Analyzing KFC's Social Media Marketing: Business Professional Practice

This report analyzes the application of social media platforms, such as Facebook, YouTube, and Snapchat, in the business operations of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) in Australia. The report examines how KFC utilizes these platforms for marketing, sales, recruitment, and brand awareness. It details the specific strategies employed on each platform, including the use of Facebook fan pages for customer engagement and sales promotion, YouTube for viral marketing campaigns, and Snapchat for youth-oriented campaigns. Furthermore, the report discusses KFC Express Application and job advertisement strategies, as well as the impact of these social media tools on customer behavior and sales. The report concludes with recommendations for improving business performance through the use of social media and suggests alternative tools to enhance their online presence.

USES OF SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS IN BUSINESS 1
BUSINESS PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
Student’s Name
Course
Date

USES OF SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS IN BUSINESS 2
Table of Contents
Executive summary.........................................................................................................................2
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
Online marketing.............................................................................................................................4
Facebook..........................................................................................................................................5
YouTube..........................................................................................................................................7
Snapchat...........................................................................................................................................8
KFC Express Application..............................................................................................................10
Twitter............................................................................................................................................10
Google plus....................................................................................................................................11
Job advertisement and e-recruitment.............................................................................................12
Recommendation of alternative social media tool.........................................................................13
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................14
Bibliography..................................................................................................................................15

USES OF SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS IN BUSINESS 3
Executive summary
The purpose of this article is to examine the use of social media platforms such as the
LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and others to facilitate marketing and sales, recruitment purposes,
and presence and awareness creation by business institutions. The article picks on the Kentucky
Fried Chicken in Australia that is majorly a fast food restaurant. The article further recommends
more internet tools used to improve the business performance.
Introduction
In every business arena, technology has become the language of communication, with its
impacts affecting the international business community both directly and indirectly. The use of
internet has increased globalized the business community leading to increased performance,
productivity, efficiency, and competition in the business arena1. As a result, every business
organization focuses on the best strategies adopted with the aim of reaching a large base of
customers in the global market. The business adopts tools such as social media platforms as
advertisement opportunities to help the business reach the global market. This paper hence
evaluates and presents the use of social media in business with a focus on Kentucky Fried
Chicken as a case study organization. It focuses on the social media channels adopted by the
company in carrying out its business and how each channels is applicable. It then concludes with
recommendations for a planning strategy on how improvements are achievable.
1 Lindsey-Mullikin, Joan, and Norm Borin. 2017. "Why Strategy Is Key For Successful Social
Media Sales". Business Horizons 60 (4): 473-482. doi:10.1016/j.bushor.2017.03.005.

USES OF SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS IN BUSINESS 4
The rate of internet usage in today’s life has increased transforming the whole world both
in the personal and the business activities as it connects the business with the consumers
directly2. Many small businesses such as Kentucky Fried Chicken have embraced the use of
internet network in conducting their daily activities such as marketing, recruitment, sales, and
creation of presence awareness3. Social networking sites are definable as a group of internet
based applications that developed on the ideological and technological foundations of Web that
allow the creation and exchange of user-generated content. Social media, on the other hand, is
the environment that allows the social networking to take place hence connects the brands and
consumers to offer a personal channel and currency for user-centered interaction4 .With the
assistance of the Web, internet users are capable of creating their accounts and uploading
different contents on the particular websites “. It is observable that among the Australian
population, 90% of the internet users are on Facebook, with 41% on Twitter. Facebook is a site
that tells others who you know while twitters a site that shows others whatever you is doing.
Kentucky Fried Chicken is the world’s second largest an Australian fast food restaurant
after McDonald's that mainly specializes in fried chickens. KFC founded in 1930 by Colonel
Harland Sanders today has 20,000 global locations in almost 123 countries serving more than 2
million customers a week5. KFC embarks on social media platforms to conduct a number of its
activities such as marketing and sales, job advertisement, a creation of presence among the
Australians. According to Yellow Pages Social Media Report 2012, a large number of
Australians of about 71% have integrated with the different social media, making it easy for the
business in Australia to engage with potential stakeholders directly. The purpose of this article is
2 Bucher, Taina. 2015. "Networking, Or What The Social Means In Social Media". Social Media
+ Society 1 (1): 205630511557813. doi:10.1177/2056305115578138.
3 Ibid.,8
4 Ibid.,3
5 Ibid.,8

