As Pandemic Weariness Rises, The People Choose ‘Chikin’

Photo by Levi Ventura on Unsplash.

Chick-Fil-A continues to lead the fast food industry through the pandemic in capturing the heart of the public with service and convenience, a new study says. According to MLBM’s annual brand intimacy survey, Chick-Fil-A has the highest customer loyalty of any company in the fast food industry. 

“I think highly of the brand,” Benjamin Ashley, President of the House of Lewis said. “I have consistently good experiences at Chick-Fil-A.”

MBLM describes brand intimacy as “the emotional bonds we form with the brands we use and love.” 

A company with high brand intimacy will have more loyal customers, and most fast food brands put a lot of money and effort into trying to cultivate positive associations between consumers and their product. 

“I freaking love it!” Moses Kazanjian, the Director of Spiritual Life at King’s said. “I think it’s a high-quality fast food brand.”

Kazanjian is responsible for catering the Public Reading of Scripture events each Monday, and has a strong professional relationship with the brand. 

“Catering with them is more pricey than some other locations, but the convenience is incredible,” Kazanjian said. “I appreciate its service as much as it’s food, and that’s rare for fast food. For something like the public reading of scripture that happens every other week, consistency is everything. Another thing they do well is working with tax exempt organizations– that’s not something you see with most fast food places.”

The convenience of fast food is a huge factor in the industry’s high rate of consumer satisfaction, and Chick-Fil-A is renowned even among its competitors for their service. 

“In my experience as a customer, their order accuracy seems to be far better than every other fast food restaurant.” Ashley said. A former employee of the franchise, he additionally noted that “They do hospitality very well–it's definitely the most emphasized part of the hiring and training processes. I rarely encounter a Chick-Fil-A employee who isn't friendly.”

Data from their annual surveys show that both performance and daily purchases of fast food chains have risen by 8% in the past year, a figure suggesting that the industry is benefitting from the public’s weariness of the ongoing pandemic. 

“Brands in this industry have been able to capitalize on mobile ordering and digital drive-through lanes during the pandemic. This has created a new reality within which fast food brands provide even more comfort and convenience to stressed consumers – a position they can effectively continue to reference as we increasingly return to 'normal life' in the year ahead," Mario Natarelli, a managing partner at MBLM, said. 

Since the pandemic started in March 2020, MLBM has noted a whopping 32% increase in positive emotional connection with fast food brands in their annual survey. 

Additionally, MLBM notes that fast food brands continue to enjoy significantly higher patronage among younger consumers— the primary demographic for those applications. Despite leading the charts overall, Chick-Fil-A did not run away with the polls.  While it was the number one highest rating among women, Starbucks narrowly beat it out amongst the male demographic.

The combination of decent food and great service and convenience have made Chick-Fil-A an economic force to be reckoned with during the pandemic. The brand has accumulated a wide and loyal following that helps it stand out from the crowd.