This month, KFC launched their new 'pulled chicken' range of wraps and burgers in the UK, much to the joy of some...
...and the vexation of others.
Referring to pulled chicken as being "completely unique to KFC" probably wasn't the best idea, given that the internet has been awash with mentions of, and recipes, for pulled chicken dishes for quite some time (as many commenters on this article pointed out).
Hyperbolic statements aside, was this the right move? It seems to make sense: KFC are no doubt trying to ride on the American BBQ trend that has seen a 35% increase in the number of American and BBQ style dishes served in UK restaurants since 2010, and it obviously goes with their chicken theme (as well as tapping into the 'healthier eating' market, as some of the new items have less calories than their traditional fried chicken meals).
But are they too late to the party?
Most food trends follow a similar pattern - they start out with some buzz within the foodie community, before breaking out into the mainstream, hitting a peak and then gradually declining until the 'next big thing' takes over.
A good measure of a food trend's trajectory is looking at mentions of said foodstuffs on Twitter. Looking back at historical Twitter data can show us the rise and fall in different trends and the buzz they create among the public, and food trends show astonishingly similar patterns.
Data from Brandwatch shows that mentions of pulled pork - a large component of many a BBQ-themed menu, have gone the same way in terms of volume as the fabled Cronut. After an initially slow ramp up followed by a peak last year, mentions have gradually started to dwindle each month - though they have picked up again recently, due to other food retailers such as Subway and Papa Johns also jumping on the trend with promotions for pulled pork items.
That means KFC missed out on launching their pulled chicken product at the time when the BBQ theme was at its peak - spring 2013 - and the opportunity to be ahead of other retailers, potentially missing out on the maximum amount of buzz and excitement.
KFC said they've spent 18 months developing the new products - in a fast moving world, this might have just been a bit too long to truly benefit from a food trend and be ahead of the curve.
Perhaps they should have got on the Arepa trend instead - mentions of the south American flatbread have rocketed in the past few months, suggesting it's at the peak of its popularity - a perfect opportunity for a savvy food retailer.
This case proves the importance of social media listening, both ongoing and historically. Historical analysis of trends can provide incredibly valuable benchmarks and help brands with better trend projection for products and campaigns, among many other benefits.
Monitoring not only brand names but also general discussion in a particular community - such as food lovers - means a brand can stay on top of emerging trends and make the most of them.
Historical analysis, such as that provided by products like Brandwatch Hindsight or Topsy, can also help brands discover their super fans, or long time influencers within a particular industry. For example, KFC could've discovered that hugely influential Twitter user @itsfoodporn tweeted about a pulled chicken sandwich back in March, to a great response from its over 1 million followers - a perfect opportunity for some potential influencer marketing.