USES OF SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS IN BUSINESS 5
to look at the impact of social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and
Google+ on the KFC operations such as job application and recruitment, sales, marketing, and
advertisement. It also looks at the additional social media tool adopted to enhance the
performance of the business .
Online marketing
Online marketing is definable as the group of Internet-based applications, built on the
ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0, thereby allowing the creation and
exchange of user-generated content6. The marketing strategy is a new concept embraced by KFC
and other companies through social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube,
Instagram, and Google+7. The online marketing has been prone because of the today’s increase
of the consumer's technological use in both home and workplaces thereby giving the marketers
opportunity to use it to reach the various targeted groups with their products and services. The
study shows an increase of online marketers from 29% in 2009 to 38% in 2016.
6 Watfa, Mohamed K., Nima Najafi, and Mahmoud Bakkar. 2013. "Targeted Online Marketing
Using Social Networking". International Journal Of Online Marketing 3 (3): 37-50.
doi:10.4018/ijom.2013070103.
7 Conti, Marco, and Andrea Passarella. 2017. "Online Social Networks And Media". Online
Social Networks And Media 1: iii-vi. doi:10.1016/s2468-6964(17)30045-9.

USES OF SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS IN BUSINESS 6
Facebook
38%
30%
22%
10%
Method of awareness
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
YouTube
Figure 1 shows how KFC uses social media to create awareness
KFC Restaurant has great number of customers that visit the various locations, among
that great number 38% of the customers came awareness of the restaurant through their
Facebook fan page, 30% through twitter, 22% and 10% through Instagram and YouTube
respectively 8. KFC’s Facebook fan page has the greatest significant number of followers of
about 389,486 than any other social media tool making it the most efficient method used by KFC
to do the marketing in Australia. The fan page helps the restaurant to create awareness of its
presence thereby new customers who might not know its existence, through uploading various
updates and references from the potential customers. It is observable that many customers tend
to buy particular food after seeing the delicious photos uploaded in the Facebook fan page.
8 Ibid.,7

USES OF SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS IN BUSINESS 7
20%
25%
55%
sales of fried chicken
June
July
August
Figure 2 shows rate of sales of fried chicken after uploading the pictures on Facebook fan page
Figure 3: Fried chicken
Through, the account, the restaurant uploads fried chicken, French fries and any other fast
food items that are on promotions; as a result, customers get attracted by the delicious and
yummy foods, turning up to the restaurant. The uploading of the pictures of the food exposes the

USES OF SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS IN BUSINESS 8
business to a large number of consumers, creating awareness and improving on sales9. The
marketing personnel, through the Facebook page, address all the questions asked by consumers
regarding the prices of the food items posted, creating a personalized online customers service.
When customers get responses on the issues they raise, they tend to feel valued by the
management of the restaurant, thus creating a virtual community. The virtual brand community
created by KFC share same business interests thereby promotes the name of the business through
referring friends to buy food from the restaurant; as a result, the number of customers increases.
In totality it is observable that the restaurant sales rate increases from 20% in June to 55% in
August, due to the marketing done through the fan page.
The virtual community creates a greater degree of communication among the customers,
who thereby tend to persuade or influence others to buy from the restaurant, who automatically
accept because of the trust among them. It is observable that people with more positive attitudes
and comments on the fan page are more likely to buy from the restaurant and are more likely to
maintain a strong brand commitment than those that have negative comments.
From the KFC Facebook page, the management can tap the wisdom, personal feelings,
and attitudes of the consumers towards certain food products, enabling them to create a concrete
conclusion on what to address on the products to grab more customers10. KFC management
believes that the best food product results from the critics of the customers on the taste,
presentation, and service as a whole. Facebook provide consumer to consumer approach that
9 Ibid.,8
10 Faisal, Abu. 2016. "Marketing Strategies In Online/Digital Marketing". Account And
Financial Management Journal. doi:10.18535/afmj/v1i8.01.

