(for my post on Cow Appreciation Day 2008, click here)
Friday, July 13th, is Cow Appreciation day at Chick-fil-A. The third annual event offers a free combo meal (breakfast, lunch or dinner) to any customer who, quoting the press release, isn't "too chicken" to visit any of the chain's 1,300-plus restaurants fully dressed as a cow.
Now, I love ... love ... Chick-fil-A. The best chicken sandwiches, period, in my opinion. But my first reaction was, well, that's not much Return On Investment. Let's do the math: walk into a public restaurant fully geared up in some sort of bovine apparel (include time/money spent on cow gear). And in return, the chain will reward your time/money committment and self humiliation with a free meal, worth about five or six bucks.
Ahhh ... but I was forgetting something called consumer passion. A counter argument, from today's press release:
Last year's Cow Appreciation Day celebration - and the resulting turnout - confirmed that Chick-fil-A has a strong following of customers willing to go to great lengths to show their appreciation for cows (not to mention, to receive a free combo meal). More than 4,000 customers visited Chick-fil-A restaurants throughout the country dressed in cow-themed costumes, complete with black-and-white spots, furry ears, cow bells, and homemade sandwich boards with their personalized renditions of Chick-fil-A's "Eat Mor Chikin®" Cow messages.
"Cow Appreciation Day has turned into its own pop culture phenomenon and it's a natural fit with our 'Eat Mor Chikin' Cow marketing campaign," said Steve Robinson, Chick-fil-A's senior vice president of marketing. "We've always known that Chick-fil-A has had a loyal customer following, but Cow Appreciation Day is a great reminder of just how passionate our customers are (emphasis mine)."
A 'herd' of some 300 cow-spotted summer campers apparently 'stampeded' a Chick-fil-A in Olive Branch, Mississippi last year. Obviously this event draws some well organized, fanatical groups of Chick-fil-A lovers. I may not be 'bovined up' this Friday, but I'll definitely stop by a Chick-fil-A to see how many passionate consumers will go that extra, crazy mile to connect with a favorite business.
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