Desperate Times, Desperate Measures

When a letter like this slips through corporate there’s a problem but when it comes from the head of marketing I am quite scared. According to OK Magazine, Kentucky Fried Chicken Chief Marketing Officer James O’Reilly wrote this letter to R&B recording artist Rihanna in response to her spotting in a Miami-area KFC with fellow R&B singer Chris Brown (which she is rumored to be dating). I could barely get through this letter without laughing at its ridiculousness.

It reads:

“Dear Rihanna:
We were very excited by your and Chris Brown’s recent visit to a Miami-area KFC restaurant.
Clearly, like Kentucky Fried Chicken and our founder Colonel Sanders, you two know how to kick it up a few degrees. And, Rihanna, that’s a secret recipe worth sharing with the world.

We could feel the heat – literally – in our restaurant that night … so much so that we’d like to invite you and Chris back to any KFC for a free meal including the Colonel’s Hot Wings. Whether lunch or dinner, home or on the road, our doors are always open to you. Think of it as a personal way to send an SOS whenever you crave a little Original Recipe.

Like you, KFC is dedicated to supporting charity causes. If you and Chris are again photographed making KFC a “hot” date-night spot, we’ll make a donation to your charity, BELIEVE, which helps underprivileged children.
Hearing about your fondness for KFC was music to our ears. Please don’t stop making KFC your favorite mealtime choice.
Good luck to you and we hope to see you again soon with or without an Umbrella.”

Future marketing professionals, there is a better way garnering partnerships or should I say a more appropriate way. According to OK Magazine, R&B singer/ performer Beyonce was given a lifetime of free meals at Popeye’s Chicken restaurants when she mentioned how much she loved the food during an interview on Oprah Winfrey’s talk show. In this case, it makes logical sense to offer such a deal. She’s a well-know, self-claimed advocate of the brand. But to write a letter thanking a celebrity for “kicking it up few degrees” with his/ her public display of affection fest, which by chance happened in KFC…well, let’s just say you might want to check yourself. With antics like this, it appears as though there may be openings in marketing at KFC. Lol!