not only appeals to vegetarians and vegans but also to health-conscious consumers who are looking for more sustainable food options. By diversifying their menu, KFC has expanded its customer base and positioned itself as a brand that adapts to changing times.

KFC's commitment to product innovation is not limited to new menu items. The company also invests heavily in research and development to improve the quality and taste of their existing offerings. Through continuous improvement, KFC ensures that their customers always enjoy the best possible dining experience.

The Power of KFC's Advertising Techniques

Advertising plays a crucial role in creating awareness and driving sales for KFC. The brand's advertising campaigns are creative, engaging, and often evoke a sense of humor. Whether it's the catchy jingle or the humorous storytelling, KFC's advertisements stay top of mind and generate a strong emotional connection with consumers.

One of KFC's most memorable advertising campaigns was the introduction of their "Finger Lickin' Good" slogan. This simple yet effective phrase perfectly captured the essence of the brand and became synonymous with the joy of indulging in KFC's delicious chicken. The slogan became so ingrained in popular culture that it is still associated with KFC to this day.

KFC's advertising techniques also extend to social media platforms, where the brand engages with its customers in a fun and interactive way. From clever memes to engaging contests, KFC keeps its audience entertained and connected. By leveraging the power of social media, KFC has successfully created a strong online presence and fostered a community of loyal fans.

KFC's marketing strategy revolves around effective branding, continuous product innovation, and engaging advertising techniques . By staying true to its brand identity, adapting to changing consumer preferences, and creating memorable advertising campaigns, KFC has established itself as a global powerhouse in the fast-food industry.

Related: The Effective Lego Marketing Strategy: Building Success Brick by Brick

The Global Reach of KFC's Marketing

KFC's success is not limited to a single market – it has successfully expanded its reach to numerous countries around the world. So, what does it take to adapt marketing strategies for different cultures and address global trends?

Adapting Marketing Strategies for Different Cultures

KFC recognizes that cultural nuances can significantly impact consumer behavior. To succeed in different markets, the company tailors its marketing messages, menu offerings, and even store designs to suit local preferences. This localization approach has helped KFC position itself as a brand that understands and respects the customs and tastes of diverse communities.

For example, in India, where the majority of the population follows a vegetarian diet, KFC introduced a range of vegetarian options to cater to the local market. By offering dishes such as the Veg Zinger and Veg Rice Bowl, KFC was able to tap into the Indian market and attract a wider customer base.

In China, KFC adapted its marketing strategies to align with the Chinese New Year, a significant cultural event. They introduced special limited-edition menu items and launched festive campaigns to celebrate the holiday. This approach not only resonated with Chinese consumers but also showcased KFC's commitment to embracing local traditions.

The Influence of Global Trends on KFC's Marketing

As a global brand, KFC must monitor and adapt to global trends. From sustainability to convenience-driven consumer behavior, KFC identifies emerging trends and incorporates them into its marketing strategies. By staying ahead of the curve, KFC remains relevant and appealing to a wide range of customers worldwide.

One global trend that has greatly influenced KFC's marketing is the growing demand for healthier food options. In response, KFC introduced grilled chicken as an alternative to its signature fried chicken. This move not only catered to health-conscious consumers but also positioned KFC as a brand that values customer well-being.

Another global trend that has shaped KFC's marketing approach is the rise of social media and digital platforms. KFC leverages these platforms to engage with its audience, create viral marketing campaigns, and gather valuable consumer insights. By embracing digital trends, KFC has been able to connect with customers on a more personal level and maintain a strong online presence.

KFC recognizes the importance of sustainability and environmental responsibility. The company has taken steps to reduce its carbon footprint by implementing eco-friendly practices, such as using biodegradable packaging and sourcing ingredients from sustainable suppliers. By aligning its marketing messages with the global trend towards sustainability, KFC appeals to environmentally conscious consumers and showcases its commitment to a better future.

Related: Unveiling Home Depot's Winning Marketing Strategy

The Role of Digital Marketing in KFC's Strategy

No marketing strategy is complete without a strong online presence. KFC has embraced digital marketing techniques to engage with its customers in new and exciting ways.

What exactly does digital marketing entail for KFC? Let's delve deeper into the various aspects of KFC's digital marketing strategy and how it has helped the brand thrive in the competitive fast food industry.

Social Media and KFC's Brand Image

KFC leverages social media platforms to connect with its audience and reinforce its brand image. Through entertaining and engaging content, KFC stays relevant and forms meaningful connections with its followers.

For instance, KFC's witty and humorous posts on Twitter have become a sensation, garnering thousands of retweets and likes. By adopting a playful tone and incorporating pop culture references, KFC creates a unique brand personality that resonates with its target audience.

KFC's social media presence extends beyond just posting content. The brand actively interacts with its followers and exemplifies a nice approach to community management. This includes responding to comments and messages, which further strengthens the bond between KFC and its customers. This approach helps drive brand loyalty and generate positive word-of-mouth.

KFC's Social Media Channels

KFC has amassed millions of followers across its social media channels. The brand's social presence spans short form video platforms like TikTok and Instagram to corporate branding on LinkedIn.

This comprehensive approach to social media marketing has given KFC a broad platform to engage with its audience and establish its brand in the modern marketing landscape.

Check out KFC's primary social media profiles and pages:

  • KFC Instagram
  • KFC Facebook Page
  • KFC YouTube
  • KFC X / Twitter
  • KFC LinkedIn

KFC's Use of SEO and Online Advertising

KFC understands the importance of search engine optimization (SEO) and online advertising in reaching and attracting potential customers. By optimizing its website and running targeted online campaigns, KFC ensures its message reaches the right audience at the right time.

When it comes to SEO, KFC focuses on optimizing its website for relevant keywords, ensuring that it appears prominently in search engine results. This allows potential customers who are searching for fast food options to easily find and consider KFC as their preferred choice.

In addition to SEO, KFC also invests in online advertising to increase its brand visibility. Through strategic partnerships with popular websites and platforms, KFC's advertisements are strategically placed in front of its target audience, maximizing the chances of attracting new customers.

KFC embraces the power of data-driven marketing. By analyzing customer behavior and preferences, KFC can tailor its online advertising campaigns to deliver personalized messages to specific segments of its target audience. This strategic use of digital marketing channels contributes to increased brand awareness and customer acquisition.

KFC's digital marketing strategy encompasses various elements, including social media engagement, SEO, and online advertising. By leveraging these techniques, KFC has successfully built a strong online presence, connecting with its customers on a deeper level and driving brand loyalty. As the digital landscape continues to evolve, KFC remains at the forefront, constantly adapting its digital marketing efforts to stay relevant and continue its growth in the fast food industry.

Related: Liquid Death Marketing Strategy Case Study: Slaying the Beverage Industry with Killer Branding and Marketing

The Future of KFC's Marketing Strategy

What lies ahead for KFC's marketing strategy? Let's explore the emerging trends and the company's commitment to sustainability and ethical marketing .

Emerging Marketing Trends and KFC

KFC recognizes the ever-changing marketing landscape and continues to innovate. From embracing technology, such as mobile ordering and delivery apps, to exploring new ways to engage with Gen Z, KFC stays at the forefront of emerging marketing trends . This adaptability ensures that KFC remains relevant for years to come.

One of the emerging marketing trends that KFC has embraced is the use of social media influencers. By partnering with popular influencers who align with the brand's values and target audience, KFC is able to reach a wider audience and create a buzz around their products. These influencers often create engaging content featuring KFC's menu items, which not only increases brand visibility but also generates excitement and curiosity among consumers.

Another trend that KFC has tapped into is experiential marketing. The company understands that consumers are looking for more than just a meal - they want an experience. KFC has created immersive dining experiences, such as pop-up restaurants and themed events, where customers can not only enjoy their favorite KFC dishes but also engage with the brand in a unique and memorable way. These experiences not only create a sense of exclusivity but also encourage customers to share their experiences on social media, further amplifying KFC's reach.

Sustainability and Ethical Marketing at KFC

As consumer awareness of sustainability and ethical practices grows, KFC has made strides to address these concerns. The company has taken steps to source ingredients responsibly, reduce its carbon footprint, and contribute to local communities. By prioritizing sustainability and ethical practices, KFC not only meets consumer expectations but also differentiates itself as a socially responsible brand.

KFC has implemented various sustainability initiatives to minimize its environmental impact. For instance, the company has invested in energy-efficient equipment and technologies to reduce energy consumption in its restaurants. Additionally, KFC has partnered with suppliers who follow sustainable farming practices, ensuring that the ingredients used in their menu items are sourced responsibly.

KFC is committed to giving back to the communities it operates in. The company actively supports local initiatives and charities, focusing on areas such as education, hunger relief, and disaster response. By engaging in philanthropic efforts, KFC not only strengthens its relationship with local communities but also showcases its commitment to making a positive social impact.

Related: Lululemon Marketing Strategy - A Closer Look

Final Thoughts on KFC's Marketing Strategy

KFC's effective marketing strategy has played a pivotal role in its worldwide success. Through a combination of strong branding, product innovation, and engaging advertising techniques, KFC has built a loyal customer base.

By adapting its marketing strategies for different cultures, embracing digital marketing, and staying ahead of emerging trends, KFC continues to thrive in an ever-changing marketplace. As the company looks to the future, its commitment to sustainability and ethical marketing only solidifies its position as a leading global brand.

Frequently Asked Questions About KFC's Marketing Strategy

What type of marketing does kfc use.

KFC employs a blend of traditional and modern marketing strategies to connect with its audience across different platforms. This includes engaging in digital marketing efforts through social media, search engine marketing, and content marketing to interact with customers online.

KFC invests in traditional advertising channels such as television, radio, and print to maintain widespread visibility. The brand also undertakes experiential marketing campaigns that create unique, branded experiences to foster a deeper emotional connection with its audience. Furthermore, KFC practices localized marketing strategies, tailoring its menu items and marketing messages to suit the cultural and regional preferences of its diverse global markets, ensuring relevance and appeal across various demographics.

What are the 4Ps of KFC marketing strategy?

The 4Ps of KFC's marketing strategy encompass Product, Price, Place, and Promotion.

KFC's product strategy is centered around its signature original recipe chicken, complemented by a variety of other menu items designed to cater to local tastes and dietary preferences, including burgers, wraps, salads, and vegetarian options.

In terms of pricing, KFC adopts a competitive strategy that aims to deliver value for money while taking into consideration the local economic conditions and target customer segments.

The place aspect of KFC's strategy involves strategic location selection for its restaurant locations in high-traffic areas and an emphasis on online delivery platforms to maximize convenience for customers.

For promotion, KFC utilizes a mix of online and offline advertising, sales promotions, special offers, and local events to engage with customers and stimulate sales, ensuring a broad and effective reach.

What is KFC's business strategy?

KFC's current business strategy focuses on global expansion, innovation, and localization to drive growth and maintain its competitive edge.

The brand is committed to extending its international presence, particularly in emerging markets, by increasing its number of outlets and venturing into new regions. KFC places a strong emphasis on menu innovation, regularly introducing new and innovative products to keep the brand fresh and appealing.

Localization plays a critical role in KFC's strategy, with the brand adapting its menu and marketing efforts to align with local tastes, cultural norms, and preferences, a move that has been instrumental in its success across diverse markets. Additionally, KFC strives for operational efficiency by streamlining operations to reduce costs and improve customer service, leveraging technology in order processing and delivery services. The expansion of KFC's global footprint through franchising allows the brand to benefit from local expertise while mitigating operational risks.

What is KFC competitive strategy?

KFC's competitive strategy leverages differentiation and market penetration to maintain its position in the fast-food industry. The brand differentiates itself with its unique secret blend of 11 herbs and spices, high-quality ingredients, and distinct taste that sets it apart from competitors.

Through aggressive market penetration, KFC ensures that it remains accessible to a vast number of consumers by expanding the number of its outlets both domestically and internationally. KFC also focuses on enhancing the customer experience, improving service quality, restaurant ambiance, and engaging digitally to foster customer loyalty and encourage repeat business.

The brand is committed to adaptation and innovation, continuously updating its product offerings and embracing technological advancements in service delivery, such as mobile ordering and delivery services, to meet the evolving demands of consumers and stay ahead of competition.

About the Author

customer journey kfc

Hi, I'm Justin and I write Brand Credential. I started Brand Credential as a resource to help share expertise from my 10-year brand building journey. ‍ I currently serve as the VP of Marketing for a tech company where I oversee all go-to-market functions. Throughout my career I've helped companies scale revenue to millions of dollars, helped executives build personal brands, and created hundreds of pieces of content since starting to write online in 2012.

As always, thank you so much for reading. If you’d like more personal branding and marketing tips, here are more ways I can help in the meantime:

  • Connect with me on Instagram , TikTok , and LinkedIn .
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Accelingo

  • International Marketing

KFC’s Global Strategy: Secret Spices and Strategic Expansion

  • June 11, 2024

Table of contents

Cracking the code of global success—kfc’s global strategy, understanding the customer—a foundation for global success in kfc’s global strategy, kfc’s secret recipe for finger lickin’ good growth, speed and convenience—a modern approach to fast food in kfc’s global strategy, building brand equity and reaching new horizons, marketing strategies for a global audience, innovation and staying ahead of the curve, the importance of professional translation services in kfc’s global strategy, key takeaways from kfc’s global strategy, faqs on kfc’s global strategy.

KFC—a name synonymous with crispy fried chicken, finger-lickin’ good flavor, and a friendly Colonel Sanders. But KFC is much more than just a fast-food restaurant. It’s a global giant with a presence in nearly 150 countries and territories, serving billions of customers worldwide ( KFC , 2024). This incredible growth and success can be attributed to KFC’s carefully crafted global strategy, which prioritizes understanding the customer, maintaining brand consistency, and embracing innovation .

KFC’s global strategy is a masterclass in adaptation and catering to local preferences. While the Colonel’s secret recipe remains a constant, the menu offerings and marketing campaigns are fine-tuned to resonate with each market’s unique culture and taste buds . This focus on localization allows KFC to build brand awareness and connect with customers on a deeper level, regardless of their location.

