Comprehensive Case 1 Chick-fil-A: Getting Better before Getting Bigger Chick-fil-A dominates the U.S. fast-food market. Whereas McDonald's, Subway, Burger King, and Taco Bell trudge along at the top of the heap, Chick-fil-A has quietly grown from a Southeast regional favourite into the largest chicken chain and the eighth-largest quick-service food purveyor in the country. The chain sells significantly more food per restaurant than any of its competitorsthree times that of Taco Bell or Wendy's and more than four times what the KFC Colonel fries up. And it does this without even opening its doors on Sundays. With annual revenues of US$8 billion and annual average growth of 16 percent, the chicken champ from Atlanta shows no signs of slowing down. How does Chick-fil-A do it? By focusing on customers. Since the first Chick-fil-A restaurant opened for business in the late 1960s, the chain's founders have held tenaciously to the philosophy that the most sustainable way to do business is to provide the best possible customer experience. Applying Some Pressure Chick-fil-A founder S. Truett Cathy was no stranger to the restaurant business. Owning and operating restaurants in Georgia in the 1940s, '50s, and '60s, he was led by his experience to investigate a better (and faster) way to cook chicken. He discovered a pressure fryer that could cook a chicken breast in the same amount of time it took to cook a fast-food burger. Developing the chicken sandwich as a burger alternative, he registered the name "Chick-fil-A, Inc." and opened the first Chick-fil-A restaurant in 1967. The company began expanding immediately, although at a much slower pace than the market leaders. Even today, Chick-fil-A adds only about 100 new stores each year. It opened its first location outside of the U.S. in early 2019, in downtown Toronto, and a second Toronto location in Yorkdale Mall in November of the same year. Although it now has more than 2200 stores throughout the United States and Canada, that number is relatively small compared to KFC's 4100, McDonald's 14 000, and Subway's 27 000. Chick-fil-A's controlled growth ties directly to its "customer first" mantra. As a family-owned operation, the company has never deviated from its core value to "focus on getting better before getting bigger." The slow-growth strategy has enabled that ability to "get better." As another way to perfect its business, the company has also stuck to a limited menu. The original breaded chicken sandwich remains at the core of Chick-fil-A's menu today"a boneless breast of chicken seasoned to perfection, hand-breaded, pressure cooked in 100% refined peanut oil and served on a toasted, buttered bun with dill pickle chips." In fact, the company's trademarked slogan "We didn't invent the chicken, just the chicken sandwich"has kept the company on track for decades. Although it has carefully and strategically added other items to the menu, it's the iconic chicken sandwich in all its varieties that primarily drives the brand's image and the company's revenues. This focus has helped the company give customers what they want year after year without being tempted to develop a new flavour of the month. Getting It Right Also central to Chick-fil-A's mission is to "have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A." Although seemingly a tall order to fill, this sentiment permeates every aspect of its business. Not long ago, current Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy was deeply affected by a note that his wife taped to their refrigerator. In a recent visit to a local Chick-fil-A store, she had not only received the 3 wrong order, but she had also been overcharged. She circled the amount on her receipt, wrote "I'll be back when you get it right" next to it, and posted it on the fridge for her husband to see. That note prompted Dan Cathy to double down on customer service. He initiated a program by which all Chick-fil-A employees were retrained to go the "second mile" in providing service to everyone. That "second mile" meant not only meeting basic standards of cleanliness and politeness but going above and beyond by delivering each order to the customer's table with unexpected touches such as a fresh-cut flower or ground pepper for salads. The experience of a recent patron illustrates the level of service Chick-fil-A's customers have come to expect as well as the innovative spirit that makes such service possible: My daughter and I stopped at Chick-fil-A on our way home. The parking lot was full, the drivethru was packed . . . but the love we have for the chicken sandwiches and waffle potato fries! So, we decided it was worth the wait. As we walked up the sidewalk, there were two staff members greeting every car in the drive-thru and taking orders on little tablets. A manager was making his rounds around the building outside smiling and waving at cars as they were leaving. When we came inside, the place was packed! We were greeted immediately by the cashiers. Seth happened to take our order. He had a big smile, wonderful manners, spoke clearly and had great energy as a teenager! He gave us a number and said he'd be right out with our drinks. We were able to sit at a table as the other guests were leaving and before we could even get settled our drinks were on the table! While Seth started to walk away, our food was delivered by another very friendly person. Both myself and my 15-year-old daughter commented on how fast it all happened. We were so shocked that we started commenting on the large groups arriving behind us, and began watching in amazement, not only inside but outside! Everyone behind the counter worked together, used manners, and smiled. The teamwork was amazing! Then Ron, a grey-headed friendly man, made his way from table to table, checking on guests, giving drink refills, and trading colouring books for small ice-cream cones with sprinkles for little kids. He checked on us twice and filled our drinks once. Recently, the company instituted the "parent's valet service," inviting parents juggling small children to go through the drive-through, place their order, park, and make their way inside the store. By the time the family gets inside, its meal is waiting on placemats at a table with highchairs in place. But beyond the tactics that are taught as a matter of standard policy, Chick-fil-A also trains employees to look for special ways to servesuch as retrieving dental appliances from dumpsters or delivering smartphones and wallets that customers have left behind. Give Them Something to Do Beyond high levels of in-store service, Chick-fil-A has focused on other brand-building elements that enhance the customer experience. The brand got a big boost when the Chick-fil-A cows made their promotional debut as three-dimensional characters on billboards with the now famous slogan "EAT MORE CHIKIN." The beloved bovines and their self-preservation message have been a constant across Chick-fil-A promotional materials for more than 23 years. They have also been the lynchpin for another Chick-fil-A customer experience enhancing strategyengage customers by giving them something to do. When it comes to giving customers "something to do," Chick-fil-A does not fool around. For starters, there's "Cow Appreciation Day"a day set aside every July when customers who go to any Chick-fil-A store dressed as a cow get a free entree. Last year, the 12th anniversary of this annual event, about 1.8 million cow-clad customers cashed in on the offer. 4 Another tradition for brand loyalists is to camp out prior to the opening of a new restaurant. Chick-fil-A encourages this ardent activity with its "First 100" promotionan officially sanctioned event in which the company presents vouchers for a full year's worth of Chick-fil-A meals to the first 100 people in line for each new restaurant opening. Dan Cathy himself has been known to camp out with customers, signing T-shirts, posing for pictures, and personally handing coupons to the winners. And whereas some customer-centric giveaways are regular events, others pop up randomly. Take the most recent "family challenge," which awards free ice-cream cones to any dine-in customers who relinquish their smartphones to a "cell-phone coop" for the duration of their meals. To keep customers engaged when they are not in the stores, Chick-fil-A has become an expert in social and digital media. It's app, Chick-fil-A One, jumped to the number one spot on iTunes only hours after being announced. Nine days later, more than a million customers had downloaded the app, giving them the ability to place and customize their orders, pay in advance, and skip the lines at the register. And in a recent survey by social media tracker Engagement Labs, Chick-fil-A was ranked number one and crowned the favourite American brand on all major social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Every year, as the accolades roll in, it is apparent that Chick-fil-A's customer-centric culture is more than just talk. Among the many competitors, Chick-fil-A was ranked number one in customer service in the most recent American Customer Service Satisfaction Index (ACSI) for fast-food chains. Chick-fil-A took the same top spot in surveys by the Temkin Group and Consumer Reports. The most cited reason for these achievements was employees described as having a "pleasant demeanour," making eye contact, and saying "please" and "thank you." After decades of phenomenal growth and success, Chick-fil-A is giving the cows a break. "The cows are an integral part of the brand. They're our mascot, if you will," says Jon Bridges, chief marketing officer for Chick-fil-A. "But they aren't the brand. The brand is bigger than that." The cows haven't disappeared, they've just changed pastures as the brand's promotional messages have shifted to tell engaging stories about the food, people, and service that make the brand so special. It's a risky move. With Chick-fil-A growing faster than any other major fast-food chain, it begs the question as to whether such a drastic change in the brand's symbolism will sustain its current growth for years to come or send customers out cow tipping. Prior to this recent announcement, one estimate has Chick-fil-A on track to leapfrog Dunkin', Taco Bell, Burger King, Wendy's, and Subway to become the third-largest fast-food chain in the United States by 2020. At that point, Chick-fil-A will trail only Starbucks and McDonald's. Clearly, all this growth is no accident. As one food industry analyst states, "It's about trying to maintain high levels of service, high quality, not deviating dramatically, and giving customers an idea of what to expect." As long as Chick-fil-A continues to make customers the number one priority, we can expect to find more and more access to those scrumptious chicken sandwiches.

