KFC: The Growth of Colonel KI Over 3 Years Into A Long-Term ‘Brother’ to Chinese Players

Yi Liu, Stanley Tao, Jessia Zhu

Due to the outbreak of the new crown epidemic in 2020, China's game e-sports has ushered in huge growth. As a leader in e-sports in China, KFC has been building the KFC Colonel KI IP for three years, hoping to transform its role from a brand sponsor to a peer in the e-sports field, and stand out from many e-sports sponsors to promote the brand's commercial development.

Case details

Brand: KFC China

Brand owner: Yum China

Main agency: Mindshare China

Main agency holding group: WPP

Secondary agency: Keyi Media

Market launch: Mainland China

Industry: Food and Catering

Media Channels: Influencers (Key Opinion Leaders, Virtual Idols/Virtual Internet Celebrities), Mobile & Application APPs, Mini Programs, H5, Live Streaming, Social Media, Event Marketing, Game Advertising

Budget: 10 million RMB

Summary

As a pioneer in China’s eSports world, KFC needed to transform itself from a sponsor into an organic stakeholder in this world, driving business via the creation of lifetime value consumers. KFC...

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