USES OF SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS IN BUSINESS 9
enables the users to share experiences and create a shared knowledge on a particular brand, and
at the same time, it provides the manager an opportunity to have a direct communication with
clients through the traditional consumer approach11. For the success of the program, there has to
be a healthy positive attitude and trust between the business and the customers.
YouTube
KFC uses YouTube in marketing the food product through uploading the short videos of
events; customers experience on the restaurant hospitality or even a testimonial by a celebrity
about the restaurant that goes viral 12. A large number of people that access the videos create a
pool of potential customers that are more likely to visit the restaurant to have the same, thereby
increasing awareness and sales of the restaurant13. The YouTube marketing approach is
significant because the message targets different customers and is more entertaining than the
pictures of the foods. KFC launched a viral marketing video is known as “Finger Lickin” a
campaign meant to urge consumers to go for the high-quality Australian free Chicken that is
11 Ibid.,16
12 Aggarwal, Manav. 2012. "Online Advertisement". International Journal Of Scientific
Research 3 (6): 215-216. doi:10.15373/22778179/june2014/72.
13 Ibid.,8

USES OF SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS IN BUSINESS 10
yummy and delicious14. It created an influence on a great number of consumers who turned up in
the KFC restaurant to lick their fingers too.
those who saw the
video of finger
lickin video
those who liked
video of finger
lickin
those who are
likely to buy after
observing the
vedio
those who are not
likely to buy after
observing the
video
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
percentage
Figure 4 shows the impact of YouTube on customers' behavior
From the data, it is observable that many people about 80% watched the video of “finger
lickin” in Youtube, and 60% of them liked the video. Among those who liked the video, 50%
were likely to buy the drink with only 10% who were not likely to buy from the restaurant. From
the statistic, it is derivable that the social media tool was applicable since videos make more
impacts than pictures.
14 Nilan, Pam, Haley Burgess, Mitchell Hobbs, Steven Threadgold, and Wendy Alexander. 2015.
"Youth, Social Media, And Cyberbullying Among Australian Youth: “Sick Friends”". Social
Media + Society 1 (2): 205630511560484. doi:10.1177/2056305115604848.

USES OF SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS IN BUSINESS 11
Snapchat
Snap chat is an image messaging and multimedia mobile application that enables the
users to upload a picture of a preferred item and share it with other users that access them for a
short time before they become inaccessible15. KFC has chosen a youth-oriented social platform,
snapchat to launch its Double Soft Shell Zinger Taco making the snaps to be viewed for over,
3000 times within the first three hours of activation. KFC realized that most of the consumers
are millennial and therefore tries to create moments and memories of the best foods that are
available in the restaurant16. For example, the selfie pictures of KFC founder; Colonel Sanders
and followers, blended harmoniously with the “out of home” campaign. A campaign aimed at
persuading people to embrace the trend of dining away from home. As a result, many people
turned up with their families in different locations of the restaurant for their lunches and supper
and have the in-restaurant experience.
Another snapshot campaign organized by KFC was the “Freeze Frenzy” that aimed at
marketing a carbonated drink to capture the young adults. The snapshot aimed at reaching the
targeted audience, which was the young adult to have an outdoor freeze experience with the
drink. It required them to participate in a game entitled Freeze Frenzy, a mobile application that
allowed the users to see a ten-second video and access the game through swiping up the video
ad. During the game, the users assumed to be a KFC staff offering service to customers who
15 Ibid.,17
16 Kuruzovich, Jason. 2013. "Sales Technologies, Sales Force Management, And Online
Infomediaries". Journal Of Personal Selling & Sales Management 33 (2): 211-224.
doi:10.2753/pss0885-3134330205.

