• by Karl Greenberg , July 11, 2008

Today is Cow Appreciation Day. No, not a holiday dreamed up by the American Meat Institute, but a four-year-old marketing program from Atlanta-based fast-food chain Chick-Fil-A. The one-day promotion, an extension of its 14-year-old "Eat Mor Chikin" campaign, via The Richards Group, Dallas, dangles a free meal to anyone who enters a Chick-Fil-A restaurant dressed as a cow.

The program is intended to boost awareness for the company as it hopes to grow its southern footprint into a national presence. The company, which posted sales of $2.64 billion last year among its 1,356 restaurants in 37 states, opened 80 new stores last year, many in relatively new markets like Southern California, accounting for 31 new stores in the past three years. The second largest national chicken restaurant chain (after KFC) this year hopes to open as many retail points in Southern California, as well as in new markets like Chicago, and in the Northeast.

Company executives spent the week delivering thousands of Chick-Fil-A sandwiches to media offices around New York, which meant opening the company's one restaurant in the city, which also happens to be at New York University, which is closed for the summer. "We got permission to go in there, open the store and to use it as our kitchen, so to speak," says Steve Nedvidek, senior manager, marketing ideation at the company.

"We have this year released more new products than at any point in our history," he says, adding that this year the company has introduced new wrap-style sandwiches, salads, sauces and cold entrees, and chicken strips this year. "The next big push will be to remind folks of the work we have done [on the menu] and get them to try the new chicken strips," he says.

The company will have a national media buy during the forthcoming nationally televised Clemson vs. Alabama game around Labor Day. "That Monday if you go into any Chick-Fil-A wearing any football attire you will get a free three-pack of chicken strips," he says.

He says the company's ad strategy is to go from regional ads to more national marketing efforts as the company expands its presence, particularly around college football sponsorships and title sponsorship of the Chick-Fil-A Bowl (formerly the Peach Bowl) an Atlanta college football championship game in December. "Currently, most of our advertising is still regional with our local operators doing buys." The company has also been a sponsor of PBS like the kids' literacy show "Between the Lions" for the past decade.