But KFC’s global strategy goes beyond just food. They understand the importance of speed and convenience in today’s fast-paced world, offering self-order kiosks and mobile apps for a streamlined ordering experience . Additionally, KFC prioritizes continuous innovation, keeping its menu fresh and exciting with new offerings that cater to evolving consumer preferences.

In essence, KFC’s global strategy is a recipe for success. By understanding their customers, maintaining brand consistency across borders, and embracing innovation, KFC has secured its position as a leader in the global fast-food industry . Throughout this article, we’ll delve deeper into the key ingredients of KFC’s global strategy, exploring how they’ve achieved remarkable growth and brand recognition across the globe.

At the heart of KFC’s global strategy lies a deep understanding of their customers . This translates into two key areas: demographic targeting and menu localization.

  • Targeting the Right Audience: KFC recognizes that a one-size-fits-all approach simply won’t work in a globalized world. Millennials and Gen Z , with their tech-savvy preferences and adventurous palates, are a major demographic for KFC. The brand caters to them with innovative menu items like the Zinger Burger, featuring a spicy kick, and leverages social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok to connect and engage with this younger generation.

KFC's Global Strategy: Zinger Burger

  • Localization is Key: KFC doesn’t just sell fried chicken—they sell a taste experience tailored to local preferences. This is a fundamental aspect of KFC’s global strategy. In India, for example, KFC offers vegetarian options and flavors that cater to the local palate. Similarly, in Romania, KFC prioritizes digital innovation with features like modern kiosks, catering to the tech-forward habits of its customers there. This focus on localization allows KFC to build deeper connections with customers across the globe, ensuring their menu offerings resonate on a personal level.
  • Beyond Demographics: KFC’s global strategy goes beyond targeting specific age groups. They understand the importance of catering to a broad audience. Families are a major customer segment, and KFC addresses their needs with diverse meal options and family-friendly restaurant environments. Additionally, when entering new markets, KFC carefully considers the needs of the local population, offering menu items and experiences that fit their cultural preferences and lifestyles. This comprehensive customer focus ensures KFC remains relevant and appealing to a wide range of audiences across the globe.

KFC’s secret weapon for global success isn’t just a secret recipe (though that’s part of it!). It’s all about truly knowing their customers. By figuring out what different people crave, from millennials to families, KFC tailors their menu and marketing to resonate on a deeper level . Whether it’s spicy options for adventurous eaters or vegetarian dishes in plant-based regions, KFC speaks their customers’ language (literally, thanks to outsourcing translation services !) This focus on understanding the who, what, and where of their audience lets them connect with people everywhere.

KFC’s global strategy isn’t just about understanding customers—it’s also about offering a consistently delicious and satisfying product. At the center of this recipe for success lies the Colonel’s secret recipe, a blend of 11 herbs and spices that has remained a mystery for decades . This iconic recipe is more than just a marketing gimmick—it represents KFC’s commitment to high-quality ingredients and a unique flavor profile that continues to resonate with customers worldwide.

But KFC’s global strategy doesn’t rely solely on a legendary recipe. They understand the importance of maintaining consistent quality across their vast network of restaurants. This means using fresh, high-quality chicken and adhering to Colonel Sanders’ original cooking techniques, like pressure frying, to ensure a crispy and juicy product in every location. This commitment to consistency allows customers to trust that they’ll get the same finger lickin’ good experience, regardless of where they visit a KFC.

However, KFC’s global strategy extends beyond simply replicating the Colonel’s original recipe. Recognizing the evolving preferences of their customers, KFC embraces innovation when crafting their menu. This translates to exciting new menu items like the Zinger Burger, catering to those who crave a spicy kick, or vegetarian options in regions with a strong plant-based diet. By offering diverse menu choices, KFC ensures they cater to a wide range of taste buds and dietary needs , further solidifying their position as a global fast-food leader.

It’s quite clear that KFC’s secret recipe for finger lickin’ good growth is a combination of factors. The Colonel’s legendary recipe serves as a foundation, while a commitment to high-quality ingredients and consistent cooking techniques ensures a satisfying experience. But it’s KFC’s willingness to innovate and adapt their menu offerings that truly sets them apart in the global fast-food landscape . This focus on delicious food, quality, and innovation allows KFC to win over customers across the globe and fuel their remarkable growth trajectory.

In today’s fast-paced world, convenience reigns supreme. KFC’s global strategy recognizes this, prioritizing speed and ease of service to cater to busy customers on the go . This translates into a focus on innovative technology and creating a streamlined ordering experience.

KFC’s embrace of technology is evident in their implementation of self-order kiosks . These kiosks allow customers to browse menus, customize their orders, and pay quickly and efficiently, eliminating the need to wait in line. Additionally, KFC leverages mobile apps, allowing customers to order and pay for their meals ahead of time, making pick-up a breeze . This focus on digital solutions caters perfectly to the tech-savvy millennial and Gen Z demographics, who value convenience and ease of use.

But KFC’s commitment to speed and convenience goes beyond technology. Their global strategy recognizes the importance of catering to the fast-paced modern lifestyle. Busy consumers often have limited time for meals, and KFC provides a quick and satisfying solution. Whether it’s grabbing a bite for lunch or a convenient dinner option for the family, KFC’s focus on speed and ease of service ensures their restaurants remain a relevant and attractive choice for customers worldwide.

KFC gets it: nowadays, everyone’s on the go. That’s why they’re all about making things fast and easy for their customers. With fancy new tech like self-order kiosks and mobile apps, getting your fried chicken fix is a breeze. This focus on speed and convenience makes them a perfect fit for the busy world we live in , and it’s a big part of why KFC is doing so well around the globe.

KFC’s global strategy isn’t just about delicious chicken and convenient service—it’s also about building a strong brand identity and reaching new customers across the globe. KFC boasts a rich history and a reputation that transcends borders. The iconic Colonel Sanders image is instantly recognizable, and the brand itself is synonymous with finger lickin’ good fried chicken. This established brand equity serves as a powerful foundation for KFC’s global expansion.

KFC’s growth strategy is fueled by a keen eye for identifying and entering new markets with high growth potential. With over 29,000 restaurants in nearly 150 countries and territories, their global presence is undeniable. But KFC doesn’t simply blanket new markets with their existing offerings. A core principle of their global strategy is adaptation. When entering new territories, KFC carefully tailors their marketing strategies and menus to resonate with local preferences . This might involve introducing vegetarian options in India or utilizing digital marketing platforms popular in a specific region. By demonstrating cultural sensitivity and understanding local tastes, KFC builds stronger brand recognition and customer loyalty in each new market they enter.

KFC’s global strategy isn’t static. They understand the importance of continuous expansion and reaching new horizons. With plans to enter their 150th country by 2024 and an average of 100 new stores slated to open annually in Central & Eastern Europe alone, KFC demonstrates its unwavering commitment to global growth . This strategic expansion allows them to serve a wider customer base and solidify their position as a leading player in the international fast-food market.

In essence, KFC’s global strategy for building brand equity and reaching new horizons hinges on leveraging their established brand image, strategically entering high-growth markets, and adapting their offerings to local preferences . This combination allows them to connect with customers on a deeper level and foster brand loyalty across the globe, ensuring their continued success for years to come.

KFC’s global strategy goes beyond just creating a delicious product and convenient experience. To truly conquer the international fast-food market, they’ve mastered the art of global marketing . This translates into leveraging the Colonel’s iconic image, crafting creative and engaging campaigns, and utilizing the power of social media to connect with customers worldwide .

The Colonel Sanders image is a cornerstone of KFC’s global marketing strategy. His friendly face and signature white suit are instantly recognizable, transcending language and cultural barriers. The Colonel acts as a trusted ambassador for the brand , conveying warmth, familiarity, and of course, the promise of finger lickin’ good food.

KFC doesn’t shy away from bold and creative advertising campaigns. They understand that in a crowded marketplace, it takes something special to grab attention. Their commercials often feature humor, catchy slogans, and memorable visuals , ensuring their message resonates with audiences across the globe.

But KFC’s marketing strategy extends beyond traditional advertising. In today’s digital age, social media is king. KFC actively engages with customers on platforms like Instagram and TikTok , sharing fun content, running contests, and collaborating with influencers. This social media savvy allows them to connect with younger generations, promote new menu items, and build a sense of community around the brand.

By using a combination of the Colonel’s iconic image, creative advertising campaigns, and strategic social media engagement, KFC has forged a strong connection with customers around the world . This focus on global marketing allows them to effectively spread brand awareness, generate excitement, and ultimately drive sales across their vast international network of restaurants.

KFC’s global strategy isn’t just about replicating a successful formula. A core element of their approach is a commitment to continuous innovation, ensuring they stay ahead of the curve in the ever-evolving fast-food landscape. This translates into innovation in menu items, cooking techniques, and technology integration, all while keeping a close ear to customer feedback and adapting to market trends.

KFC understands that menus need to evolve to keep pace with changing consumer preferences. They continuously develop new and exciting menu items to cater to diverse tastes and dietary needs. This might involve introducing spicy options like the Zinger Burger for those seeking a kick, or vegetarian dishes in regions with a strong plant-based diet. By offering innovative menu options, KFC demonstrates its ability to adapt and cater to the evolving desires of its global customer base .

Innovation extends beyond just the menu at KFC. They actively explore new cooking techniques and embrace technological advancements to enhance the customer experience. This might involve utilizing pressure cookers to ensure consistently crispy and juicy chicken , or integrating self-order kiosks and mobile apps to streamline the ordering process. KFC’s willingness to embrace new technologies allows them to operate more efficiently and cater to the tech-savvy preferences of modern consumers.

But KFC’s innovation isn’t driven solely by internal ideas. A crucial aspect of their global strategy is listening to customer feedback and adapting to market trends. They actively gather feedback through surveys and social media interactions , allowing them to identify customer preferences and adjust their offerings accordingly. This focus on customer centricity ensures KFC remains relevant and appealing to a wide audience across the globe.

KFC isn’t just resting on its laurels. They’re constantly cooking up new menu items, exploring fresh cooking techniques, and embracing new technology to streamline the ordering process. And they don’t do it in a bubble— listening to customer feedback is a key ingredient in their recipe for success . This focus on innovation keeps them ahead of the pack in the fast-paced world of fast food, ensuring they’re not only successful today but poised for even bigger things in the years to come.

KFC’s global success hinges not only on delicious food and innovative marketing but also on effective communication across cultures. This is where professional translation services become an essential ingredient in their global strategy. Here’s how KFC leverages professional translation to achieve its international goals :

  • Reaching New Customers and Building Brand Awareness: KFC’s mouthwatering fried chicken might be a universal crowd-pleaser, but menus and marketing materials need to speak the local language to truly resonate with new audiences. Professional translators ensure menus are culturally appropriate and clearly communicate the unique flavors and ingredients of each dish. Similarly, marketing campaigns translated by experts will connect with local preferences and build brand awareness in new markets.
  • Maintaining Brand Consistency Across Markets: KFC’s global success is built on a foundation of trust and brand recognition. Language translation services ensure consistent messaging across all markets. Translators who understand KFC’s core values can translate slogans, taglines, and marketing materials accurately, while preserving the brand’s essence and voice in each language. This consistency builds trust with customers worldwide and strengthens KFC’s global brand image.
  • Avoiding Cultural Insensitivity: A critical aspect of KFC’s global strategy is cultural sensitivity. Professional translators and transcreators with regional expertise prevent misunderstandings and ensure marketing campaigns don’t offend local sensibilities. By understanding cultural nuances and adapting humor or imagery appropriately, translators help KFC avoid missteps and navigate the complexities of international marketing.
  • Optimizing Online Presence: In today’s digital age, a strong online presence is crucial for any global brand. Professional website translation services allow KFC to effectively reach new audiences in their native languages. Translated websites, especially with a global SEO strategy in place, improve search engine ranking in new markets, making it easier for local customers to find KFC online. Additionally, translated websites enhance user experience, allowing customers to browse menus, order online, and learn more about KFC in their preferred language.

KFC knows that speaking the local language is key to connecting with customers around the world. That’s why they partner with professional translation companies . These translators bridge the communication gap, ensuring KFC’s message resonates with local audiences . This not only strengthens brand awareness but also fuels their continued success in the global fast-food market.

KFC’s journey from a single restaurant to a global fast-food giant is a testament to the power of a well-crafted global strategy. KFC’s success isn’t simply a matter of delicious fried chicken— it’s a result of understanding the customer, embracing innovation, and effectively communicating across cultures .

Throughout this article, we’ve explored the key ingredients of KFC’s global strategy. We’ve seen how KFC prioritizes understanding their customers, tailoring menus and marketing to resonate with local preferences. Their commitment to innovation ensures a menu that keeps pace with evolving tastes, while their focus on speed and convenience caters to the fast-paced modern lifestyle. KFC’s global strategy isn’t static; they continuously expand into new markets, adapting their offerings to ensure a successful integration.

In a globalized world, the key to success lies in adaptation. KFC understands this principle and leverages professional translation services to bridge the communication gap and ensure their brand resonates with audiences worldwide. This focus on cultural sensitivity and clear communication strengthens brand awareness and builds trust with customers across borders.

KFC’s global strategy serves as a masterclass for businesses aiming to achieve international success. It reminds us that understanding the customer, embracing innovation, and continuously adapting are essential ingredients in the recipe for global growth . By following this example, businesses can navigate the complexities of international markets and establish themselves as strong contenders on the world stage.

Not necessarily. KFC conducts market research to identify which menu items resonate best in each region. While some core items like fried chicken are offered universally, menus are localized to feature popular local flavors and ingredients. This ensures cultural relevance and avoids introducing unfamiliar dishes that might not be well-received.

KFC understands that humor can be subjective and culturally specific. For their marketing campaigns, they often partner with translation agencies that offer cultural consultancy. These experts help adapt humor or imagery to ensure it lands well and avoids any unintentional offense in the target market.

KFC’s localization efforts go beyond just menus. They translate marketing materials , website content, and even restaurant signage to ensure clear communication in each market. Additionally, they might adapt restaurant layouts or introduce local payment methods to cater to regional preferences.

Generally, yes. The Colonel Sanders image is a recognizable symbol of KFC’s brand identity. However, in some rare cases, KFC might adjust the Colonel’s attire or background slightly to better resonate with a specific culture.