USES OF SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS IN BUSINESS 12
make a combination of menu including the frozen drink17. The user was to correctly add the
order to the KFC serving tray and serve the customer by tapping. A correct order earned the
player points with the shift of 60 seconds. The game progresses through different levels and
becomes complicated when the user has to serve varying number of menu items. The other
objective was to provide an opportunity to showcase the products and resulted in about
3,260,798 participants which converted to an average swipe rate of 14.43%. from the data , it is
observable that the rate of participants was very law of about 10%, that had effect on the rate of
sales of the carbonated drink, but through the weeks, the rate of participation increased gradually
to about 35% , as a result, the number of those who bought the product increased too.
week one week two week three week four
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
4.5
5
participants of the game
those who bought the product
Figure 5 shows the number of participants against the number of those who purchased the product
17 Ibid.,17

USES OF SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS IN BUSINESS 13
Figure 6: Freeze Frenzy
KFC Express Application
The application helps the KFC to announce already existing and the new products to their
customers who make the positive response. The temporal availability if the uploaded pictures of
the fried chickens tend to encourage frivolity and emphasize on the natural flow and interaction
between the restaurant and the consumers18. Today KFC has launched on a door to door delivery
as a way of making sales and attracting more customers in Australia. The program is enabled
through the use of advanced program known as KFC Express application that enables customers
to make a pre-order, pre-pay for both the cost of the food and delivery if need be.
Twitter
KFC twitter account helps it to highlight customer’s testimonials that have a positive
impact on its daily operations. Through the twitter handle, KFC can update the all the events and
promotions that are to take place. The management is also able to follow up the comments on the
18 Ibid.,17

USES OF SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS IN BUSINESS 14
twitter updates, analyze them to come up with a conclusive customers’ attitude that are useful in
improving the business.
Google plus
KFC has been doing various online advertisements that aim at increasing the total sales of
the chickens at every restaurant locations19. The various tools such as Google+, an internet-based
social network site operated by Google that is also used in most of the businesses to enhance the
performance. Google+ has been the leading social network in marketing search engines that is
providing an opportunity to connect to all audience and create follower. KFC Google+ has a high
number of followers that act as evangelic agents to the restaurant20. The food blog posts by the
restaurant help in creating health awareness of particular food, giving nutritive information “.
The uploaded photos of the fried chicken and other food products help to catch the attention of
various customers, hence luring them to go to the restaurant for a taste. The application has
visual makeup that is used by the restaurant to spice up the photos and videos, leading to a large
number of likes from the followers. The Google+ application has a search tool that provides
adequate information about a particular food, for example, the price, or the restaurant's locations
in various countries “. Therefore, users can use the search to look at the directional information,
job vacancy and any other information that may be required.
19 Banerjee, Pratyush. 2016. "Attracting Job-Seekers Through Online Job Advertisements".
International Journal Of Technology And Human Interaction 12 (3): 1-17.
doi:10.4018/ijthi.2016070101.
20 Ibid.,15

USES OF SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS IN BUSINESS 15
Job advertisement and e-recruitment
KFC social media job
advertisement KFC social media job
recruitment rate
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
linkeldln
newspapaer
Figure 7 KFC methods of job advertisement and recruitment
E-recruitment processes have revolutionaries completely due to the global usage of
internet21. A large number of today’s generation spend more time on the web, hence an
21 Kudlyak, Marianna, Damba Lkhagvasuren, and Roman Sysuyev. 2013. "Systematic Job
Search: New Evidence From Individual Job Application Data". SSRN Electronic Journal.
doi:10.2139/ssrn.2191172.

USES OF SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS IN BUSINESS 16
opportunity for a large pool of applicants without any form of geographical restriction. E-
recruitment is also known as online recruitment is the new technology of using web-based
resources in the process of finding, attracting, assessing, interviewing, and hiring new
employees. The constant impacts of social networking sites on communication and socializing
draw attention on how the companies carry out the recruitment process.
Previous research shows that about 26% of job seekers prefer the old option recruitment
process while 43% are looking at the online job sites. Study shows that among job seekers shows
that 85% are using LinkedIn while 74% and 39% of the respondent use Facebook and Twitter
respectively, therefore making LinkedIn as the most popular social media site for both the
employer and the employee to engage22. LinkedIn is more like an expanded resume that is
explicitly usable for connecting with one another in a professional manner including the
recruitment. Linkedln is usable in different ways such as identifying the business contacts or
potential candidates, to a canvas on particular subjects, to advertise the available job
opportunities and to reconnect with former colleagues. Initially LinkedIn was a free service, but
currently, it requires a membership fee that is less than advertisement fee and easier to screen
than other social media platforms.
KFC attracts most of the potential employees through the online job advertisement on
their websites and social media sites more than they do through the traditional methods, 45% and
22 Blunden, Sarah. 2011. "T-O-134 Sleepless And Media Savvy: The Bi-Directional Relationship
Between Sleep And Media Usage In Australian Children And Young People". Sleep Medicine
12: S93. Doi:10.1016/S1389-9457(11)70347-1.

