Y.I.M.S Blog

Kentucky Fried Chicken has taken its “finger-licking-good” show on the road, literally. The iconic purveyor of America’s ultimate comfort food, ridiculously greasy deep fried chicken, has committed to fill 350 potholes in Louisville, KY. The only catch is that Colonel Sanders will be legally allowed to graffiti on the ground “Refreshed by KFC” stenciled drawings (KFC assures the citizens of Louisville that it is street chalk, so it’s not permanent).

Whether you assess this as a brilliant, pioneering marketing move or a just further perpetuation of unwelcomed, annoying, and invasive marketing techniques (a la the flashing banner ads of the early 2000′s) there is a lesson to be learned.

No, don’t go to the city council and ask the mayor if you can fix the potholes in your market area in exchange for your advertisement spray-painted on the ground…

In essence, KFC is providing goodwill services for citizens of Louisville that will benefit thousands of people and are getting some well-deserved press in the process. People tend to appreciate acts of goodwill and usually have a favorable perception of them. Some consumers even consider this a decisive factor in whether to patronize one business over another! In the world of real estate marketing, it’s essential for realtors to be involved in some act of goodwill that conveys to the consumer that they are more than just commission hungry salespeople.

One way I’ve seen realtors do this recently is by becoming Ecobroker certified. Going Green is not just a buzzword but a movement that is being forged in the forefront of consumer’s minds, as more and more Americans is thinking greener about their purchasing decisions. When you become Ecobroker certified, you don’t just get additional letters at the end of your name on your stationary (although that is cool and I’m jealous), but you’re communicating to your clients that you are a person who cares about the environment and can help them make important decisions that are consistent with their commitments to environmental awareness.

While news stations will not be lined around your office to cover your Ecobroker designation and it won’t be nearly as entertaining as seeing Colonel Sanders fixing potholes, it will provide a competitive edge as a realtor in a much more subtle and non-ostentatious way.

Will going green produce actual generate the kind of green real estate agents are looking for? That is yet to be seen. Will the 350 potholes that KFC “refreshes” in Louisville produce more chicken sales? Well, perhaps it’s not a fair comparison because the 350 potholes will cost KFC effectively nothing -according to an inside informant KFC will “allegedly” fill the potholes with the grease left over from their deep-fryer, which anyone who has had left over chicken from KFC could tell you is not a bad idea =)