KFC utilizes various methods to measure the success of their localization efforts. This might involve customer feedback surveys, website traffic data in new markets, and sales figures for localized menu items. By tracking these metrics, KFC can identify areas for improvement and ensure their translations are effective in reaching and engaging new audiences.

A Guide to Competitive Strategies in International Business

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The Better Blog

The secret recipe of kfc’s customer engagement, by patrick gallant on 01/05/2022.

customer journey kfc

TLDR : KFC uses wild and crazy campaigns to attract attention and engage customers. The brand’s strategy is to look beyond preconceived notions of ordinary marketing.

So What?: If your brand can be a little silly, and especially if it has a mascot, then you can copy some of KFC’s marketing ideas.

Fried chicken-scented candles. A hot tub shaped like a bucket of chicken. A bearskin rug made out of, not bearskin, but Colonel Sanders.

No, those are not surreal scenes from the latest David Lynch film. They are very real marketing campaigns made by KFC.

KFC’s marketing thrives on the bizarre. Their customer engagement campaigns run on a few key themes:

  • Go wild and crazy
  • Use your mascot
  • Pump out lots of content
  • Crowdfund your campaigns

Their marketing strategy works. KFC is the world’s second-largest restaurant chain, with over 20,000 locations, and a revenue of almost 28 billion dollars in 2020.

Go wild and crazy.

Crazy sells. KFC’s marketing campaigns succeed in promoting customer engagement because of their outlandishness. They get in your face, distract you from everything else, and make you crave chicken.

Some of KFC’s most memorable campaigns are also their craziest:

  • Offering to give customers free bowl haircuts, in order to promote their Fried Chicken Bowls.
  • Building a hot tub shaped like a bucket of chicken.
  • Selling a limited-edition, fried chicken-scented fireplace log.
  • Marketing a fried chicken-scented candle .

In many cases, KFC likes to create a novelty item that evokes its product. They can then sell the item or give it away as part of a social media competition.

Social media competitions have the advantage of drawing attention to the brand three times:

  • When the trophy is announced;
  • During the competition; and
  • When the winner brings it home and shares it on their social media page.

Keep in mind that KFC can promote itself this way only because of its product. Fast food fried chicken is not an inherently serious idea. Retirement planning, cancer treatments, and criminal convictions, on the other hand, are a bit more serious. If you run an investment firm, a hospital, or a law firm, you might want to think twice about pursuing a marketing strategy as absurd as KFC’s.

Use your mascot.

Unlike many other mascots, Harland Sanders was a real person, and he really did found KFC. He was not, however, a real colonel.

Sanders’ dedication to selling chicken during life turned into the company he left behind using his image in death. It was what he would have wanted, after all. After founding the chain at the age of 65, Sanders spent the rest of his life touring the United States as the Colonel to promote his business.

KFC has used Sanders’ image in a large number of their marketing promotions, including:

  • A bearskin rug shaped like Colonel Sanders
  • A Colonel Sanders inspired “Cat Climber”
  • A “smart remote” cane with Colonel Sanders’ face on it
  • A giant Colonel Sanders pool floatie

The list goes on and on. If you can think of any ordinary object, chances are that KFC has tried making one in the shape of Colonel Sanders.

KFC may get more use out of its mascot than any other brand. But not because of something special about Colonel Sanders. They get more use out of him because his image is a central part of their marketing strategy.

Mascots are valuable. They lend a personable element to the otherwise bland exterior of the modern corporation. People can relate to mascots. In addition, mascots can be made into stories, which capture attention while attracting sales.

Pump out lots of content.

Content is king. People love to watch videos, listen to music, and play games, whether or not those products are trying to sell something.

KFC has produced lots of promotional content, including:

  • KFC “Comfort Zone” meditation videos 
  • The KFC “ GPS Cassette Tape ,” featuring Colonel Sander’s voice guiding the listener to KFC.
  • A short film called “Big Chicken. Small Movie.”

In general, KFC’s Youtube channel is a treasure trove of wacky promotional videos.

Content works so well these days because of social media. When people like what they see, they are more likely to share it. Sharing promotional content is a great form of customer engagement, as it furthers marketing efforts for free.

Crowdfund your campaigns.

Part of KFC’s marketing is its “KFC Innovation Lab” series. KFC runs an actual “lab” dedicated to coming up with kooky ideas for KFC-themed items to sell. In the past, they invented objects like the Kentucky Fried Hot Tub .

Rather than simply producing and selling them, the Innovation Lab creates an IndieGoGo project. This attracts attention and allows motivated consumers to chip in.

Proposed projects that receive enough crowdfunded investment will actually get built and sold. Initial investors are the first to benefit.

This type of project helps further KFC’s brand in three ways:

  • By attracting attention to their ludicrous crowdfunding projects;
  • By enticing engaged consumers to chip into the crowdfunding; and
  • By distributing the actual object, thereby promoting social media posts.

What if a project doesn’t receive enough money? Not a big deal. It still attracted attention, and now the marketing team has a better idea of what will work and what won’t.

How to create customer engagement the KFC way.

KFC’s model works so well because their brand was pretty silly from day one. Colonel Sanders was not, after all, an actual colonel.

If your brand is a little silly to begin with, you will have no trouble adapting elements of KFC’s strategies. The key is to have as few boundaries as possible when coming up with new ideas.

KFC’s Innovation Lab is chock full of wacky, outlandish ideas that have no purpose other than their ability to advertise fried chicken. The brains behind those campaigns work hard to remove every fixed idea about what “proper” marketing should look like. To that end, they have created fried chicken-scented candles, Colonel Sanders pool floaties, and crowdfunded ideas.

But note that while KFC has few boundaries when it comes to artistic taste, they stop short of outright offending and alienating people. KFC’s marketing is startling, weird, and amusing, but definitely not inflammatory.

Possibly their best tool is their mascot. A large proportion of their marketing campaigns involve Colonel Sanders in some way.

If you have a mascot, think about every possible way to use your mascot, and then think of some that sound impossible. If you don’t have a mascot, consider creating one. A mascot gives a face to your brand and material for all the weird items you can think of.

At Media Shower, we make the perfect marketing plan for your business. Whether or not you need an absurdist KFC-style campaign, we know just how to help your business thrive.

Try Media Shower for free. The award-winning content platform.

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New Contentful acquires Ninetailed to accelerate AI-driven personalization

KFC builds finger-lickin’ good digital experiences with Contentful

Ashley Travis, Sr. Director Digital Experience & Product Growth, KFC Global

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North America

Food Production & QSR

Mobile apps

Multi-channel brand experiences

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The New Storytellers

Behind every winning content experience lies a team of innovators. This series highlights the people within our customer organizations driving change.

Hard-coded, market-specific websites were costly and cumbersome to maintain, which led to inconsistent, outdated digital content and a less-than-modern ordering experience.

A unified, user-friendly content platform with reusable content models supports brand consistency and scaling as franchises uplevel their digital marketing efforts., contentful is giving kfc the tools to unify its brand and support markets with very different needs and digital experience..

increase digital sales.

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Introduction

If you were driving along Interstate 75 in the 1930s and hunger struck, you’d pull into the nearest roadside restaurant expecting something edible, but not altogether enjoyable. If you happened to be near Corbin, Kentucky, however, you’d be in for a treat. Within the walls of a Pure Oil filling station sporting six dining tables, you’d find a young Colonel Harland David Sanders serving up the very best fried chicken — and the humble beginnings of KFC. 

A whole lot has changed for the sit-down turned quick-service restaurant. It has joined the ranks of Taco Bell and Pizza Hut as a member of the Yum! Brands family with 29,000+ franchise locations in 150 countries and all 50 U.S. states. What hasn’t changed? The brand’s commitment to serving a finger-lickin’ good experience, which influences everything from how team members prepare signature dishes — the chicken always made by hand, following the Colonel's original recipe — to customer interactions and internal operations.

As diners seek faster, increasingly digital ways to get their hands on the brand’s crispy goodness, the company has been ramping up for another change: marrying physical and digital content and serving it on the channels most frequented by customers.

“One of our biggest challenges has been moving from a traditional heritage brand to something more modern, relevant, and iconic. By stepping up these ambitions, we knew we had to step up our technology,” Ashley Travis, Sr. Director of Digital Experience & Product Growth at KFC Global, said. It was time for KFC to fly the coop on its old way of managing digital content. 

With a track record for revamping digital experiences at companies such as Pepsico, Starbucks, and Amazon, Travis was uniquely qualified to spearhead this transformation. She had a hunch that a headless content management would offer KFC a more user-friendly way to create content, which country-specific markets could scale in implementation as they grew. Following this hunch, the brand adopted Contentful.

Customizable content types enable markets to put delectable, localized deals at the center of their digital experiences.

Feasting its eyes on a new platform

Before re-platforming, KFC’s digital experiences were inconsistent and costly to maintain. Market and franchise-specific websites had been built from the same initial template, but customized to such an extent that they lacked any real consistency. With the content of these sites hardcoded, markets and franchises were forced to set aside resources for development support any time they wanted to add new content or make an update. For larger markets that could afford this expenditure, the absence of autonomy was an annoyance. For smaller markets and new franchise owners with less cash flow, this investment was out of the question. 

This setup led to a lag in up to date and personalized content across digital channels. As customers scoured the digital sphere for the latest promotion, seasonal offerings (like the limited edition Summer BBQ Chicken Sandwich), and local delicacies (such as Japan’s Egg Tart or the Philippines’s Double Down Dog) they came away empty-handed.

Bringing everyone to the table with a unified, accessible solution

In 2020, Travis and her colleagues started searching for a content management tool to support this project — ideally something headless. “It was important that we have a content solution that could flex to the needs and digital maturity of our various global markets as it would be in the hands of both teams with development resources and those who had never touched a CMS before,” Travis pointed out, referencing the platform’s ability to serve as the base for growing, interchangeable tech stacks.

After submitting requests for proposals to several well-known vendors, a front-runner emerged: Contentful. In addition to sporting a decoupled architecture, the composable content platform offered capabilities that addressed KFC’s most pressing needs. It offered reliable global support and was well–liked by digital teams. For technical team members the appeal was rooted in flexibility, for the nontechnical, it was the platform's user-friendly editorial interface. 

After procuring the tool and completing a proof of concept, KFC Global, KFC U.S., and KFC Australia collaborated to set it up. They spent several months carefully defining and building preliminary content models and content types before onboarding the first wave of markets. In 2022, Australia kicked off the incremental migration, becoming the first region to host its website and app on Contentful. 

Ashley Travis, Sr. Director Digital Experience & Product Growth, KFC Global

“ As a brand that shows up differently across markets, having a tool like Contentful provides a framework to support standardization. Still, there’s some amount of flexibility for markets to add content that's relevant to their specific restaurant and local customers. ”

Sr. Director Digital Experience & Product Growth

Localizing content to keep customers coming back for more

In 2023, India, Canada, and South Africa joined Australia on the platform. This scaled adoption offered the brand an opportunity to battle-test its content models, ensuring they struck the proper balance between consistency and customization.

“As a brand that shows up differently across markets, we hoped to develop a framework that standardizes certain elements without robbing markets of the opportunity to connect with customers through more localized content,” Travis noted.

Content types housing universally applicable information could not be altered locally and was consistent across the four regions. Meanwhile, each market has the option to customize its menu, homepage content, and other areas of the site to reflect local offerings, promotions, and preferences. 

“We're seeing a lot of creativity come out of our new tech stack. For example, a lot of our Australia locations have secret menu items — these offerings are built by team members who create their own twists on KFC classics,” Travis said, rehashing the delight and surprise customers get from such out-of-the-box creations such as poutine .

Customizable content types enable markets to put delectable, localized deals at the center of their digital experiences.

Customizable content is even shrinking the time it takes customers to go from checking out to chowing down. Markets and franchises can set a default at checkout — delivery or pick-up, which aligns with local preferences to effectively eliminate one step of the buyer’s journey. For example, in Australia, the default for online ordering is in-store pickup whereas in India, it’s delivery. 

Delivering deep-fried goodness to every channel

The brand consistency that KFC is enjoying extends across other digital channels. With Contentful, KFC has been able to utilize the same content across its web and mobile experience, effectively eliminating the excessive copy-and-paste processes otherwise required to manage such content. In the future, the company plans to extend this use case to digital drive-thru signs and in-store kiosks. 

This consistency in branding and accuracy of product offerings is encouraging more customers than ever before to make purchases through digital channels. In fact, this is accounting for a 43% increase in YOY transactions. 

By moving in-person ordering to online spaces, restaurant team members can spend more time focusing on cooking quality meals and making meaningful connections as they serve them.

Adding “sides” for a richer tech stack and digital experience

At adoption, the company integrated its custom-built ecommerce platform to create a one-stop shop for marketing its products and processing orders. Over the past few months, KFC Global’s Ecommerce team has been adding new tools — several from the Contentful Marketplace —  to accelerate business outcomes and sales.

Integrations include Amplify and Google Analytics 4 , which are used for data analytics and optimization. FullStory provides customer journey mapping, Datadog — site reliability, Branch — deep linking, and Braze — customer engagement.

Together, this tech stack gives KFC a snapshot of what areas of its digital experiences keep customers engaged and ordering, and which areas could use improvement. Since implementing and iterating content to align with its data, the company has been able to increase both its digital sales and menu-to-cart conversion rates. 

Ashley Travis, Sr. Director Digital Experience & Product Growth, KFC Global

“ Contentful has the capabilities to power and personalize content across customer touchpoints — from kiosks to digital menu boards in the drive-thru. Whether it's one customer looking for a double stacked tower or a family of six ordering buckets, Contentful allows us to deliver relevant content ”

Continuing to march to the beat of a digital-first drum(stick).

With a reliable platform and the bones of a scalable digital strategy in place, Travis and her team are onto the next courses: continuing to migrate new markets to the platform (including Thailand and Japan), optimizing its implementation to increase flexibility further, and rolling out new digital offerings focused on increasing customer loyalty and engagement. 

Contentful brings brand consistency to KFC’s web and mobile apps, turning up the heat on brand recognition and customer loyalty.