USES OF SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS IN BUSINESS 17
20% respectively as a result, KFC tend to do more online recruitment through Linkedln. The
main purpose of the online recruitment is to make the process more effective, efficient, and less
costly as it can reach a larger pool of the potential employees and conduct the selection.
Companies can get employees faster than paper-based process companies can arrive at a larger
number of potential employees through casting a wider net, the businesses can post a more
detailed information concerning the vacancy and as well as answer FAQs, the job advertisement
and has longer lifetime hence many potential employees can make applications23. However, the
e-recruitment has the following disadvantaged, such as; the companies are unable to reach job
seekers who are not on the Web. There is a high level of competition for candidates among the
companies since there is less confidentiality, due to a larger pool of applicants, there is a large
number of resumes that are to be screened by the firm. Research shows that e-recruitment
recognition continues to grow in the world due to the wide range use of the internet by many
business enterprises.
Recommendation of alternative social media tool
WhatsApp is the world’s fastest-growing social messaging service with a half a billion
people around the worlds being active users. The application is straightforward to set up and use,
quick and reliable, less costly to both users and shares the media files very quickly. The
application enables the users to share photos and videos every single moment and days. KFC can
use the application in many different ways to enhance its operations; first, the application can be
used for internal communication among the staffs when passing certain information to all. The
internal social grouping creates closeness among the staffs hence having teamwork24. The
application is usable by KFC for customer communication, whereby the management can make a
23 Ibid.,5
24 Ibid., 3

USES OF SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS IN BUSINESS 18
follow-up on customers without making phone calls, and it gives an opportunity to be a little
informal with the customer that may create quicker responses to certain issues. KFC express
application is used to enhance marketing and promoting the KFC’ products, through uploading
the best and attracting images. of the cooked food thereby creating an appetite among the
customers. The application is also be used by customers to place orders for the type, time of the
food they want.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is obvious that social media is significant to the success of much
business enterprise and is no longer debatable. The social media powers derived from the rapid
growth of internet usage in the global exposing large number to accessibility. The social media
platforms enable the business to create its awareness to a larger pool of customers, help in
establishing a stronger company brand, enable the business to receive valuable customer’s
feedback and enables free advertising. Not all the social media platforms are suitable and
effective for business. Therefore, each one should understand the targeted group, the aim of the
social media and the repercussions it can pose.

USES OF SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS IN BUSINESS 19
Bibliography
Aggarwal, Manav. 2012. "Online Advertisement". International Journal Of Scientific Research 3
(6): 215-216. doi:10.15373/22778179/june2014/72.
Banerjee, Pratyush. 2016. "Attracting Job-Seekers Through Online Job Advertisements".
International Journal Of Technology And Human Interaction 12 (3): 1-17.
doi:10.4018/ijthi.2016070101.
Blunden, Sarah. 2011. "T-O-134 Sleepless And Media Savvy: The Bi-Directional Relationship
Between Sleep And Media Usage In Australian Children And Young People". Sleep
Medicine 12: S93. Doi:10.1016/S1389-9457(11)70347-1.
Bucher, Taina. 2015. "Networking, Or What The Social Means In Social Media". Social Media
+ Society 1 (1): 205630511557813. doi:10.1177/2056305115578138.
Bucher, Taina. 2015. "Networking, Or What The Social Means In Social Media". Social Media
+ Society 1 (1): 205630511557813. doi:10.1177/2056305115578138.
Chou, Wushow "Bill". 2010. "Job-Interview Smart". IT Professional 12 (4): 54-57.
doi:10.1109/mitp.2010.111.
Conti, Marco, and Andrea Passarella. 2017. "Online Social Networks And Media". Online Social
Networks And Media 1: iii-vi. doi:10.1016/s2468-6964(17)30045-9.
Conti, Marco, and Andrea Passarella. 2017. "Online Social Networks And Media". Online Social
Networks And Media 1: iii-vi. doi:10.1016/s2468-6964(17)30045-9.