Comprehensive Questions for Case 1: Chick-fil-A 1) An important part of the marketing process is to understand the marketplaces as well as customer needs, wants, and demands. a. compare and contrast the needs, wants, and demands of consumers. b. Which of these do you think marketers can influence? Which can't they? And why? c. Lastly, provide examples from the case of needs, wants, and demands of Chick-fil-A customers.

2) I often talk about the concept of marketing myopia in class. a. describe marketing myopia, and explain how a company can be influenced by this concept. b. Do you think Chick-fil-A ownership may be displaying signs of marketing myopia? Support your response with examples from the case. c. How does this focus impact the value that Chick-fil-A provides their customers?

3) Marketing managers are always focused on engaging customers and building profitable relationships with them. To do that, they must consider the interests of the customers, the organization, and society. a. What are the five possible concepts or orientations managers may take, to guide their philosophy on the importance of each of the three stakeholders. b. Using your own words, compare and contrast these five orientations, and how they relate to each of the three stakeholders. For each of the five orientations, provide an example of a real company using that to guide their philosophy. Make sure you explain why you think that is the case. c. Which of the five orientations do you think Chick-fil-A follows? Make sure you support your answer with evidence from the case.

4) We discussed many factors which can influence consumer behaviours. Some factors can be influenced by marketers, but others must be paid attention to, but cannot actually be influenced. a. What are the four factors which influence consumer behavior? , describe them, and provide your own examples of how each can influence consumer behaviour. b. Choose one factor (or subfactor) that marketers can influence, explain how they can influence that factor, and provide an example where a real company has influenced you in that manner. Choose another factor (or subfactor) which cannot by influenced, explain how marketers can obtain an advantage with a proper understanding of said factor, and provide an example. c. Lastly, do you think Chick-fil-A has influenced any factors, or obtained an advantage through awareness of factors? Provide justification for your answer from the case.

5) We discussed that the buying decision starts long before the actual purchase and continues well after. a. Identify and explain the five stages of the buyer decision process (in order). b. What are issues that may arise during the different stages of the process? Discuss from both the consumer and marketer perspective. Make sure you provide examples for each. c. Discuss the decision process that a family with young children may go through when considering a weeknight dinner at Chick-fil-A.