Though tight-lipped on the 11 herbs and spices that season the company’s standout chicken, Travis did provide more details on KFC’s “top secret” content initiatives. In November 2023, KFC began rolling out its new loyalty program, KFC Rewards. Built entirely on Contentful, the program features local promotions, challenges, and exclusive menu offerings, and is another avenue for KFC customers to interact with the brand and reap new benefits each time they buy a bucket of chicken. Customers in Canada and South America will be the first to enjoy the new app, with Japan and Thailand to follow. Travis envisions a future where KFC rewards are integrated with in-store digital kiosks to streamline in-store purchases further and lay the foundation for more personalized content. 

“Contentful has the capabilities and potential to power and personalize content across customer touchpoints and segments — whether the customer is some guy looking for a double-stacked tower from his mobile phone or a family of six ordering buckets at the drive-thru,” Travis said with excitement. 

With the exception of its original recipe, KFC plans to continue iterating and extending its core digital experience to keep modern customers engaging and eager to order.

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Modular, reusable content models enhance consistency while still leaving room for creativity.

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View analytics data from Google Analytics 4 in Contentful.

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Explore the New Storytellers series

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Audible sparks listener imagination with Contentful

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Vodafone dials up content operations with Contentful

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Collaboration, Community, Growth: A look inside KFC’s 2023 Global Operations Summit

Last week in Paris, France, our world-class operators from around the globe joined together to discuss how we’re transforming our operations and evolving our business for dynamic growth. Representing our 15 business units and the more than 150 countries where KFC operates, there was so much passion for the finger lickin’ good chicken we prepare fresh every day and the guests we serve it to.

DAY 1: Driving operational excellence

Operations is at the heart of our business. We kicked off Ops Summit with our global CEO Sabir Sami sharing his thoughts on the role heart-led leaders play when unlocking top-notch performance and driving results. 

Markets including France, India and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia also shared key progress on their journey to transforming operations and delighting customers, bringing best practices to life across their diverse operating environments.

Collaboration, Community, Growth: A look inside KFC’s 2023 Global Operations Summit

We rounded out the day hearing from the CEO of Collins Foods, Drew O’Malley , on the importance of building and maintaining strong, long-term franchise relationships.

DAY 2: Going all in on Experience Management

Before programming began, female leaders representing all KFC markets and some external partners joined for breakfast to discuss their experiences as women working in the field of operations, a function that’s historically been predominantly led by men. Lucy Taylor , COO for KFC UK&I, and Grace Munsayac , COO for Greater Asia, shared leadership lessons with an authentic Q&A on how to thrive as women in operations.

Collaboration, Community, Growth: A look inside KFC’s 2023 Global Operations Summit

Day 2 was all about experience management, or XM as we call it. XM includes both the customer experience (CX) and the employee experience (EX). At KFC, we’re on a journey toward improved and more impactful listening to improve our experience and drive growth.

Unlocking this type of data is key to the transformational journey we’re on, so we started the morning talking about what it will take for us to adopt this new way of collecting information and actioning the insights we uncover. Advisory Director Nan Russell from our listening partner Qualtrics shared the keys to success for 360 degrees listening, followed by Clare Black , GM of Sales at Delta Air Lines, shared a case study on how this has been a winning approach for them.

A look inside KFC’s 2023 Global Operations Summit 1

But we can’t talk about XM without also talking about taste – the reason people choose to experience the brand in the first place and the true superpower of KFC. KFC Global CMO Val Kubizniak and Director of Food Innovation Ana Maria Basurto shared about the importance of consistently executing our hand-breaded, freshly prepared chicken just how the Colonel made it every time. To further immerse ourselves in XM, we then headed out across Paris for restaurant visits to see the CX and EX firsthand, including our global CEO and restaurant team members exchanging a fist-bump.

A look inside KFC’s 2023 Global Operations Summit 2

DAY 3: Building capability by building up people

On the final day, we dove into something that truly sets KFC apart from other QSR brands – our heart-led, inclusive and high-performance culture. Sabir sat down with Keith Barr , the CEO of InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) and a non-executive Director of Yum! Brands, who shared how he helped remodel IHG's business by driving performance and leading with heart. Then our Director of Inclusion and Capability Carolina Romero shared how we can drive performance through a focus on self, others and culture.

GM of Heartstyles, Ross Orwin , brought leading self to life through application of our character compass with self-reflection and group sessions. And when it comes to leading others, our Sr. Director of People and Culture Ashley Hostetter shared the keys to high-performance career coaching – starting with clarity of aspirations to courageous kind conversations on how to realize career goals.

A look inside KFC’s 2023 Global Operations Summit 3

Finally, Carolina shared the importance of creating brave and safe places where everyone feels they belong, which is why we’ve launched two global Communities of Belonging – SHINE, which elevates women throughout our KFC family, and Kentucky Fried Pride (KFP) which is dedicated to embracing and empowering the LGBTQ+ community. Siyabulela Ngcukana , Chief Supply Chain Officer for KFC Africa, and Toby Camilleri , COO for KFC Canada, took the stage to share their stories and explain why being their true selves at work, and having allies in the workplace, has unlocked their full potential.

A look inside KFC’s 2023 Global Operations Summit 4

Finally, we closed out Day 3 talking about technology and innovation with the Chief Innovation Officer of Yum! Lawrence Kim and leads from our fabulous equipment partners: The Middleby Corporation, Henny Penny and Winston Food Service.

We wrapped up the event the only way we know how – with an awards ceremony and gala to recognize the outstanding work and impressive results being achieved by our market operations team across the world. 

Until next time, Paris. Santé!

A look inside KFC’s 2023 Global Operations Summit 5

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How KFC Revolutionized Digital Engagement with Composable Content 

Composable content has become a transformative approach.

KFC

In today’s digital-first world, content is at the heart of the customer experience. Ernst & Young’s Future Consumer Index recently recommended that food companies seamlessly  integrate digital channels  to capture consumer attention, take an agile approach to digital experiences, and plan to evolve those experiences over time. 

Digital content is how people gather information about a company, look for products, and more often than not, how they make their purchases. Getting customers in the door is still important, but these days consumers have likely placed their orders from an app or on a website before they get in their car.  

Consumer habits changed permanently during the pandemic, but many companies are still using Content Management Systems (CMS) that require teams to file a ticket to get a new page made or ask developers to bring a new promotion to life. Businesses can’t wait days or weeks to create new customer experiences—with consumers focused on digital engagement, global brands need a robust integrated strategy built for multiple touchpoints and coordinated outreach if they want to win new customers.  

How did we get here? 

Marketers and IT teams spent 2020 rolling out non-contact order fulfillment as quickly as they could. But now customers expect more than a basic retail catalog/ordering app; they’re looking for immersive digital experiences that cross multiple channels, including digital, social media, and in-app interactions. At the same time, marketing promotions, social media, and user-generated content are making it harder just to keep up with everything required to grow the brand for the business.  

Today’s consumers face a constant flow of information, but what they’re really looking for is the right flow of content, including real-time updates on purchases, new videos, images, and product descriptions, all personalized for them. When companies balance the need for relevant content with the challenge of managing assets for an iconic multinational, it adds up to a major challenge—especially when balanced against the desire to give different regions and countries something uniquely relevant for each market. 

Freedom within a framework 

KFC, a global powerhouse with nearly 30,000 restaurants in 149 countries, saw how diverse franchisees—essentially a collection of small businesses—were struggling to quickly create enhanced digital experiences for their regions, while also staying true to KFC’s distinctive brand attributes including its iconic bucket, 11 herbs and spices and of course, the Colonel. Today, a staggering 45 percent of KFC’s sales are digital—but their goal is to reach 100 percent of sales on a worldwide scale, so restaurant staff can use the data to personalize experiences for the customer and ease the burden on team members, enabling them to focus on delivering finger lickin’ good chicken with a smile. 

U.S.-based Ashley Travis, Senior Director of Digital Experience & Product Growth for KFC Global, employs a guiding principle known as “freedom within a framework” to inspire her digital teams to craft innovative marketing campaigns. However, outdated technology that relied on hard-coded, market-specific websites hindered their efforts, resulting in inconsistent, outdated content and a subpar ordering experience for consumers.  

A composable content platform

Composable content is a transformative approach that Travis adopted to enhance responsiveness, efficiency, and global campaign consistency. Contentful defines  composable content  as ‘combining content and data from disparate sources so that it can be presented in a variety of formats and channels. Composable content empowers marketers to source and build new content with existing elements from across the company.’ This modularity helps incorporate the most relevant assets for a particular page while combining data from multiple services to provide consumers with a unified experience.  

Travis and the broader Yum! Brands team partnered with Contentful, a leading player used by nearly 30 percent of the Fortune 500 to help manage websites and apps and support major milestone events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Contentful’s composable platform allowed KFC to swiftly update website content, personalize customer experiences based on factors like time of day and customer segment, and maintain brand consistency around the world. 

Before KFC made the change to a composable content platform, even a simple task like updating an image required a service ticket. Now the company can create experiences like flexible menu prioritization that helps promote new products while also checking to make sure the ingredients are on hand for hot new menu items to avoid disappointing excited consumers.  

Transactions driving local promotions 

The flexibility of composable content enabled KFC to creatively link core aspects of KFC’s menu, including the 11 Herbs & Spices in the company’s Original Recipe, to in-store promotions. When KFC found out that 11 percent of Australians identify as left-handed, Contenful’s platform enabled KFC to create a whole campaign by featuring “left-handed” product offers every day for 11 days, released at 11 a.m., where the first 11,000 customers could claim an offer before it was gone. The award-winning campaign boosted app downloads by 67 percent, with nearly 100,000 new installs during the campaign period and a 39 percent increase in daily app transactions.

The ability to create custom menus, regional promotions, and country-specific offerings enables KFC to offer customers what they want, with personalized offers and customized digital experiences. 

When companies want to shift to a composable content strategy, these are some of the key features that can make a content platform more flexible and user-friendly. 

  • Visual Editor Interface: A core feature of a composable platform is a visual editor that can allow designers to easily layout images and videos in a drag-and-drop approach, without starting from scratch with HTML code. A powerful visual interface makes it easier for non-technical teams to create content and easily publish pages and apps. 
  • Live Preview: Allows visual inspection of digital experiences before publishing—an essential step for quality control, but often technically challenging to deploy. 
  • Intelligent Process Automation: Reducing repetitive tasks can directly improve efficiency and help teams get more done. Look for a platform that can automate routine tasks to boost productivity and innovation. 
  • Content Integrity: One of the biggest challenges with managing a multi-country brand is ensuring that assets and brand attributes are used properly, in compliance with international copyright and trademark law. Having an integrity feature ensures content accuracy and adherence to brand and governance standards. 
  • Integration Capabilities: When companies refer to a “headless” CMS platform, they mean a tool that can easily integrate with different digital asset managers, ecommerce platforms, and internet infrastructure providers. Look for a system that can seamlessly integrate with the various environments and tools that a team is already using to provide a unified composable content experience and improve workflow efficiency. 

In today’s digital landscape, content management systems designed with composable content in mind are essential for driving consistency and scaling worldwide campaigns efficiently. KFC’s commitment to continuous improvement and innovation paved the way for a flexible CMS infrastructure, allowing this beloved brand to deliver dynamic digital experiences as consistently excellent as the food they serve. 

As KFC looks ahead to the future, the company is focused on eventually making every purchase a digital transaction by staying at the forefront of digital engagement. The flexible power of composable content built on a robust CMS infrastructure has positioned them to meet the ever-evolving demands of today’s digital consumers, setting a high standard for brands worldwide. 

Amy Kilpatrick is the CMO of Contentful. Amy has nearly two decades of experience in marketing and operations, spanning a number of industries, including SaaS, Cybersecurity, and Telecommunications. Amy has a strong track record of scaling marketing organizations with an emphasis on growth and performance. Amy previously held leadership roles at Mailchimp, Aha!, Dell Secureworks, and Cbeyond. During her time at Mailchimp, she was part of the leadership team that helped drive extensive growth between 2016 and 2021. Amy holds a BS in Business Management and MBA from Appalachian State University. Outside of work, you will find Amy spending time outdoors or traveling with her family.

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Customer Journey Maps

What are customer journey maps.

Customer journey maps are visual representations of customer experiences with an organization. They provide a 360-degree view of how customers engage with a brand over time and across all channels. Product teams use these maps to uncover customer needs and their routes to reach a product or service. Using this information, you can identify pain points and opportunities to enhance customer experience and boost customer retention.

“ Data often fails to communicate the frustrations and experiences of customers. A story can do that, and one of the best storytelling tools in business is the customer journey map.” — Paul Boag, UX designer, service design consultant & digital transformation expert

In this video, Frank Spillers, CEO of Experience Dynamics, explains how you can include journey maps in your design process.

  • Transcript loading…

Customer Journey Maps – Tell Customer Stories Over Time

Customer journey maps are research-based tools. They show common customer experiences over time To help brands learn more about their target audience. 

Maps are incredibly effective communication tools. See how maps simplify complex spaces and create shared understanding.

Unlike navigation maps, customer journey maps have an extra dimension—time. Design teams examine tasks and questions (e.g., what-ifs) regarding how a design meets or fails to meet customers’ needs over time when encountering a product or service. 

Customer journey maps should have comprehensive timelines that show the most essential sub-tasks and events. Over this timeline framework, you add insights into customers' thoughts and feelings when proceeding along the timeline. The map should include: 

A timescale - A defined journey period (e.g., one week). This timeframe should include the entire journey, from awareness to conversion to retention.

Scenarios - The context and sequence of events where a user/customer must achieve a goal. An example could be a user who wants to buy a ticket on the phone. Scenarios are events from the first actions (recognizing a problem) to the last activities (e.g., subscription renewal).

Channels – Where do they perform actions (e.g., Facebook)?

Touchpoints – How does the customer interact with the product or service? What actions do they perform?

Thoughts and feelings – The customer's thoughts and feelings at each touchpoint.

A customer journey map helps you understand how customer experience evolves over time. It allows you to identify possible problems and improve the design. This enables you to design products that are more likely to exceed customers’ expectations in the future state. 

Customer Journey Map

How to Create a Customer Journey Map for Exceptional Experiences?

