Who is Colonel Harland Sanders?

It's been120 years since the birth of Colonel Harland Sanders.

Yet, KFC has discovered that half of young Americans think he was made up.

This has caused KFC to re-introduce the Colonel to the public, with a resurrect the dead campaign.

Harland Sanders was born on Sept. 9, 1890 and he used a $105 Social Security check to start KFC, that was when when he was 65. 

That first restaurant, named Sanders Court & Cafe eventually became the chicken empire known as Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Back in 1976, only heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali was more recognized as a celebrity.

How soon we forget, over 60% of Americans aged 18-25, considered KFC's key demographic, didn't even know who Sanders was, in the KFC logo.

In a survey released recently, 50% think he's fictional,  made up by a advertising agency, like McDonald's Ronald McDonald or Burger King's The King.

And then there's the 30% who have no idea who Colonel Harland Sanders is.

We would like to suggest that the fault belongs to the decision makers at KFC.

Sanders died 30 years ago and over the years the KFC name and logo has become more obscure.
Didn't we use to call it, 'Colonel Sanders Kentucky Fried Chicken?' 
The decision to change the name distanced us from the man in the white suit.
And speaking of his white suit, who decided to take Sanders out of his iconic white suit and put him into a red apron in its logo?
Then KFC decided to make sandwiches without bread, wraps and grilled chicken when it was his fried chicken and the Colonel's secret recipe that made them famous.

It's no secret who made the public forget.

What's up with KFC?

Let us count the ways: once known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, then they changed the name to only initials, then the menu went south on us.
Their bottom line has suffered as a result.
The grilled chicken, didn't help the bottom line and the Double Down sandwich, which replaces bread with chicken breasts hasn't done much either.
We tried the Double Down sandwich, it was just okay, we haven't ordered it again.

Make no mistake, KFC is the chicken king, but brands such as Chick-fil-A. now owns 20% of the market with just 1,500 locations. That's less than one-third of KFC's 5,200-store U.S. presence. And Chick-fil-A operates on a six-day week, as its restaurants are closed on Sundays.
Last year, KFC said that the grilled chicken would be the key to turn things around.
After that, KFC reported its first same-store sales growth in two years,  but results since have been negative falling 4% for the year as a whole.

Except for KFC, each of the top chicken chains grew business last year.
Chick-fil-A grew sales 9% to $3.2 billion, and gained 1.8 market-share points to 20%.
Sales were also up at Popeyes, 0.3%,
Church's, 2%,
Zaxby's, 8%,
Bojangles, 8%.

Remember El Pollo Loco?
Remember the tough advertising assault against KFC's grilled chicken?
Well, they too suffered sales declines, 7% to $582 million.

Branding consultant Denise Lee-Yohn noted that, for KFC, trumpeting grilled chicken and then promoting products like the Double Down may have muddied the brand. "They don't have a clear identity anymore, and I think that's hurt them," she said.

Those of us in the Voodoo Kitchen didn't like it when they shoved Colonel Sanders into the closet, pretending he wasn't around anymore.
The Colonel was their clear identity.

PETA protests statue of Colonel Sanders

PETA, a movement always looking for a movement, once again targets KFC.
PETA want to erect a statue crafted from chicken droppings to protest a proposed bronze statue in Corbin Kentucky of restaurant founder Colonel Sanders.
(no, that's not the the statue of Colonel Sanders you see here, that's him)
Corbin was the location of Sanders’ first restaurant.
PETA says its aim is to draw attention to their protests about the chickens farmed for KFC.
The city of Corbin says, Sanders statue is meant to represent his connection to the community, not corporate KFC.
City officials have not decided if PETA can move forward with the protest.