Chick-fil-A celebrated #thelittlethings to assist in selling chicken in 2021, a marketing campaign focused on customer service, respect and authenticity. As a result, Chick-fil-A was recognized as the first winner of the Chicken Marketer of the Year. The all-new Chicken Marketer of the Year award was developed to recognize organizations or companies who demonstrate excellence and innovation in promoting chicken consumption.
“We are proud to recognize Chick-fil-A as the winner of the 2022 Chicken Marketer of the Year,” said Terrence O’Keefe, content director, WATT Global Media. “The modern consumer is surrounded by choices, and we want to celebrate success in keeping chicken as the protein on the center of the plate, and Chick-fil-A fulfilled that obligation last year.”
Mike Ledford, senior director, supply continuity at Chick-fil-A, and Terrence O’Keefe, content director, WATT Global Media (Kristi Dougherty)
The trophy presentation for the award occurred at the 2022 Chicken Marketing Summit, held at Château Élan in Braselton, Georgia, on July 25-27. The award was accepted by Mike Ledford, senior director, supply continuity at Chick-fil-A.
The 2021 advertising campaign showcased true stories and interactions between Chick-fil-A team members and customers sitting on a red couch, highlighting the brand’s dedication to serving customers and local communities. Generally, these spots focused on little things that team members did that makes a big difference.
Initially, #thelittlethings ads were exclusively designed for use on television, however the campaign was quickly expanded into social media platforms as well to include 30-second #thelittlethings videos on their Facebook and YouTube channels. Along with the campaign videos, Chick-fil-A incorporates a branded hashtag, #thelittlethings, into their social media posts to create ongoing conversations about their campaign and brand.
The nominations for the 2022 Chicken Marketer of the Year were highly competitive, which led to the judging committee of industry experts also celebrating the achievements of three additional finalists including Farmer Focus, Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken and Wayne Farms.
Chicken Marketing Summit is the essential networking and educational conference for poultry business leaders. Serving a unique cross section of the chicken supply chain, Chicken Marketing Summit explores issues and trends in food marketing and consumer chicken consumption patterns and purchasing behavior.