An infographic showcasing seven steps to create customer journey maps.

© Interaction Design Foundation, CC BY-SA 4.0

Define Your Map’s Business Goal

Before creating a customer journey map, you must ask yourself why you're making one in the first place. Clarify who will use it and what user experience it will address.

Conduct Research

Use customer research to determine customer experiences at all touchpoints. Get analytical/statistical data and anecdotal evidence. Leverage customer interviews, surveys, social media listening, and competitive intelligence.

Watch user researcher Ditte Hvas Mortensen talk about how user research fits your design process and when you should do different studies. 

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Review Touchpoints and Channels

List customer touchpoints (e.g., paying a bill) and channels (e.g., online). Look for more touchpoints or channels to include.

Make an Empathy Map

Pinpoint what the customer does, thinks, feels, says, hears, etc., in a given situation. Then, determine their needs and how they feel throughout the experience. Focus on barriers and sources of annoyance.

Sketch the Journey

Piece everything—touchpoints, timescale, empathy map output, new ideas, etc.). Show a customer’s course of motion through touchpoints and channels across the timescale, including their feelings at every touchpoint.

Iterate and Refine

Revise and transform your sketch into the best-looking version of the ideal customer journey.

Share with Stakeholders

Ensure all stakeholders understand your map and appreciate how its use will benefit customers and the organization.

Buyer Journey vs User Journey vs Customer Journey: What's the Difference?

You must know the differences between buyer, user, and customer journeys to optimize customer experiences. A customer journey map is often synonymous with a user flow diagram or buyer journey map. However, each journey gives unique insights and needs different plans.

Customer Journey

The customer journey, or lifecycle, outlines the stages a customer goes through with a business. This journey can vary across organizations but includes five key steps:

1. Awareness : This is the first stage of the customer journey, where the customers realize they have a problem. The customer becomes aware of your brand or product at this stage, usually due to marketing efforts.

2. Consideration : Once customers know about your product or service, they start their research and compare brands.

3. Purchase : This is the stage where the customer has chosen a solution and is ready to buy your product or service.

4. Retention : After the purchase, it's about retaining that customer and nurturing a relationship. This is where good customer service comes in.

5. Advocacy : Also called the loyalty stage, this is when the customer not only continues to buy your product but also recommends it to others.

The journey doesn't end when the customer buys and recommends your solution to others. Customer journey strategies are cyclical and repetitive. After the advocacy stage, ideally, you continue to attract and retain the customers, keeping them in the cycle. 

There is no standard format for a customer journey map. The key is to create one that works best for your team and product or service. Get started with customer journey mapping with our template:

This customer journey map template features three zones:

Top – persona and scenario. 

Middle – thoughts, actions, and feelings. 

Bottom – insights and progress barriers.

Buyer Journey

The buyer's journey involves the buyer's path towards purchasing. This includes some of the steps we saw in the customer journey but is specific to purchasing :

1. Awareness Stage : This is when a prospective buyer realizes they have a problem. However, they aren't yet fully aware of the solutions available to them.

2. Consideration Stage : After identifying their problem, the buyer researches and investigates different solutions with more intent. They compare different products, services, brands, or strategies here.

3. Decision Stage : The buyer then decides which solution will solve their problem at the right price. This is where the actual purchasing action takes place.  

4. Post-Purchase Evaluation : Although not always included, this stage is critical. It's where the buyer assesses their satisfaction with the purchase. It includes customer service interactions, quality assessment, and attitudinal loyalty to the brand.

All these stages can involve many touchpoints, including online research, social media interactions, and even direct, in-person interactions. Different buyers may move through these stages at different speeds and through various channels, depending on a wide range of factors.

User Journey

The user journey focuses on people's experience with digital platforms like websites or software. Key stages include:

1. Discovery : In this stage, users become aware of your product, site, or service, often due to marketing efforts, word-of-mouth, or organic search. It also includes their initial reactions or first impressions.

2. Research/Consideration : Here, users dig deeper, exploring features, comparing with alternatives, and evaluating if your offering suits their needs and preferences.

3. Interaction/Use : Users actively engage with your product or service. They first-hand experience your solution's functionality, usability, and usefulness to achieve their goal.

4. Problem-solving : If they encounter any issues, how they seek help and resolve their issues fall into this stage. It covers user support, troubleshooting, and other assistance.

5. Retention/Loyalty : This stage involves how users stay engaged over time. Do they continue using your product, reduce usage, or stop altogether? It includes their repeated interactions, purchases, and long-term engagement over time.

6. Advocacy/Referral : This is when users are so satisfied they begin to advocate for your product, leaving positive reviews and referring others to your service.

Download this user journey map template featuring an example of a user’s routine. 

User Journey Example

Understanding these stages can help optimize the user experience, providing value at each stage and making the journey seamless and enjoyable. 

Always remember the journey is as important as the destination. Customer relationships start from the first website visit or interaction with marketing materials. These initial touchpoints can influence the ongoing relationship with your customers.

A gist of differences between customer, buyer, and user journeys.

© Interaction Design Foundation, CC BY-SA 3.0

All customer interactions, pre and post-purchase.

Pre-purchase stages: awareness, consideration, conversion.

Subset of interactions in digital platforms.

Start/End Point

From marketing to end of customer relationship.

From awareness to conversion stages.

From user entry to exit on a digital platform.

All types of products and services—software and non—software interactions.

Decision-making before a purchase

Primarily digital platform interactions.

Drawbacks of Customer Journey Maps

Customer journey mapping is valuable yet has limitations and potential drawbacks. Recognize these challenges and create more practical and realistic journey maps.

Over-simplification of Customer Experiences

Customer journey maps often risk simplifying complex customer experiences . They may depict varied and unpredictable customer behaviors as straightforward and linear. This simplification can lead to misunderstandings about your customers' needs and wants. As a result, you might overlook customers' diverse and unique paths. 

Always remember that real customer experiences are more complex than any map. When you recognize this, you steer clear of decisions based on simple models.

Resource Intensity

Creating detailed customer journey maps requires a lot of resources and time. You must gather extensive data and update the maps to keep them relevant. This process can strain small businesses or those with limited resources. 

You need to balance the need for comprehensive mapping with available resources. Efficient resource management and prioritization are crucial to maintaining effective journey maps.

Risk of Bias

Creating customer journey maps carries the inherent risk of biases . These biases can arise from various sources. They can impact the accuracy and effectiveness of the maps. 

Alan Dix, an expert in HCI, discusses bias in more detail in this video.  

Common biases in customer journey mapping include:

Assumption Bias: When teams make decisions based on preconceived notions rather than customer data.

Selection Bias: When the data doesn’t represent the entire customer base..

Confirmation Bias : When you focus on information that supports existing beliefs and preferences. Simultaneously, you tend to ignore or dismiss data that contradicts those beliefs.

Anchoring Bias : Relying on the first information encountered (anchor) when making decisions.

Overconfidence Bias : Placing too much trust in the accuracy of the journey map. You may overlook its potential flaws.

These biases may misguide the team, and design decisions based on these maps might not be effective.

To address these biases, review and update journey maps with real user research data. Engage with different customer segments and gather a wide range of feedback to help create a more accurate and representative map. This approach ensures the journey map aligns with actual customer experiences and behaviors.

Evolving Customer Behaviors

Customer behaviors and preferences change with time. A journey map relevant today can become outdated. You need to update and adapt your maps to reflect these changes. This requires you to perform market research and stay updated with trends and customer feedback. 

Getting fresh data ensures your journey map stays relevant and effective. You must adapt to evolving customer behaviors to maintain accurate and valuable customer journey maps.

Challenges in Capturing Emotions

Capturing emotions accurately in customer journey maps poses a significant challenge. Emotions influence customer decisions, yet you may find it difficult to quantify and represent them in maps. Most journey maps emphasize actions and touchpoints, often neglecting the emotional journey. 

You must integrate emotional insights into these maps to understand customer experiences. This integration enhances the effectiveness of customer engagement strategies. You can include user quotes, symbols such as emojis, or even graphs to capture the ups and downs of the users’ emotions..

Misalignment with Customer Needs

Misalignments in customer journey maps can manifest in various ways. It can impact the effectiveness of your strategies. Common misalignments include:

Putting business aims first, not what customers need.

Not seeing or serving the varied needs of different customer types.

Not using customer feedback in the journey map.

Thinking every customer follows a simple, straight path.

Engage with your customers to understand their needs and preferences if you want to address these misalignments. Incorporate their direct feedback into the journey map. This approach leads to more effective customer engagement and satisfaction.

Over-Reliance on the Map

Relying too much on customer journey maps can lead to problems. These maps should serve as tools rather than definitive guides. Viewing them as perfect can restrict your responsiveness to customer feedback and market changes. Treat journey maps as evolving documents that complement direct customer interactions and feedback. 

Make sure you get regular updates and maintain flexibility in your approach. Balance the insights from the map with ongoing customer engagement. This approach keeps your business agile and responsive to evolving customer needs.

Data Privacy Concerns

Collecting customer data for journey mapping poses significant privacy concerns. Thus, you need to create a balance. You must adhere to data protection laws and gather enough information for mapping. 

You need a careful strategy to ensure customer data security. Stay vigilant to adapt to evolving privacy regulations and customer expectations. This vigilance helps maintain trust and compliance.

Learn More about Customer Journey Maps

Take our Journey Mapping course to gain insights into the how and why of journey mapping. Learn practical methods to create experience maps , customer journey maps, and service blueprints for immediate application.

Explore this eBook to discover customer journey mapping .

Find some additional insights in the Customer Journey Maps article.

Questions related to Customer Journey Maps

Creating a customer journey map requires visually representing the customer's experience with your product or company. Harness the strength of visual reasoning to understand and present this journey succinctly. Instead of detailing a lengthy narrative, like a book, a well-crafted map allows stakeholders, whether designers or not, to grasp the journey quickly. It's a democratized tool that disseminates information, unifies teams, and aids decision-making by illuminating previously unnoticed or misunderstood aspects of the customer's journey.

The customer journey encompasses five distinct stages that guide a customer's interaction with a brand or product:

Awareness: The customer becomes aware of a need or problem.

Consideration: They research potential solutions or products.

Purchase: The customer decides on a solution and makes a purchase.

Retention: Post-purchase, the customer uses the product and forms an opinion.

Advocacy: Satisfied customers become brand advocates, sharing their positive experiences.

For a comprehensive understanding of these stages and how they intertwine with customer touchpoints, refer to Interaction-Design.org's in-depth article .

A perspective grid workshop is a activity that brings together stakeholders from various departments, such as product design, marketing, growth, and customer support, to align on a shared understanding of the customer's journey. These stakeholders contribute unique insights about customer needs and how they interact with a product or service. The workshop entails:

Creating a matrix to identify customers' jobs and requirements, not initially linked to specific features.

Identifying the gaps, barriers, pains, and risks associated with unmet needs, and constructing a narrative for the journey.

Highlighting the resulting value when these needs are met.

Discuss the implied technical and non-technical capabilities required to deliver this value.

Brainstorming possible solutions and eventually narrowing down to specific features.

The ultimate aim is to foster alignment within the organization and produce a user journey map based on shared knowledge. 

Learn more from this insightful video:

Customer journey mapping is vital as it harnesses our visual reasoning capabilities to articulate a customer's broad, intricate journey with a brand. Such a depiction would otherwise require extensive documentation, like a book. This tool offers a cost-effective method to convey information succinctly, ensuring understanding of whether one is a designer or lacks the time for extensive reading. It also helps the team to develop a shared vision and to encourage collaboration.  Businesses can better comprehend and address interaction points by using a journey map, facilitating informed decision-making and revealing insights that might otherwise remain obscured. Learn more about the power of visualizing the customer journey in this video.

Pain points in a customer journey map represent customers' challenges or frustrations while interacting with a product or service. They can arise from unmet needs, gaps in service, or barriers faced during the user experience. Identifying these pain points is crucial as they highlight areas for improvement, allowing businesses to enhance the customer experience and meet their needs more effectively. Pain points can relate to various aspects, including product usability, communication gaps, or post-purchase concerns. Explore the detailed article on customer journey maps at Interaction Design Foundation for a deeper understanding and real-world examples.

Customer journey mapping offers several key benefits:

It provides a holistic view of the customer experience, highlighting areas for improvement. This ensures that products or services meet users' needs effectively.

The process fosters team alignment, ensuring everyone understands and prioritizes the customer's perspective.

It helps identify pain points, revealing opportunities to enhance user satisfaction and loyalty.

This visualization allows businesses to make informed decisions, ensuring resources target the most impactful areas.

To delve deeper into the advantages and insights on journey mapping, refer to Interaction Design Foundation's article on key takeaways from the IXDF journey mapping course .

In design thinking, a customer journey map visually represents a user's interactions with a product or service over time. It provides a detailed look at a user's experience, from initial contact to long-term engagement. Focusing on the user's perspective highlights their needs, emotions, pain points, and moments of delight. This tool aids in understanding and empathizing with users, a core principle of design thinking. When used effectively, it bridges gaps between design thinking and marketing, ensuring user-centric solutions align with business goals. For a comprehensive understanding of how it fits within design thinking and its relation to marketing, refer to Interaction Design Foundation's article on resolving conflicts between design thinking and marketing .

A customer journey map and a user journey map are tools to understand the experience of users or customers with a product or service.

A customer journey map is a broader view of the entire customer experience across multiple touchpoints and stages. It considers physical and digital channels, multiple user personas, and emotional and qualitative aspects.

A user journey map is a detailed view of the steps to complete a specific task or goal within a product or service. It only considers digital channels, one user persona, and functional and quantitative aspects.

Both are useful to understand and improve the experience of the users or customers with a product or service. However, they have different scopes, perspectives, and purposes. A customer journey map provides a holistic view of the entire customer experience across multiple channels and stages. A user journey map provides a detailed view of the steps to complete a specific task or goal within a product or service.

While user journeys might emphasize specific tasks or pain points, customer journeys encapsulate the entire experience, from research and comparison to purchasing and retention. 

Customer journey maps and service blueprints are tools to understand and improve the experience of the users or customers with a product or service. A customer journey map shows the entire customer experience across multiple touchpoints and stages. It focuses on the front stage of the service, which is what the customers see and experience. It considers different user personas and emotional aspects.

