I just can’t understand what Kentucky Fried Chicken is thinking with its latest cause marketing program. This picture says it all. Buy a HALF-GALLON of soda – with 800 calories from 56 spoonfuls of sugar – for $2.99 and a buck goes to Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
I’m actually more astonished that JDRF would sign on for such a pact. KFC showed it’s a bird of a different feather last year with Buckets for the Cure and the dreadful Double Down. It’s no surprise to me that they deep fried their reputation again, covering it with a disgusting, unappealing exterior that few can digest.
But JDRF should have known better. I Googled the partnership and some Dallas KFC’s were selling JDRF’s signature sneaker pinups, which seems a more appropriate venture as it’s not directly connected to KFC’s menu.
I’ve said this before: I don’t have a problem with nonprofits and fast-serve chains doing cause marketing. What I do have a problem with is when fast serve chains like KFC encourage consumers to buy products that directly contribute to the health conditions – in this case diabetes – they are supposedly trying to prevent by partnering with the cause in the first place.
It’s like if Philip Morris partnered with Smokey the Bear and donated a portion of all cigarette sales to conservation groups working to stop wildfires – fires that are sometimes started by careless smokers!
It’s simply that ridiculous!
What was JDRF thinking? I’m not sure, but I’m calling them today to see if I can find out!
[Update 6/11/11: JDRF emailed me a response to my blog post and gave me permission to post it on my blog. See the comments section.]
Thirdly, keep in mind JDRF's mission is to: research Type 1 juvenile diabetes; work to finding better treatments and cures [e.g. the artificial pancreas] that help to improve affected children's quality of life; and raise awareness of the disease socially and politically. It is not to prevent Type 2 diabetes or be a dietary watchdog.
At a certain point, who cares if the money for diabetes research comes from Whole Foods or ConAgra? Or if Pepsi wants to give money to Type 1 research, then good! Let's use that money and help people. JDRF could use a lot more help in helping these kids and their families. If the source[s] of support seems ironic or incongruous in some way, then I say "welcome to the 21st century". I can think of other financial relationships, consummated for the purpose of commerce – not research – that are at least as incongruous, e.g. Dow Chemical advertising in The National Geographic. We won't even get into political lobbying, which is where the "outrage" people are expressing here would be better targeted imo…
[...] Buy a ginormous soda and help fund diabetes research…seriously!?! [...]
My son is a Type 1 Diabetic. Diagnosed 2 years ago when he was 12. My inlaws are both Type 2 and my sister in law is a Type 1. In my opinion JDRF did nothing wrong. A donation is a donation as long as it's legal. Their goal is to find a cure and the only way they will reach this goal is by donations. Whatever it takes to get the job done. Soda isn't good for anyone, diabetic or not. My son could drink all the soda he wants as long as he counts the total carbs and covers it with insulin. He chooses not to drink it though. He prefers water. People are going to eat KFC and drink soda anyway…at least something positive comes out of a negative food choice.
So you honestly don’t see anything wrong in KFC campaign? And you honestly don’t think you as a mother is responsible for you child disease? No wonder why KFC has the audacity of coming up with such campaigns…
Thanks for all your comments! You know what's interesting: go back to this post last year on KFC and Komen and read the responses to that promotion.
http://selfishgiving.com/causerants/komens-cause-…
Same type of premise on fast food contributing to a disease (but, again, not necessarily true), but the response was different. Most people who commented didn't support the Komen/KFC partnership, regardless of how much it raised.
Not sure what explains the difference in response. Some people have said they wouldn't have approved this program if they were in the same position as KFC and JDRF. Nevertheless, they support the promotion. Why? Are supporters of cancer causes more critical of cause marketing because there's so much of it and they can pick and choose their partners? Whereas diabetes has fewer corporate partnerships and every one of them, regardless of the promotion, has to be valued for what it contributes to the cause?
Thoughts?
You rise some really interesting questions. My take, I think there were a few reasons why JDRF/KFC caused less controversy than “bucket for the cure”. To began with the JDRF promotion was spread more like a viral marketing campaign, people retweeting the photo and websites like Buzzfeed asking people to rate it, fail, lol, omg, trashy, wtf. The JDRF photo was covered in a very jokey way. When you started looking into why the JDRF agreed to this promotion it looks more misguided than a major P.R. disaster. It was a one off, instigated by someone for personal reasons and the mega jug is intended to be shared, not consumed by one person. To some when it’s pointed out soda/sugar will not cause type 1 diabetes that contradicts the whole idea of why the advert was offensive in the first place. That’s not to say this won’t cause problems for KFC and JDRF in the future. These kind of things can become the stuff of folklore. If KFC mess up again, how long before someone says, well this is the company that raised money for diabetes with huge jugs of soda.
In contrast “the bucket for the cure” was taken more seriously. I’m not sure but I think a few days after KFC began sending out press releases for the promotion a Washington Post blog criticized the idea. From the start it was clear this was a national campaign and not a joke.
As well the Susan G Komen foundation has comes under fire in recent years for its pinkification of breast cancer. And for allowing companies to use the cause as a way to sell extra products. The KFC episode can be viewed as another example of this. The JDRF is a smaller charity and has not received the kind of scrutiny that Komen has.
