Chick-Fil-a Market-Oriented Strategy

Case Study: Chick-fil-A “Eat Mor Chikin” (Except on Sundays)

1. Chick- fil-A is following several market-oriented strategies that differentiate it from its competitors. Looking at page 33, a marketing strategy specifies a target market and a related marketing mix. Its primary target market is more adult and female as it is offering mainly chicken products: “healthier” alternative to hamburgers. They also advertise using high-quality ingredients. Following this strategy, Chick-fil-A is mainly located in malls and in neighborhoods that have high concentration of its target customers.

Chick- fil-A also positions itself as a strong Christian company and closes its stores on Sundays. It creates an emotional connection with local communities by supporting local schools, churches, and organizations. Chick- fil-A also differentiates itself from other fast food restaurants by offering a one of a kind experience by focusing on a strong commitment to customer service, making customers feel like they are in a fancy establishment. It does so through intensive training and customer surveys. It also is targeting small children by offering educational books in its kid’s meal while fulfilling its social responsibility

2.The political environment can affect the marketing strategies implemented by Chick-fil-A. Dan Cathy recently said that Chick-fil-A supported the “biblical definition of the family unit”. While this single statement crystallized its position in the market, rallied its loyalists, and started a national conversation, it did not go so well with Disney, which booted Chick-fil-A off its grounds. I can imagine that it would not go so well in states, which are less religious and more spiritual.

3. Chick- fil-A believes in achieving greater quality before expanding, and has so far been mostly located in the South while slowly expanded to other states.While closing on Sunday is a competitive advantage in the South, I don’t believe it would be in States in the North East and out West, where religion is less prevalent and spiritually more pervasive.

4. I don’t think other retailers should consider closing stores on Sunday unless they are primarily located in the South and are planning on staying local. In that case, I would recommend calculating the expected sales and costs over 5 years for each scenario and see which one is more beneficial.