USES OF SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS IN BUSINESS 20
Couldry, Nick. 2015. "Social Media: Human Life". Social Media + Society 1 (1):
205630511558033. doi:10.1177/2056305115580336.
Dr. M. Vanishree, Dr. M. Vanishree, and Dr. L. Shanthi Dr. L. Shanthi. 2012. "A Study On
Customer Awareness And Satisfaction Towards Kentucky Fried Chicken (Kfc) In
Coimbatore". Global Journal For Research Analysis 2 (1): 141-144.
doi:10.15373/22778160/january2013/16.
Faisal, Abu. 2016. "Marketing Strategies In Online/Digital Marketing". Account And Financial
Management Journal. doi:10.18535/afmj/v1i8.01.
Kudlyak, Marianna, Damba Lkhagvasuren, and Roman Sysuyev. 2013. "Systematic Job Search:
New Evidence From Individual Job Application Data". SSRN Electronic Journal.
doi:10.2139/ssrn.2191172.
Kuruzovich, Jason. 2013. "Sales Technologies, Sales Force Management, And Online
Infomediaries". Journal Of Personal Selling & Sales Management 33 (2): 211-224.
doi:10.2753/pss0885-3134330205.
Lindsey-Mullikin, Joan, and Norm Borin. 2017. "Why Strategy Is Key For Successful Social
Media Sales". Business Horizons 60 (4): 473-482. doi:10.1016/j.bushor.2017.03.005.
Magdalena Syrkiewicz-Świtała, Katarzyna Lar, and Tomasz Holecki. 2016. "The Use Of Social
Media And Social Media Marketing Tools By The Polish Marshal Offices To Promote
Health". China-USA Business Review 15 (7). doi:10.17265/1537-1514/2016.07.003.

USES OF SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS IN BUSINESS 21
Mróz-Gorgoń, Barbara, and Kamila Peszko. 2016. "Marketing Analysis Of Social Media –
Definition Considerations". European Journal Of Service Management 20: 33-40.
doi:10.18276/ejsm.2016.20-04.
Nilan, Pam, Haley Burgess, Mitchell Hobbs, Steven Threadgold, and Wendy Alexander. 2015.
"Youth, Social Media, And Cyberbullying Among Australian Youth: “Sick Friends”".
Social Media + Society 1 (2): 205630511560484. doi:10.1177/2056305115604848.
Simeon, Roblyn. 2011. "Comparative Analysis Of Online Recruitment And Managerial
Capabilities". International Business & Economics Research Journal (IBER) 1 (4).
doi:10.19030/iber.v1i4.3915.
Soules, Aline. 2013. "I Google, You Google, We Google...". Against The Grain 20 (2).
doi:10.7771/2380-176x.2734.
SÜAR, Arda. 2017. "The Advantages Of Social Media Marketing Against Traditional Media
Channels". AJIT-E Online Academic Journal Of Information Technology 8 (28): 21-44.
doi:10.5824/1309-1581.2017.3.002.x.
Vukanovic, Zvezdan. 2011. "New Media Business Models In Social And Web Media". Journal
Of Media Business Studies 8 (3): 51-67. doi:10.1080/16522354.2011.11073526.
Watfa, Mohamed K., Nima Najafi, and Mahmoud Bakkar. 2013. "Targeted Online Marketing
Using Social Networking". International Journal Of Online Marketing 3 (3): 37-50.
doi:10.4018/ijom.2013070103.

USES OF SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS IN BUSINESS 22