You know the old saying, “Be careful for what you wish. It might just come true.”
This advice could have saved KFC from making a huge mistake in buddy’ing up with Oprah last week.
In case you didn’t hear, KFC was promoting their new Grilled Chicken menu item by giving away a 2 piece Grilled Chicken Meal for everyone that printed off the coupon and brought it into a participating store. KFC even got the golden ticket of promotions: THE OPRAH announced this deal through her website.
The only problem was that KFC ran out of Grilled Chicken!!! And many stores (even ones here locally) were turning away customers with nothing in return except the worthless paper the customers had used to print off the coupon and a rain check procedure that required the coupon holder to follow a series of steps to receive the free chicken.
‘They’ also say, “There’s no such thing as bad publicity” but in this case, I would venture a guess that folks will not be so willing to walk into a KFC to try something new, even if it’s FREE.
The lesson that businesses can learn from all this:
Make sure you can back up the PROMOTED “great deal” with the ACTUAL deal itself.
Sure, I would love for Oprah to find my site and announce to her audience…
[Insert an Oprah-like opreaic tone…you know what I’m talking about]“Check out my favorite new website……Couuuuuuuuuuuuuupon Kaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaatieeeeeeeeee dot com”, but that would crash my server and I wouldn’t know what to do with all that traffic from all around the globe even if I had it.
Besides, I don’t really focus on every deal everywhere. I just want to focus on the best in deals in Knoxville.
This got me thinking. How can I, CouponKatie, use my powers for good and not evil? How about showing the businesses in and around Knoxville what kind of deals people really want?
So there’s the question to all you CouponKatie and Knoxify loyalists: What local businesses would you like to see offering high value coupons and deals in Knoxville? Leave a comment below, and with enough response, we might be able to to serve up something way better than a few pieces of poultry.
Let KFC have Oprah. Give me Knoxify.
Comments 4
I’d like to see something from River Sports Outfitters – maybe a deal on outings.
The Knoxville Zoo-a deal for the whole family
Kentucky Fried Chicken serving grilled chicken? hopefully they won’t have to change their name to KF&GC (awkward!)
Hi Katie — A friend recommended your site to me today and I have enjoyed checking it out. I have a coupon clipping service (been in business for 20 years). I am in the Knoxville aread (located in Powell) and I would love to advertise my website on your website. I do have an affiliate program if you would be interested, I could provide you a link. Thanks, Rebecca