When the Secret Makes the Brand

A lair filled with vials of mystical herb concoctions. Musty, verdant smells wafting through the air. Special passwords needed to enter this mystical storeroom of secrets, as well as the combinations to intimidating giant padlocks. Is this a scene from a Harry Potter movie?

No, it’s just the extremes that KFC goes to in order to protect its special recipe of 11 herbs and spices, originally devised by Colonel Harland Sanders, the company’s founder. The original recipe was handwritten by Sanders, in 1940, on a sheet of paper that is now yellowed by age [he started the company in the '50s]. In order to update the security at its headquarters for storage of the treasured proprietary document--the key to its business success--the company had to temporarily remove the document. KFC USA President Roger Eaton presided over a special ceremony to commemorate the recipe’s removal, and bodyguards were hired to accompany the document to a safe place.

According to an Associated Press article published in the Houston Chronicle, KFC goes to great lengths to keep the recipe safe. Ingredients are ordered from separate suppliers, so no outsider is aware of everything that goes into the coating for the famous fried chicken, which gives it its unique, appealing flavor. Only two company officials at a time are allowed access to the document--and their names are also a secret. (Actually, the recipe was locked in a cabinet, protected by three locks, and the cabinet itself was locked inside a vault. Vials of the herbs and spices were stored with the recipe.)

Over the years, many people have tried to come up with a recipe of their own that matches the Colonel’s, but according to the company, few even come close. And why bother, when it is so convenient to pick up a bucket of chicken at KFC? Like the secret Coca-Cola recipe, the secret of the Colonel’s fried chicken is one of the food industry's top brand-equity propositions. After all, one good recipe can be worth a million bucks [actually KFC USA sales were $5.3 billion last year].

KFC is developing a new, original chicken strip menu item--so perhaps they are referencing the Colonel’s original notes for some new ideas. Let’s all get ready for some finger-licking good eating. And hey, guys, take care of that brand secret. It’s a national treasure.

--Diva