Marketing Lesson At Chick-fil-A Headquarters
Marketing Lesson At Chick-fil-A
Accepting an invitation to visit Chick-fil-A’s corporate headquarters was one of the best decisions I have made this year. I learned a marketing lesson at Chick-fil-A that will stay with me for the rest of my life.
As we were touring Chick-fil-A’s headquarters we were shown the offices of Mr. Truett Cathy, the founder of family owned Chick-fil-A and also Dan Cathy who is presently guiding the company as it expands throughout the United States. I have long known of the deep faith Mr. Truett Cathy has and have been impressed with the way he has used his business to share his faith and values with everyone he comes in contact with. And I do mean everyone.
Mr. Cathy shares his faith and values with customers, employees and the community. His charitable contributions are legendary and I personally know young people who have had their life changed by being employed at Chick-fil-A.
This faith stretches back to Mr. Cathy’s years as a young adult. My mother-in-law, Helen English, recalls being in a Sunday School class at the Baptist Tabernacle in downtown Atlanta Georgia with Mr. Cathy. Yes, the Baptist Tabernacle is now a night club – but the faith nurtured there has resulted in millions of people being exposed to Mr. Cathy’s message of being an humble servant leader in the community. By the way, my mother-in-law Helen English, is in her quiet way a similar type person and raised her three sons with those values.
As we were touring Chick-fil-A I met Dan Cathy and was invited into his office where he was meeting with a writer who specializes in social media. Apparently the two of them were discussing how to continue to share Chick-fil-A’s core values with the public through the use of social media. Are they trying to sell more Chick-fil-A sandwiches: probably not. Are they trying to figure out how to take out one of their competitors: definitely not. They were discussing how to share Chick-fil-A’s core values with the public through the use of social media.
I love Chick-fil-A’s food, it is of the highest quality. But I also love going into a Chick-fil-A restaurant and being greeted by a well groomed cashier who greets me in a pleasant and friendly manner. And when I thank them, I love-love being told by an earnest Chick-fil-A employee “It’s my pleasure” And they truly mean it. Mr. Cathy’s message of being an humble servant is on the faces and lips of every Chick-fil-A employee.
My marketing plan for 2012 and beyond
Live my faith
Be an humble servant
Reach out to those in need
Share my values
Thanks to the Cathys and everyone at Chick-fil-A for your example of how to responsibly conduct business. I got quite a Marketing Lesson At Chick-fil-A.