A service blueprint shows how a service is delivered and operated by an organization. It focuses on the back stage of the service, which is what the customers do not see or experience. It considers one user persona and functional aspects. What are the steps that the customer takes to complete a specific task or goal within the service? What are the channels and devices that the customer interacts with at each step?

For an immersive dive into customer journey mapping, consider enrolling in the Interaction Design Foundation's specialized course . This course offers hands-on lessons, expert guidance, and actionable tools. Furthermore, to grasp the course's essence, the article “4 Takeaways from the IXDF Journey Mapping Course” sheds light on the core learnings, offering a snapshot of what to expect. These resources are tailored by industry leaders, ensuring you're equipped with the best knowledge to craft impactful customer journey maps.

Answer a Short Quiz to Earn a Gift

Why do designers create customer journey maps?

  • To document internal company processes and designer feedback
  • To replace other forms of customer feedback
  • To visualize customer experiences and identify pain points

In which stage do customers first recognize they have a problem?

What element is essential in a customer journey map?

  • Competitor analysis
  • Customer's thoughts and feelings
  • Empathy maps and user stories

Why are scenarios included in a customer journey map?

  • To exemplify the design thinking process
  • To list product features
  • To show the context and sequence of events

Why should designers iterate and refine customer journey maps?

  • To ensure it remains relevant and accurate
  • To keep the map visually appealing
  • To reduce the number of customer interactions

Better luck next time!

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Literature on Customer Journey Maps

Here’s the entire UX literature on Customer Journey Maps by the Interaction Design Foundation, collated in one place:

Learn more about Customer Journey Maps

Take a deep dive into Customer Journey Maps with our course Journey Mapping .

This course will show you how to use journey mapping to turn your own complex design challenges into simple, delightful user experiences . If you want to design a great shopping experience, an efficient signup flow or an app that brings users delight over time, journey mapping is a critical addition to your toolbox. 

We will begin with a short introduction to mapping — why it is so powerful, and why it is so useful in UX. Then we will get familiar with the three most common types of journey map — experience maps, customer journey maps and service blueprints — and how to recognize, read and use each one. Then you will learn how to collect and analyze data as a part of a journey mapping process. Next you will learn how to create each type of journey map , and in the final lesson you will learn how to run a journey mapping workshop that will help to turn your journey mapping insights into actual products and services. 

This course will provide you with practical methods that you can start using immediately in your own design projects, as well as downloadable templates that can give you a head start in your own journey mapping projects. 

The “Build Your Portfolio: Journey Mapping Project” includes three practical exercises where you can practice the methods you learn, solidify your knowledge and if you choose, create a journey mapping case study that you can add to your portfolio to demonstrate your journey mapping skills to future employers, freelance customers and your peers. 

Throughout the course you will learn from four industry experts. 

Indi Young will provide wisdom on how to gather the right data as part of your journey mapping process. She has written two books,  Practical Empathy  and  Mental Models . Currently she conducts live online advanced courses about the importance of pushing the boundaries of your perspective. She was a founder of Adaptive Path, the pioneering UX agency that was an early innovator in journey mapping. 

Kai Wang will walk us through his very practical process for creating a service blueprint, and share how he makes journey mapping a critical part of an organization’s success. Kai is a talented UX pro who has designed complex experiences for companies such as CarMax and CapitalOne. 

Matt Snyder will help us think about journey mapping as a powerful and cost-effective tool for building successful products. He will also teach you how to use a tool called a perspective grid that can help a data-rich journey mapping process go more smoothly. In 2020 Matt left his role as the Sr. Director of Product Design at Lucid Software to become Head of Product & Design at Hivewire. 

Christian Briggs will be your tour guide for this course. He is a Senior Product Designer and Design Educator at the Interaction Design Foundation. He has been designing digital products for many years, and has been using methods like journey mapping for most of those years.  

All open-source articles on Customer Journey Maps

14 ux deliverables: what will i be making as a ux designer.

customer journey kfc

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What are Customer Touchpoints & Why Do They Matter?

customer journey kfc

  • 4 years ago

How to Visualize Your Qualitative User Research Results for Maximum Impact

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  • 3 years ago

How to Resolve Conflicts Between Design Thinking and Marketing

customer journey kfc

How to Create a Perspective Grid

customer journey kfc

4 Takeaways from the IxDF Journey Mapping Course

customer journey kfc

  • 2 years ago

The Power of Mapping

customer journey kfc

User Story Mapping in Design

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Start Your UX Journey: Essential Insights for Success

customer journey kfc

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The complete guide to customer journey stages.

12 min read If you want to turn a potential customer into a lifetime one, you’ll need to get to know every step of the entire customer journey. Here’s why the secret to customer retention lies in knowing how to fine-tune your sales funnel…

What is the customer journey?

What do we actually mean when we talk about the customer journey? Well, the simplest way to think about it is by comparing it to any other journey: a destination in mind, a starting point, and steps to take along the way.

In this case, the destination is not only to make a purchase but to have a great experience with your product or service – sometimes by interacting with aftersale customer support channels – and become a loyal customer who buys again.

And, just like how you can’t arrive at your vacation resort before you’ve done you’ve found out about it, the customer journey starts with steps to do with discovery, research, understanding, and comparison, before moving on to the buying process.

“Maximizing satisfaction with customer journeys has the potential not only to increase customer satisfaction by 20% but also lift revenue up by 15% while lowering the cost of serving customers by as much as 20%”

– McKinsey, The Three Cs of Customer Satisfaction

In short, the customer journey is the path taken by your target audience toward becoming loyal customers. So it’s really important to understand – both in terms of what each step entails and how you can improve each one to provide a maximally impressive and enjoyable experience.

Every customer journey will be different, after all, so getting to grips with the nuances of each customer journey stage is key to removing obstacles from in front of your potential and existing customers’ feet.

Free Course: Customer Journey Management & Improvement

What are the essential customer journey stages?

While many companies will put their own spin on the exact naming of the customer journey stages, the most widely-recognized naming convention is as follows:

  • Consideration

stages of the customer journey

These steps are often then sub-categorized into three parts:

  • Sale/Purchase

It’s important to understand every part of the puzzle, so let’s look at each sub-category and stage in turn, from the awareness and consideration stage, right through to advocacy:

Customer journey: Pre-sale

In the pre-sale phase, potential customers learn about products, evaluate their needs, make comparisons, and soak up information.

Awareness stage

In the awareness stage, your potential customer becomes aware of a company, product, or service. This might be passive – in that they’re served an ad online, on TV, or when out and about – or active in that they have a need and are searching for a solution. For example, if a customer needs car insurance, they’ll begin searching for providers.

Consideration stage

In the consideration stage, the customer has been made aware of several possible solutions for their particular need and starts doing research to compare them. That might mean looking at reviews or what others are saying on social media, as well as absorbing info on product specs and features on companies’ own channels. They’re receptive to information that can help them make the best decision.

Consider the journey

Customer journey: Sale

The sale phase is short but pivotal: it’s when the crucial decision on which option to go with has been made.

Decision stage

The customer has all the information they need on the various options available to them, and they make a purchase. This can be something that’s taken a long time to decide upon, like buying a new computer, or it can be as quick as quickly scouring the different kinds of bread available in the supermarket before picking the one they want.

Customer journey: Post-sale

Post-sale is a really important part of the puzzle because it’s where loyal customers , who come back time and again, are won or lost.

Retention stage

The retention stage of the customer journey is where you do whatever you can to help leave a lasting, positive impression on the customer, and entice them to purchase more. That means offering best-in-class customer support if they have any issues, but it also means being proactive with follow-up communications that offer personalized offers, information on new products, and rewards for loyalty.

Advocacy stage

If you nail the retention phase, you’ll have yourself a customer who not only wants to keep buying from you but will also advocate on your behalf. Here, the customer will become one of the most powerful tools in your arsenal, in that they’ll actively recommend you to their friends, family, followers, and colleagues.

What’s the difference between the customer journey and the buyer’s journey?

Great question; the two are similar, but not exactly the same. The buyer’s journey is a shorter, three-step process that describes the steps taken to make a purchase. So that’s awareness , consideration, and decision . That’s where things stop, however. The buyer’s journey doesn’t take into account the strategies you’ll use to keep the customer after a purchase has been made.

Why are the customer journey stages important?

The short answer? The customer journey is what shapes your entire business. It’s the method by which you attract and inform customers, how you convince them to purchase from you, and what you do to ensure they’re left feeling positive about every interaction.

Why this matters is that the journey is, in a way, cyclical. Customers who’ve had a smooth ride all the way through their individual journeys are more likely to stay with you, and that can have a massive effect on your operational metrics.

It’s up to five times more expensive to attract a new customer than it is to keep an existing customer, but even besides that: satisfied customers become loyal customers , and customer loyalty reduces churn at the same time as increasing profits .

So companies looking to really make an impact on the market need to think beyond simply attracting potential customers with impressive marketing, and more about the journey as a whole – where the retention and advocacy stages are equally important.

After all, 81% of US and UK consumers trust product advice from friends and family over brand messaging, and 59% of American consumers say that once they’re loyal to a brand, they’re loyal to it for life.

Importantly, to understand the customer journey as a whole is to understand its individual stages, recognize what works, and find things that could be improved to make it a more seamless experience. Because when you do that, you’ll be improving every part of your business proposition that matters.

How can you improve each customer journey stage?

Ok, so this whole customer journey thing is pretty important. Understanding the customer journey phases and how they relate to the overall customer experience is how you encourage customers to stick around and spread the news via word of mouth.

But how do you ensure every part of the journey is performing as it should? Here are some practical strategies to help each customer journey stage sing…

1. Perform customer journey mapping

A customer journey map takes all of the established customer journey stages and attempts to plot how actual target audience personas might travel along them. That means using a mix of data and intuition to map out a range of journeys that utilize a range of touch points along the way.

customer journey map example

One customer journey map, for example, might start with a TV ad, then utilize social media and third-party review sites during the consideration stage, before purchasing online and then contacting customer support about you your delivery service. And then, finally, that customer may be served a discount code for a future purchase. That’s just one example.

Customer journey mapping is really about building a myriad of those journeys that are informed by everything you know about how customers interact with you – and then using those maps to discover weaker areas of the journey.

2. Listen like you mean it

The key to building better customer journeys is listening to what customers are saying. Getting feedbac k from every stage of the journey allows you to build a strong, all-encompassing view of what’s happening from those that are experiencing it.

Maybe there’s an issue with the customer sign-up experience, for example. Or maybe the number advertised to contact for a demo doesn’t work. Or maybe you have a customer service agent in need of coaching, who only makes the issue worse. By listening, you’ll understand your customers’ issues and be able to fix them at the source. That customer service agent, for example, may just feel disempowered and unsupported, and in need of the right tools to help them perform better. Fixing that will help to optimize a key stage in the customer journey.

Qualtrics in action with sentiment analysis

The key is to listen at every stage, and we can do that by employing the right technology at the right customer journey stages.

Customer surveys, for instance, can help you understand what went wrong from the people who’re willing to provide that feedback, but conversational analytics and AI solutions can automatically build insights out of all the structured and unstructured conversational data your customers are creating every time they reach out, or tweet, or leave a review on a third party website.

3. Get personal

The other side of the ‘listening’ equation is that it’s worth remembering that each and every customer’s journey is different – so treating them with a blanket approach won’t necessarily make anything better for them.

The trick instead is to use the tools available to you to build out a personalized view of every customer journey, customer journey stage, and customer engagemen t, and find common solutions.

Qualtrics experience ID

Qualtrics Experience iD , for example, is an intelligent system that builds customer profiles that are unique to them and can identify through AI, natural language processing , and past interactions what’s not working – and what needs fixing.

On an individual basis, that will help turn each customer into an advocate. But as a whole, you’ll learn about experience gaps that are common to many journeys.

Listening to and understanding the customer experience at each customer journey stage is key to ensuring customers are satisfied and remain loyal on a huge scale.

It’s how you create 1:1 experiences, because, while an issue for one person might be an issue for many others, by fixing it quickly you can minimize the impact it might have on future customers who’re right at the start of their journey.

Free Course: Customer Journey Management Improvement

Related resources

Customer Journey

Buyer's Journey 16 min read

Customer journey analytics 13 min read, how to create a customer journey map 21 min read, customer interactions 11 min read, consumer decision journey 14 min read, customer journey orchestration 12 min read, customer journey management 14 min read, request demo.

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  • > Startups

KFC Story: History, Challenges and Current Status

  • Riya Kumari
  • Oct 21, 2020

KFC Story: History, Challenges and Current Status title banner

KFC, the most famous food store for chicken lovers. Whenever we think of fried chicken wings our brain immediately takes us to the KFC outlets. Want to know the interesting story behind KFC? So, here is an incredible story behind the success of KFC and the story of the founder is very interesting as well.

There are some entrepreneurial myths like you have to start at a very young age to become a successful entrepreneur. But, the owner of KFC has proved this myth wrong. Once Dallas Clayton said, “It’s never too late to start something new, to do all those things that you’ve been longing to do.” Now, you can see how this proverb stands perfect for the owner of KFC . Thus, in the blog, you will learn about the journey of the owner of this successful food store 'Colonel Harland Sanders'.

"MTV is to music as KFC is to chicken!" ~ Lewis Black

So, let's scan the blog to know the inspirational startup story of KFC . Also, you will get to know about its founder, its history, startup challenges, some secrets of its success, its present reputation, and many more latest updates related to your favourite food store 'KFC'.

Who is the founder of KFC ?

The founder of KFC is the one who is among the entrepreneurs, and who had begun late in life and had a very inspiring life. At the age of 62 when people generally start considering their retirement, Colonel Harland Sanders founded KFC . He was born on 9 September 1890 in Henryville, Indiana, U.S. and at the age of 90, on 16 December 1980, he died in Louisville, Kentucky.

When he was 5 years old, his father passed away. He had the responsibility of feeding his family. His mother taught him how to cook at the early age of seven. So, he did several small jobs to make a living. However, when he was around forty he ran a restaurant in Kentucky. He had a special self-made recipe of fried chicken that was loved by people. He wanted to make it an internationally known recipe. 