Personally I think it was the way both chairities were promoted that caused offense. Firstly the names of the product sizes in KFC are ridiculous, buy a *bucket* of chicken! A *mega* jug of soda, surely a “mere” jug is enough for anyone. They raised cash for charities in a very blatant way, buy this, donate to that. It’s almost like a challenge to eat as much as you can when you put the cause next to a huge amount of soda or a bucket of fried chicken.
Burger king donates to a children’s cancer charity “A Chance for Kids" and runs the "Have It Your Way Foundation" which is a non profit focused on hunger alleviation, disease prevention and community education. I have not been into a Burger King so I can’t tell you why these charities do not draw the ire that KFC and their charitable endeavours have. I can only guess they are promoted in a more tasteful way.
As for the responses you received I think the fact that this KFC promotion involves diabetes played a part. Anyone with a serious health condition worries about the media and peoples perception of their illness/disability. People with diabetes are more use to being judged and blamed for their illness, and most of the criticism is around cause and diet. Most would quite rightly, never say to a person with breast cancer they caused their disease. People with type 1 and type 2 diabetes have to deal with the opinion their condition is self inflicted all the time. The amount of, “here‘s how you cure diabetes, don‘t drink the soda”, “cure type 1 by getting type 2” “KFC helping to cure the disease they gave them” remarks that picture generated over the internet is staggering. Which ties in with why you received so many replies from people correcting you. Even when it was clear you now knew the difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Lots if people with diabetes feel judged and offended by peoples misconceptions, it’s disheartening when people who know very little about your illness are repeating misinformation as fact. I imagine a lot of the people lashing out at you will have young children with diabetes, that can make people extra sensitive. If they feel you’re criticizing a charity that is helping their child or demeaning their condition they get offended. It’s hard to be objective when it’s your kid’s health.
I think in the case of “buckets for the cure” it’s easier to be objective and look at the bigger picture. No one feels like their judging the people with cancer when some one says this is a bad idea.
Excellent points, Krissey. It would be an interesting case study to look at the two and the differences. Of course, a big factor probably was that it happened in just one location. KFC/JDRF were sitting on a much smaller powder keg in this instance.
[...] underestimated KFC’s capacity for irony. The mega jug is a half gallon of soda, and this is a real local promotion. The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation defends it thus: “JDRF supports research for type [...]
So screw all those with or developing Type II for the sake of their research in Type I. The corporate doublespeak/double think is at work.
Ah, how I love the misconceptions about Type 1 Diabetes. It is NOT caused by eating or drinking too much sugar, it is an autoimmune disease. Type 2 diabetes is very much related to eating/drinking too much sugar (i.e. obesity) and is not remotely associated with JDRF. Kudos to JDRF & KFC to help educate the public on Type 1 Diabetes and fundraising for a disease that is not preventable !http://www.jdrf.org/index.cfm?pageid=101982
So JRDF supporting research into a cure for type 1 diabetes with donations KFC provides by pushing oversized soft drinks that help cause type 2 diabetes is fine because JRDF is only concerned with curing the type not caused by sugar intake? Is that seriously what you’re suggesting? Because if it is then that’s just plain sad.
Not that this is the best campaign for JDRF but that said people should know that Juvenille Diabetes or type one really has nothing to do with Sugar or sugar intake causing it. It is an autoimmune disorder and has nothing to do with how much sugar someone consumes
It is also no small detail that Pepsi owns KFC, making their 2.99 'megajug" a highly profitable item. Science aside, KFC and their sidekicks McEverything are poor choices for kids. A half gallon of soda? Even worse.
While I do agree that this is a stupid campaign… What ppl fail to understand is that juvenile diabetes (type 1) is NOT in any way shape or form caused by diet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Type 2 diabetes on the hand can be!!!! Drinking a gazillion gallons of regular pepsi WILL NOT give you juvenile diabetes!
[...] via Billings Gazette, Denver Fair Food, A World to Win, FlashMunki Photography, SelfishGiving, [...]
I often eat KFC… have personally loved their stuff, but I keep coming across stories of people who have had really bad experiences with the company. There are some really funny vents about it here.
Well, stuff like this makes your blod boil. But it is clear why they are doing this. First, to build up a positive image. Many people do not know that there is a link between sugar intake and the development of diabetis, so they just continue to go there for lunch and drink BIG sodas. Then, it would be great to have a cure for diabetis because that would mean that those who ARE aware that too much sugar can cause diabetis can still drink sodas..well, "the doc can fix me up if needed".
[...] faced a similar reaction when I wrote here and on The Huffington Post on JDRF’s partnership with Kentucky Fried Chicken. 425 comments [...]
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[...] Does it make sense? If you sell fried chicken, maybe don’t partner with a diabetes organization. [...]
hehehe I agree. Pepsi all the waaay
JDRF is definitely contradicting its self by promoting a half gallon of soda. Even though it is for a good cause there are many other ways to raise money for JDRF. But putting there name next to a "mega jug" of pepsi just is not right. JDRF should be focused on having juveniles stay away from all the sugar pact sodas out there not promoting it. Even if the soda is not intended for just one person it still doesn't make it right. In my opinion JDRF would have been better off teaming up with a healthier brand for example vitamin water to help promote a healthy life style.
Uuuh, Yes. WATER is what is best for our cells. In fact our body is made up of about 70% or more water.