• by Karlene Lukovitz  @KLmarketdaily, June 2, 2015

Thirty-year-old Boston Market, the original healthier alternative to fried chicken and other fast-food fare, has had more than its share of ups and downs over the years.

Those have included a record-breaking IPO for the restaurant industry in 1993, bankruptcy in 1998, acquisition by McDonald’s in 2000, and sale by same to private equity firm Sun Capital Partners in 2007.

But it’s been making progress in the past several years, even in the face of supermarket-prepared rotisserie chickens and the relentless growth of “better-for-you” fast-casual competitors including Chipotle and Panera Bread. 

While Boston Market’s current 456 locations are still down nearly 700 from 1998, and it opened just four new restaurants in the past two years, it’s planning about 10 for this year and 20 for next year, reported Fortune.

Sun Capital doesn’t disclose Boston Market’s annual sales, but Technomic estimated them at $559.1 million in 2012, and Nation’s Restaurant News reported them at $600 million in 2013. The chain’s per-unit sales have risen from $1 million to $1.3 million over the past five years, and CEO George Michel told Fortune that he’s aiming for $1.5 million in the years ahead. And chief brand officer Sara Bittorf tells Marketing Daily that Boston Market’s overall sales have increased by 25% since 2011.  

That growth has been driven by a number of changes introduced since Michel became CEO in 2010, including serving on real plates, with real silverware, and adding successful items such as ribs and Market Bowls to the menu, she says.

It’s also been driven by America’s greater-than-ever obsession with protein, and chicken’s status as its #1 protein choice, thanks to being a leaner, healthier choice than red meat. 

For the same reasons, however, Boston Market is now also facing increased chicken competition from everyone from QSRs — starting with McDonald’s and its heavily promoted transition to antibiotic-free chicken — to a rapidly growing number of regional, local and independent restaurant chains specializing in or offering rotisserie chicken dishes (particularly bold and ethnically-inspired variations).

This time, Boston Market is fighting back by launching a rebranding campaign, dubbed “All Good,” that stresses the healthy, natural aspects of its chicken and “home-style” sides, as well as its expertise and affordable prices.

The brand that helped pioneer the concept of a restaurant meal as a “home-meal replacement” is hitting all of the hot buttons in its new creative from Zimmerman Advertising, including “all natural,” never frozen, and “free of added hormones and steroids.” Its promotional copy describes its cooking process as using a “rotisserie cooking method that allows the fat to drip away, leaving a lean, moist and tasty source of protein. “

A spot in 15- and 30-second versions, now airing on national and local TV (and viewable on YouTube), contrasts close-up shots of Boston Market chicken roasting on a rotisserie with chicken and beef restaurant products being churned out in assembly-line processes, with a voiceover that begins: “When making food fast is more important than making food good, something’s wrong.” Michel reported that TV accounts for 60% of Boston Market’s media spending. (The brand is also showing a 90-second version of the creative on social media.)

“‘All Good’ is about reminding people what sets Boston Market apart from our competitors: our food, our service and our people — in other words, our promise to deliver an experience that is all good,” said Michel, in announcing the campaign. “We’re dialing up our brand so we aren’t overlooked in the rush to respond to the siren song of fast food.”  

The brand kicked the campaign off on June 2, which it had managed to have declared the first “National Rotisserie Chicken Day” by petitioning the National Day Calendar. For the day, Boston Markets around the country offered a free regular third side dish with purchase of a rotisserie chicken meal, as well as “surprises” for consumers who shared on social media using #RotisserieChickenDay.

Bittorf and her team also did a Twitter chat on Foodichats, and a media tour with basketball star Lisa Leslie, who is continuing her brand rep role, including promoting it on Boston Market’s social channels and her own throughout the summer. Nutritionists are also on tap to attest to “why Boston Market rotisserie chicken is a great choice for a lean, natural protein,” says Bittorf.

Boston Market has launched its first Instagram feed for the campaign, featuring new recipes and photos; has engaged targeted bloggers to write about rotisserie chicken serving suggestions and tips for family meal planning; and has redesigned its home page, she reports.

The campaign also includes FSIs and in-store signage.