Finally, at the age of 62, he started his journey with very little money in his pocket. He would go door to door with his chicken recipe. He was rejected several times before he got his first franchise. So, this is the small journey of Harland Sanders towards this huge franchise KFC. Also , Pete Harman who was an American businessman was known for having struck a pact with Colonel Harland Sanders to open the first KFC franchise. (Related Blog: Read this blog to know about the success story of OLA. )

History of KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken)

People are crazy about KFC's chicken so after reading this blog, definitely, they will go to KFC. So, let's have a glimpse at the history of KFC in detail.

Kentucky Fried Chicken, or as we know it today- KFC, started in 1952 in Utah.

In July 1940, Harland created his unique recipe with 11 herbs and some flavours.

Harland Sanders had gone through a lot and finally, he revealed his secret recipe to his friend Pete Harman .

Pete was the operator of one of that city’s biggest restaurants and with Pete's help, Harland opened his first KFC franchise.

Many international restaurants wanted to buy the KFC franchise. A lot of big investors started buying shares of KFC. 

Even after the huge success of KFC, Sanders used to visit all the KFC restaurants around the world.

One of the fascinating truths that rouse each individual is that he did not have any salesperson that promoted his Franchise. He did everything alone and his franchise got famous. 

Diverse franchisees began contacting him out. KFC chicken had lots of outlets however didn't have signature outlets.

At the point when he was 74, youthful lawyer John Y. Earthy coloured, Jr. from Kentucky and Jack Massey meet Colonel Sanders to buy the organization. Both comforted Colonel for a long time with the guarantee to keep up better quality control for the franchise. 

They likewise guarantee to never change the recipe of Colonel. It was a simple choice for Colonel Sanders.

He toured to every part of the nation to look for the best guidance about selling his organization from franchisees members and business partners.

Finally, he understood that the organization is hard to develop and control alone. So, in 1964 he agreed to sell his organization with a proposal of $ 2 million.

He was not at all happy with this deal as it was one of the most vital and significant things throughout his life. 

The new proprietor of KFC accepted that the face of Sander's was perhaps the best resource for the "KFC brand".

He was kept as a brand ambassador and for the role of brand ambassador and representative, he gets a lifetime pay of about $40,000 every year.

So, that's how he became the brand ambassador of KFC. Even now, we can see his picture in the logo of KFC.

What were the Startup Challenges ?

You have likely consumed KFC at least once in your lifetime. KFC is very popular all over the world. So, let's read about the startup challenges faced by the owner of KFC. Have you ever been rejected again and again? If yes, then have you tried again and again or just gave up? So, the founder of your favourite restaurant KFC Harland Sanders faced this same situation. But, he took his failure as a chance and gave rise to the best chicken store. He concentrated on the fried chicken when there was the dominance of hamburgers.

"Leslie entered the lounge like a taller, studlier version of the Kentucky Fried Chicken colonel"- Douglas Coupland

After the death of his father, he was forced to work for his family as he was the elder among his siblings. He got fired from his job several times and he had a very tough time during his childhood. But, after confronting difficulties he came up with a very incredible idea of frying chicken. His recipe was unique and after opening one store, he finally got success. There were so many startup challenges faced by the owner of KFC but after all complications, he gave us his very delicious fried chicken.

The Concealed Secrets of KFC's Success

The time factor plays a vital role in KFC’s success. Usually, when people go to restaurants, they expect to get their food as early as possible. Sandlers used the pressure cooker to make food ready to eat faster. It also makes food hygienic and tastier. The recipe of fried chicken was made by Colonel Sanders himself. Therefore, it is the copyright of the KFC franchise.

Any other type of chicken cannot match the taste that KFC’s fried chicken has. This recipe cannot be used by any other franchise. Another reason that has led KFC into success is the franchise system followed by KFC restaurants all over the world. There are several rules and regulations for every restaurant which are supposed to be followed at any cost. Some of the rules of the documentation are as follows-

A pressure cooker must be used to cook the chicken. No other utensils should be used.

Also, after the chicken is cooked, it should be left in the cooker for about 15 minutes.

The size and weight of every piece of chicken are fixed. It should be 8cm wide and the weight should be around 300 grams.

"Globalization by the way of McDonald’s and KFC has captured the hearts, the minds, and from what I can see through the window, the growing bellies of the folks here." ~ Raquel Cepeda . 

The chicken which is to be used the next day must have gone through overnight marination.

Chicken’s age is fixed between 60-70 days. All these rules have proved to be the major reason behind the success of KFC.

KFC provides employment opportunities for deaf people. Even at some KFC outlets, they teach their deaf workers to read lips movements. It helps a lot for deaf people to work and earn for livelihood. ( Related Blog: The tale of Zomato )

Discussing the Current Reputation of KFC

So, want to know the present situation of KFC? Yes! It's still growing day by day. Read further to know the current reputation of KFC.

Yum! Brand s is the current parent company of KFC.

As of early 2020, there are KFC outlets in 150 countries and territories of the globe.

KFC is the globe's second-biggest restaurant chain after McDonald's , with 22,621 areas globally in 150 countries as of December 2019 .

During this coronavirus pandemic, KFC has decided to remove its slogan "It's Finger-Lickin' Good," from ads. However, KFC is still sticking to its slogan in India.

KFC India is trying out edible serving bowls in India to make its products more eco-friendly. Edible bowls made of tortillas (freshly cooked every day) will replace the plastic ones.

KFC has announced that they have temporarily cancelled the slogan because of the COVID-19 situation but they will return with the same slogan at the right time.

Hope so, your doubts about the history of KFC, it's concrete secrets behind its success, present status is emptied. Now, we can conclude by saying that Colonel Harland Sanders was one of the people who successfully dealt with his depression . Even, at the age of 62, he started such a great food store which no one can beat even now. 

Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) is an extremely popular restaurant in the realm and the story behind the victory of KFC is inspirational. KFC's chicken is different from other stores' chicken and whenever the name chicken comes, the word KFC hits people's minds. The slogan of KFC perfectly matches as after eating KFC's chicken we lick our fingers, yes it is that tasty! Stay tuned with us for Several Startup Stories which will reveal numerous things related to your favourite restaurants and known companies.

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MyKFCExperience

Www.mykfcexperience.com Survey

MyKFCExperience – mykfcexperience.com Survey

Kentucky Fried Chicken, more generally known as KFC, stands tall as one of the giants in the fast-food industry, boasting over 20,000 outlets worldwide. Central to its dedication to continued improvement is the MyKFCExperience Survey, a reliable platform developed to catch the unfiltered opinions of its customers. In this complete article, we will delve into the roots of this survey and its reputation for KFC and direct you through experience, all while clearing light on the delicious world of KFC’s offerings.

Take MyKFCExperience Survey

MyKFCExperience - mykfcexperience.com Survey

  • Global Phenomenon of KFC

Birth of MyKFCExperience Survey

Understanding the mykfcexperience survey dynamics, participation prerequisites, role of mykfcexperience survey in resolving issues.

KFC’s journey from a modest inception in the United States to its existing status as a global culinary phenomenon is a testament to its founder, Colonel Harland Sanders’s creative approach. Sanders, an iconic figure, revolutionized the culinary terrain by presenting a secret blend of eleven herbs and spices, a closely guarded recipe that would evolve into the hallmark of KFC’s victory.

This fantastic and flavorful concoction became the cornerstone of KFC’s global prominence, moving the brand into the culinary spotlight. Since its beginning, KFC’s reach has exceeded borders, growing its footprint to an incredible 123 countries. The overall appeal of KFC’s delicious offerings, particularly its famous fried chicken, has played a vital role in the brand’s global triumph.

Tagged as the second-largest fast-food chain worldwide, KFC’s adherence to quality and creation has been instrumental in reaching this status, second only to the enterprise giant McDonald’s. The brand’s power to seamlessly integrate its American roots with international flavors images a strategic approach that reverberates with various global palates, contributing to KFC’s unrivaled win and solidifying its standing as a global powerhouse in the fast-food landscape.

In December 2015, KFC launched a transformative journey by orienting the MyKFCExperience Survey and sketching an innovative leap in patron engagement and service improvement. This strategic ambition wasn’t merely a survey but a dedication to directly and significantly connecting with KFC’s worldwide customer base.

Realizing the pivotal role of customer feedback, KFC placed the survey as a vibrant platform for consumers to openly share their ideas, experiences, and valuable suggestions. By doing so, KFC recognized the importance of its clients’ voices and showed a commitment to clearness and responsiveness.

The MyKFCExperience Survey is a conduit, forming a genuine two-way dialogue between the fast-food giant and its consumers. This dynamic exchange goes beyond a very transactional relationship, showing an ongoing dialogue that certifies individuals to voice their thoughts and problems. In promoting this open dialogue, KFC actively employs a continuous cycle of refinement and improvement, adjusting its services founded on real-time customer insights.

This creative approach emphasizes KFC’s unflagging dedication to remaining attuned to consumer opinions and preferences, an actual strategy in the competitive realm of fast food. By prioritizing customer feedback, KFC improves the overall dining experience and cements its ongoing success and bearing in the ever-evolving world of global fast food.

The MyKFCExperience Survey is a pivotal intermediate, facilitating a productive and open dialogue between KFC and its particular customers. This active interaction is instrumental in promoting a nuanced understanding of the customer experience, going beyond mere commerce. Encouraging participants to share their firsthand meetings makes the survey a pool of invaluable wisdom for KFC. It serves as a perceptive tool, delivering an exhaustive summary of the services’ quality, measuring customer happiness levels, and identifying specific areas that may warrant modification.

This mutual data exchange allows KFC to delve into the complexities of customer anticipations and preferences. The survey dynamics entrust customers to play an energetic role in shaping their dining experiences’ future while letting KFC refine and tailor its services based on real-time feedback. In nature, the MyKFCExperience Survey exceeds the traditional customer feedback, growing into a symbiotic relationship where both groups donate to the continued enhancement of the KFC brand.

The prerequisites for partaking in the MyKFCExperience Survey highlight the importance of authenticity, demanding a valid investment receipt with a unique survey code for entry. The step-by-step survey design ensures a seamless experience, from accessing the official website to joining the survey code and replying to questions.

MyKFCExperience - mykfcexperience.com Survey

Issuing a validation code serves as KFC’s token of gratitude, fostering customer loyalty through values or free items. The survey’s gathering of insights demonstrates KFC’s commitment to constant progress. This helpful feedback helps KFC to adapt, improve, and tailor its benefits, providing an ever-improving and satisfying customer experience.

KFCSurvey plays a critical role as a reliable support service and as the troubleshooter for customers facing challenges during the MyKFCExperience Survey. Realizing technological or procedural issues may occur, KFCSurvey stands ready to deliver service, providing all participants a seamless and frustration-free experience. This help service extends beyond mere problem-solving, aiming to address problems, offer advice, and improve general customer satisfaction.

Whether customers are guiding the intricacies of the website or seeking clarification on survey-related queries, KFCSurvey is a faithful ally. Its commitment to client support highlights KFC’s commitment to ensuring that every participant, regardless of technical proficiency, can be considered effortlessly with the survey. In essence, KFCSurvey conveys KFC’s customer-centric approach, going the extra mile to secure a favorable and trouble-free experience for those donating their valuable feedback.

MyKFCExperience - mykfcexperience.com Survey

In the busy fast-food world, customer satisfaction is essential, and KFC acknowledges the importance of staying attuned to its consumers’ voices. The MyKFCExperience Survey acts as a bridge, linking the global fast-food giant with its various customer bases, allowing for a constant interaction of feedback and improvement.

This article has delivered an overview of the survey, from its beginning to participation steps, highlighting KFC’s dedication to greatness and customer-centricity. As we savor the tastes of KFC’s offerings, let us also enjoy the efforts made by the company to guarantee that every customer’s adventure is not just good but extraordinary.

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IRIS

Redefining KFC's digital ecosystem

Customer experience (cx) marketing.

We have been working with KFC as lead UK Digital & CRM Agency since 2017. 

Our objective is clear: to increase visit frequency and maximise customer lifetime value through smart, targeted nurturing of customer relationships. 

We created personal, omnichannel experiences that use customer data to improve the customer journey. 

We also supported KFC in developing a complex digital ecosystem – including a new app, home delivery, click-and-collect and in-store kiosks – which is step-changing the digital proposition. 

Customer Engagement Marketing

Building a tech & data platform fit for the vision 

KFC has an unprecedented opportunity to improve customer experience and deepen customer understanding for its loyalty programme members. 

However, KFC’s technology wasn’t able to deliver against the stated vision. We have moved quickly to address these challenges:

Expert Salesforce Marketing Cloud practitioners have been seconded from Iris to KFC to work with the IT team to take remedial actions on the Salesforce platform and get the basics right.

We’ve automated multi-step marketing programmes across channels (email, SMS, push, display) at key points of the customer journey – welcome and lapsing. 

We’ve designed the data architecture that KFC need to power their customer-centric vision and built a practical delivery roadmap balancing business and commercial need with tech feasibility. 

This is just the start. We’re running innovation sprints to redefine what the KFC customer experience of the future could be in the face of emerging channels like voice, and how the KFC martech stack and team will need to evolve to make this a reality.

Specialisms involved

  • Customer Experience
  • Active Participation

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Uplift in lunch time sales

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The 10-Second Customer Journey: The CXO’s playbook for growing and retaining customers in a digital world

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Todd Unger

The 10-Second Customer Journey: The CXO’s playbook for growing and retaining customers in a digital world Paperback – June 11, 2024

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You've Got 10 seconds to Win or Lose a Customer. This is the Ultimate Guide to Rapid Conversion in Digital Marketing.

The customer landscape has transformed, and marketers, advertisers, and business owners must adapt to a world where buying decisions are made in seconds, not months or days. The biggest obstacle? FRICTION. Those who can minimize friction and guide potential buyers swiftly through the buying process will triumph. (Hello, Amazon 1-click purchases.)

However, reducing friction requires the seamless integration of marketing, product, e-commerce, and service into a cohesive, friction-free customer experience―a feat that siloed companies struggle to achieve.

