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Oprah's Free KFC Grilled Chicken Promo backfires...big time

jal41

jal41

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gSnYZy4hFpsCCogAivtSYxfC90-wD9814NA80

This backfired for so many reasons...

First, users were forced to install spyware to print the coupon. This later changed to a PDF file on Oprah's website when the coupon website was hammered, which leads to...

Second...because this coupon software prints unique barcodes (and the PDF has one burned in code), some restaurants were refusing to accept them. Some said that the coupon had to be in color, while others said they had to have a unique code in order to get compensated. Confusion ensues.

Third...long lines at many locations. Several locations ran out. Sit-ins were done and reports of possible racial ephitates being used at one NYC location when coupons were refused.

Mass confusion...protests...and possible riots. All because of the involvement of one person. Things ought to be better planned next time.
 
I guess I am going to go ahead and NOT try to redeem my Kathie Lee Gifford free underwear voucher...
 
AT many KFC's across the country, coupons were redeemed with a smile. In most restaurants, customers were delighted with the free offer and with KFC's quick service. At nearly all locations in larger cities, long lines of cheerful people waited patiently for their turn to claim the free meals. Why isn't that being reported? Oh yeah, its good news and the media won't report good news.
 
Official printed coupons delivered by snail mail, after registration at the Oprah show website.

Sometimes, the old fashioned way is the best.
 
Nate Wesley said:
Official printed coupons delivered by snail mail, after registration at the Oprah show website.

Sometimes, the old fashioned way is the best.
Click to expand...

Around my neck of the woods most of the supermarket chains will no longer take coupons that were printed from a website. Too much fraud !!!

Like the one guy in a town not far from me who had printed some fake free Pepsi coupons, For awhile he was getting free Mountain Dew 12 packs at all of our local grocery stores. That is until Pepsi got involved. Ah they were NOT very happy.
 
If people are really spewing racial epithets or rioting because they didn't get their piece of free grilled chicken at KFC - this is a far scarier country than I have heretofore realized.
 
Apparently, KFC's supply line was threatened. KFC would have run out of chicken on Saturday if they continued as planned. (Sunday, Mother's Day, is their busiest day. That is why the coupons were not going to be valid then).

Note to anyone that tries to approach a popular TV host in the future with this sort of thing...make sure you have ample supply and technical infrastructure in place, and make sure everything is ready weeks in advance.
 
You should have seen Oprah's audience when all of that "free" grilled chicken came out and in buckets no less. Wonder how much it set Oprah back buying all of that chicken?

Which reminds me of the fiasco with Oprah giving away cars a few years back and come to find out that the "free" cars that the audience got that they had to pay through the roof in taxes.
 
Now, they're not going to honor the coupons. KFC is making everyone come in to one of their restaurants and fill out a 'raincheck' form (attaching the coupon). This way, they have your address so that they can spam you with junk mail! And, as you're there anyway for your free small Pepsi, surely you'll order some food. Unbelievable.

Here's their lame attempt at a mea culpa: http://www.kfc.com/coupons/raincheck.asp

Whoever runs PR for KFC and Yum Brands should be fired, rehired, then fired again!
 
Just when the idea of the grilled chicken was taking off and I had actually thought of trying it...this happened. Getting this back to television, I'll get back to...continuing to never watch Oprah. (I've never liked her.)
 
....Some chuckles, some grief.... You mean Oprah is not God???? I am sure most locations were fine, but when you upset the chain and their demanding customers in the bigger cities, LOOK OUT! People will scream for your head and soul over a sandwich! They will say it was conspired to promote division and racial, ethnic, or class hate.... As a simple idea of promotion, great! But legistics in this day and age....A NIGHTMARE... I know Oprah meant well, but this kinda' went 'BOOM' on everyone involved! I hope this opens her eyes that many in our society think EVERYTHING is a FREE RIDE and we should have EVERYTHING GIVEN TO US! Shame on any business or businessperson making one red cent in profit to: Feed his family, put taxes into the community and to turn the wheel to hire and grow employment in his industry! Heaven forbid that! Oh, on the other end of the spectrum... Some will say she gave those cars away so those winners would have to pay MORE taxes to her buddy from Chicago's Southside.... (She probably never thought of that, in her defense.).... Oh the times we live in.... By the way, the recession has not be anywhere close to what my folks and grandparents witnessed in the depression.... And, as much as we need to get that unemployment rate down (and we will), experts 15 years ago said it was impossible to have it under 6% (they were wrong) and if your under 50 you don't remember much about that nasty 1979 INFLATION at 19 to 20%...That really kept my family from buying a radio station! Ha!
 
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