KFC SG calls social pitch

KFC Singapore has called for a social media pitch. The appointment is for a minimum of one year with the possibility of an annual extension. Juliana Lim, senior director, marketing and food innovation, told MARKETING-INTERACTIVE that its social agency partner is expected to take charge of the creative direction of KFC social platforms to support the overall KFC brand strategy. The partner will also be responsible for managing its social community.

This is a single round, closed-door pitch with a total of five agencies vying for the account. KFC plans to wrap up the pitch in early March and appoint a new partner in April. "We do have a set of criteria and asks which will guide us in the evaluation and in choosing our new partner," Lim said, adding:

Creativity and out-of-the-box thinking that fits and support the brand direction, engages our fans are what we will be looking for.

The incumbent is GOODSTUPH which was appointed in 2020 following a three-way pitch. The agency was previously chosen as it presented an exciting content strategy for KFC to stay connected with today's consumers. It is understood that GOODSTUPH is not pitching this time around. Separately, KFC is working with TSLA on the brand and creative front.

The fried chicken chain recently upped its advertising and promotion budget by four times to win over the breakfast market. It relaunched its signature Original Recipe breakfast menu with an “#UnboringMorning” campaign, and a troupe of jubilant dancers, clad in KFC’s signature striped uniform were hired to kick the campaign off. The dancers served a selection of signature Original Recipe breakfast dishes to an upbeat playlist curated on Spotify to dispel Monday morning blues. The list included songs such as Bad Habits, Ice Cream, 24K Magic, Savage Love and many others.

According to KFC Singapore, the brand has enjoyed a steady business across this mealtime, and sees the growing potential of the morning dining segment in Singapore. As such, KFC Singapore is determined to “elevate breakfast into an exciting mealtime that Singaporeans look forward to”. “The KFC Singapore breakfast items refresh, and marketing push, are strategic business decisions to drive increased revenue in the A.M. slot. We know that Singaporeans simply love our fresh chicken and Original Recipe flavour, and we encourage them to satisfy their cravings by experiencing #UnboringMornings with KFC Singapore,” said Lynette Lee, general manager of KFC Singapore. Redhill was involved in the #UnboringMorning campaign.

Over the years, KFC has constantly challenged its R&D teams to innovate and improve the breakfast menu. The brand has witnessed overwhelming positive feedback when it tested the Original Recipe Chicken as the signature flavour. Its four times increase in ad spend is also expected to achieve a 40% increase in breakfast sales over the next three years.

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