Enter The 10-Second Customer Journey . This is your ultimate playbook for capturing rapid conversions and growing your customer list. Todd Unger , Chief Experience Officer (CXO) of the American Medical Association, leverages his three decades of expertise in consumer marketing, advertising, digital products, and digital marketing to offer a step-by-step guide. He'll teach you how to become your own Chief Friction-Reduction Officer, reignite customer growth, and enhance engagement.

Why You Should Read This Book:

  • Conquer the New Digital Experience Landscape: Adapt old marketing concepts to the needs of today’s digital customers. UX is king.
  • Identify and Target the Right Customers: Discover how to pinpoint your ideal audience and convert them into loyal customers quickly.
  • Test and Optimize Your Approach: Master the art of testing various strategies to find the most effective way to reach and engage your customers.

Written in an engaging style and packed with original insights , this is a must-read for current and aspiring marketers, customer experience leaders, and digital executives aiming to build robust customer experience strategies for their brands and organizations.

  • Print length 184 pages
  • Language English
  • Publisher Practical Inspiration Publishing
  • Publication date June 11, 2024
  • Dimensions 5.5 x 0.51 x 8.5 inches
  • ISBN-10 1788605039
  • ISBN-13 978-1788605038
  • See all details

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Editorial Reviews

If you're in marketing, advertising, or any business role where ROI is measured, this is a must-read. The author does an amazing job breaking down how the digital landscape has changed the game and how to adapt quickly. The focus on reducing friction is spot on―think Amazon's 1-click purchases but for your business. The insights on integrating marketing, product, and service for a smooth customer experience are super practical and immediately useful. - Amazon 5 *

Finally - a crisp, common sense road map for how to understand and motivate customers in the modern digital storm. Compelling and practical. - Amazon 5 *

"An energetic marketing-focused plan for increasing customer satisfaction." - Kirkus Reviews

Having led customer experience and overseen this critical business function, I have personally experienced the struggle of making an abstract topic concrete in different organizations. Todd turns decades of experience into practical advice with actionable approaches that anyone can understand. Finally! - Jeffrey J. Jones II, President and Chief Executive Officer of H&R Block, Former President Global Ride Sharing of Uber, Former Chief Marketing Officer of Target

In The 10-Second Customer Journey , Todd distills more than 30 years of marketing and digital experience into an actionable roadmap for driving growth in today’s marketplace. More importantly, this book shows how seemingly unrelated parts of a career accumulate and layer on top of one another, until one day, they come together in a way that’s perfect for the times. This is an excellent guide to modern-day marketing and customer experience and the role of the Chief Experience Officer in driving the future. - James Reed, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Reed and Author of Life’s Work, The 7-Second CV , and Why You?

For brands and companies to grow, they will need to excel in every aspect of customer experience. This book illuminates what experience is in all its complexity. It shows how critical it is to remove friction in every part of the customer’s journey, no matter where that journey begins or where it goes. A must-read for every business and business leader since you can’t build a business without world-class customer experience. This is a primer on optimizing experience that is both actionable and inspiring. - Rishad Tobaccowala, Author of Restoring the Soul of Business: Staying Human in the Age of Data , Former Chief Strategist of Publicis Groupe

The 10-Second Customer Journey beautifully melds critical concepts that I have learned (often the hard way) over the course of a long career, with a few that are uniquely suited to help modern marketers navigate a complex, cluttered environment to grab all the customers they need. It’s a great example of business writing that will be a mandatory read for my “Customer Empathy & Brand Experience Design” course at Duke, and I’m already putting it to great use counseling established and startup brands. True to its title, The 10-Second Customer Journey is a fast path to marketing excellence. - Brad Brinegar, Chairman Emeritus of McKinney and Executive In Residence at the Duke Innovation & Entrepreneurship Initiative

As CEO of the American Medical Association, I’ve seen firsthand the power of The 10-Second Customer Journey playbook in action. Todd’s approach has transformed our growth trajectory, audience understanding, and digital platform. Even more, his growth-driven view of customer experience has increased teamwork and helped unify our mission and marketing initiatives. It’s been instrumental in fulfilling our role as Physicians’ Powerful Ally in Patient Care™. - James L. Madara, MD, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Vice President of the American Medical Association

Todd Unger connects the dots between old-school marketing know-how and modern digital-savvy power in this practical guide to reaching today’s consumer. Useful, interesting, helpful... You will keep this book around for reference. - Donn Davis, Founder and Chairman of Professional Fighters League

Do you know how to convert browsers into customers in just ten seconds, and keep them for life? Todd compellingly argues that every 10-second customer interaction is a critical make-or-break experience. These moments define your relationship with customers, so handle them with the utmost care. Todd distills his decades of experience into a crisp playbook for executives and all customer-facing team members. From advice on “creating products that don’t suck” to guidance on “developing a test- and-learn culture,” this book is a treasure trove of hard-earned lessons. You owe it to your customers, and your business, to heed his advice. - Chunka Mui, Co-author of A Brief History of a Perfect Future: Inventing the World We Can Proudly Leave Our Kids by 2050

Over the years, I have observed hundreds, if not thousands, of people enter the realm of customer experience management with limited knowledge of how to adapt to and succeed in wrapping their arms around the discipline. Todd does a phenomenal job helping inform the scope and impact of getting introduced to this critical lifeline for true success. Great job pulling from real-life experience. Way to go, Todd! If you want to succeed, you’d better read! - Lou Carbone, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Experience Engineering, Inc., and Professor at Michigan State University Broad School of Business

Disconnections across leadership, teams, and operations have always been a huge obstacle to great customer experience. As Todd points out in The 10-Second Customer Journey , today’s split- second buying decisions make the stakes even higher. As one of the first Chief Customer Officers in the United States and an early leader in the field of customer experience (CX), I found the book’s customer-first approach spot on. At its heart, Todd’s playbook isn’t just about technology, it’s about integrating customer insight and technology to deliver your brand’s promise. This book is indispensable reading for anyone working in or leading customer experience efforts today. - Jeanne Bliss, Author of Chief Customer Officer 2.0 and Co-founder of the Customer Experience Professionals Association

The realities of today’s digital economy are very challenging to navigate. There are constant changes in platforms, tools, regulations, and the introduction of trending mediums that require speculation and risk taking, such as the Metaverse and AI. Todd has had incredible success as a leader in marketing over decades, and his track record speaks for itself. The 10-Second Customer Journey breaks down how to remove the noise in the term “digital transformation” and focus on the core pillars and playbooks of growth marketing. This is a must-read not only for Chief Marketing Officers, but also for Chief Executive Officers and Chief Financial Officers so they can articulate strategies to their board, ask the right questions in leadership and management meetings, and be fluent in growth for the rising digital economy. - Reid Lappin, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Vokal, a Leading Growth Agency

Todd has drawn on his decades of senior corporate experience and enduring passion for customer excellence and re-writes the rules for customer experience in the split-second digital age. This groundbreaking book covers everything from outlining the critical role of Chief Experience Officers to developing a customer experience vison and detailed playbook for action. Finally, we have the guide we need to win the 10-second customer journey. - Claire O’Neill, Former UK Business Minister and Global Decarbonization Advisor

Marketing has become wildly complicated. This book turns complex tactics into a clear road map for action. Anyone managing a brand or company will benefit from the terrific frameworks and insights in this book. - Tim Calkins, Clinical Professor of Marketing at Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University

In The 10-Second Customer Journey , Todd nails the importance of delivering frictionless experiences to grow any business. Even better, he delivers practical advice on how to do it well. A great read for marketers and management focused on exceptional customer experience. - Julia Fitzgerald, Chief Marketing Officer of Build-A-Bear and Author of the Best Seller Midsize

From the Back Cover

The customer changed. And marketers, advertisers and business owners are still playing catch-up in a world where buying decisions are made not in months or days, but in seconds .

The enemy in today’s customer environment? FRICTION. And those who can minimize friction, guiding potential buyers rapidly through the ‘tornado funnel’ buying process, will win.

But taming friction is no small feat. It takes the seamless integration of marketing, product, commerce and service into a cohesive, friction-free customer experience. And that’s something today’s siloed companies are still not set up to do, resulting in a bevy of new C-Suite leaders, including the Chief Experience Officer (CXO).

The 10-second Customer Journey provides the playbook for growing and retaining customers in a landscape transformed by digital.

Todd Unger, CXO of the American Medical Association, provides a step-by-step guide based on three decades of consumer marketing, advertising, digital product and digital marketing and commerce experience. He’ll teach you how to become your own Chief Friction-Reduction Officer and reignite customer growth and engagement.

About the Author

Todd Unger is the Chief Experience Officer of the American Medical Association, where he has driven record growth and gained international recognition for the AMA’s CX program. He is the co-creator and host of AMA Update, the organization’s award-winning daily video/podcast series, available on the AMA’s YouTube channel and on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

A transformational marketing and digital executive, Unger’s experience places him at the nexus of marketing, content, e-commerce, technology, product development and customer service―the building blocks of today’s customer experience.

Unger’s career began at marketing and advertising powerhouses Procter & Gamble and Leo Burnett Company. He then leapt into the exploding digital world as a product manager in the early days of America Online and served as General Manager of AOL’s local city guide operation, Digital City. As a Chief Digital Officer and CMO, he’s led digital marketing, product, and content teams across large and small media companies, including Lifetime Television, Time Inc., and the Daily Racing Form.

Unger is a frequent speaker and podcast guest on the topics of marketing and customer experience. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School.

https://www.toddunger.com/

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Practical Inspiration Publishing (June 11, 2024)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 184 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1788605039
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1788605038
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7.8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.51 x 8.5 inches
  • #327 in Customer Relations (Books)
  • #449 in Web Marketing (Books)
  • #616 in E-commerce Professional (Books)

About the author

Todd Unger is Chief Experience Officer of the American Medical Association, where he has driven record growth and gained international recognition for the organizations Customer Experience (CX) program.

A transformational marketing and digital executive, Unger’s experience places him at the nexus of e-commerce, content, technology, product development, marketing and customer service—the building blocks of today’s customer experience.

Unger spent a decade at marketing powerhouses Procter & Gamble and Leo Burnett (where he helped invent GladWare Containers) before he leapt into the exploding digital world as a product manager in the early days of America Online, leading the AOL Local business and pioneering a predecessor to today’s Yelp. As a Chief Digital Officer and CMO, he’s since led digital and marketing teams across large and small media companies, including Lifetime Television, Time 4 Media (a division of Time Inc.), and the Daily Racing Form.

A frequent speaker and podcast guest on Marketing and Customer Experience, Unger also hosts the AMA’s award-winning video/podcast series, The AMA Update. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School.

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Customers find the book insightful, practical, and useful. They say it's well worth their time, powerful, and brilliant. Readers describe the writing as fun, crystal clear, and easy to read. They also find the content fun and engaging.

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Customers find the book insightful and practical. They say the strategies are incredibly useful and the advice is excellent. Readers also mention the wisdom is thoughtfully expressed and wrapped around a compelling personal story.

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Customers find the book concise, crystal clear, and easy to read. They say the author does a beautiful job of breaking it down simply.

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Customers find the book fun, engaging, and full of practical wisdom.

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IMAGES

  1. Experiencia del cliente de KFC: Un histórico journey map

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  2. The KFC Customer Experience: A Historical Journey Map

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  3. The KFC Customer Experience: A Historical Journey Map

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  4. KFC Customer Experience by Damindi Abeysinghe on Prezi

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  5. How To Personalize the Mobile Customer Journey: 9 Strategies for

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  6. Customer Journey

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COMMENTS

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    KFC recognizes the significance of every touchpoint, from the moment a customer enters a restaurant or places an order online to their dining experience and beyond. Understanding this journey allows KFC to: Identify areas for improvement and address pain points promptly. Personalize interactions, tailoring the experience to individual preferences.

  2. MyKFCExperience: A Delectable Journey of Customer Satisfaction

    The insights gathered through MyKFCExperience play a pivotal role in shaping the customer experience at KFC outlets worldwide. By analyzing customer feedback, KFC identifies areas of improvement, whether in the quality of food, speed of service, or the overall ambiance. This data-driven approach allows KFC to stay ahead of the curve, adapting ...

  3. KFC Marketing Strategy: A Comprehensive Analysis

    KFC's branding extends to the restaurant's interior design and customer service. The warm and inviting atmosphere, coupled with friendly staff, creates a memorable dining experience that keeps customers coming back for more. KFC has successfully created a brand that not only represents tasty food but also a sense of comfort and familiarity.

  4. Behind KFC's Winning Approach to Activation, Retention, and ...

    The Secret Sauce of Retention. Retention is an output metric influenced by a business's effort to generate and maintain customer engagement. According to Ashley, this can be the hardest element for brands like KFC, which are built around being a crave-able indulgence. "People don't eat KFC every day, but we want them to think of KFC in ...

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  6. KFC's Global Strategy: Secret Spices and Strategic Expansion

    KFC's journey from a single restaurant to a global fast-food giant is a testament to the power of a well-crafted global strategy. KFC's success isn't simply a matter of delicious fried chicken— it's a result of understanding the customer, embracing innovation, and effectively communicating across cultures .

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    Their customer engagement campaigns run on a few key themes: Go wild and crazy. Use your mascot. Pump out lots of content. Crowdfund your campaigns. Their marketing strategy works. KFC is the world's second-largest restaurant chain, with over 20,000 locations, and a revenue of almost 28 billion dollars in 2020.

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  11. Customer Journey Map: Definition & Process

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    CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE MANAGEMENT DAMINDI ABEYSINGHE KFC KFC KFC short for Kentucky Fried Chicken, is a fast food service that first established in 1930 by Colonel Sanders. KFC is known for their Kentucky Fried Chicken and fast service. KFC currently have over 680 restaurants CEM. Get started for FREE Continue. Prezi.

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  18. The 10-Second Customer Journey: The CXO's playbook for growing and

    True to its title, The 10-Second Customer Journey is a fast path to marketing excellence. - Brad Brinegar, Chairman Emeritus of McKinney and Executive In Residence at the Duke Innovation & Entrepreneurship Initiative. As CEO of the American Medical Association, I've seen firsthand the power of The 10-Second Customer Journey playbook in action.

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