KFC Rebrands to Help Lead 'Chicken's Next Chapter'

Colonel Sanders, a bucket of fried chicken, and the phrase, "Finger Lickin' Good," can only mean one brand: KFC. The 74-year-old fried chicken chain has massive global brand recognition, but it is refreshing its visual identity, menu, and restaurants to maintain relevance with younger audiences and changing consumer tastes. Chicken is riding a wave of popularity, but KFC faces stiff competition from restaurants like Chick-fil-A, Popeyes, and Raising Cane's. "We're calling this chicken's next chapter," said Valerie Kubizniak, global chief marketing officer, KFC, at parent company Yum Brands. "We created the category. We have a lot of people playing in our space, which is awesome. I think it's on us to lead the category where it should go next." The future of chicken appears to be bold and lively, according to KFC’s refreshed brand identity. Built upon its iconic assets, particularly the bucket, the visual identity has sharper angles and plenty of the brand’s signature red. "The bucket we see as a really big play," Kubizniak said. "That shape is unmistakably KFC, but how do we think about it not as a packaging vehicle, but as a silhouette that we can use to frame our food and how we're showing up in culture?" KFC opens a new restaurant every three and a half hours, Kubizniak said, and beginning this summer, those new builds will have a more modern look. New international locations will be geared toward hospitality and leisure, rather than QSR and efficiency. Their environments, including music and lighting, can be adapted throughout the day. A new "immersive," two-story restaurant in Dubai will open in the fall. “Sometimes restaurants can feel a bit static,” Kubizniak said. “We're in the era of experience, and how do we think about that from a restaurant point of view? We're really leaning into this idea of kinetic and how our restaurants feel more like they're alive and can evolve over the course of the day.” New builds in the U.S. will have a slightly different look and feel, beginning with a new open-house concept debuting this summer in McKinney, Texas. KFC refreshes its existing 34,000-plus restaurants periodically and will incorporate some of these design elements during those upgrades. KFC is expanding its menu to include new chicken dishes, such as boneless tenders accompanied by a range of sauces that are part of its "global sauce pantry.” The brand developed more than 20 dipping sauces, including mango masala, chimichurri ranch, and garlic parmesan. Individual markets can choose which sauces will be most relevant for their customers, who can also get their tenders, wings, and sandwiches "dunked" or tossed in the sauces. The tenders and some sauces will roll out this month in the U.K. and Ireland before expanding to the U.S. and Australia in the coming weeks. "It's in line with how consumers are eating," Kubizniak said. "They want on-the-go products that are easy to eat, so tenders are a brilliant format for our brand." KFC also launched a beverage sub-brand called KWENCH by KFC to appeal to younger international audiences. "We want to be a beverage player," Kubizniak said. "We want this to be a big part of our menu moving forward." Considered a key growth driver, the line-up includes Boba Refreshers, Krunch Shakes, iced coffees, and other drinks, which are already available in some U.K. and Ireland locations. They will also be featured in the new McKinney, Texas, location, but timing hasn’t been set for U.S. expansion. "Culture is changing fast," Kubizniak said. "The onus is on us to make sure that we're listening to consumers and we're evolving alongside them."

Rebrands

KFC Rebrands to Help Lead 'Chicken's Next Chapter'

Amid intensifying competition, the chain has updated its brand identity, menu, and restaurant design

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Tilde Herrera

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