Why Chick-fil-A is launching an entertainment app
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Chick-fil-A has gone Hollywood, launching a new app to serve original content including games, shows and podcasts.
Why it matters: This is the modern-day equivalent of the Happy Meal toy — a brand extension that helps the chain stay connected to customers even when they're not at the restaurant.
Zoom in: Chick-fil-A's new app, dubbed Play, will feature animated shows starring the brand's famous cows, scripted podcasts, recipe and craft videos, as well as e-books, the company announced today.
- Themes of generosity, friendship, creativity and entrepreneurship will be woven throughout, Khalilah Cooper, Chick-fil-A's vice president of brand strategy, advertising and media, told CNBC.
The big picture: The move is indicative of a larger trend of noncontent-native businesses building their own media properties to tell brand stories.
- Chick-fil-A peers Starbucks and Chuck E. Cheese announced media projects in collaboration with external producers earlier this year to capitalize on "human connection" and supersized arcade games.
- Lyft and Airbnb have experimented in recent years with producing a digital series and a film centered around Lyft rides and local inclusive communities, respectively.
- And it's no surprise that Chick-fil-A, known for its conservative values, will focus on family-friendly storylines within its content strategy.
Between the lines: Content coming out of brand studios, especially that directed at kids, can help companies avoid the "stink" evoked from direct advertising, CNBC notes.
- And the risk of failure isn't as existentially threatening as it would be if a pure Hollywood studio made the same bets.
Hope's thought bubble: Chick-fil-A's entry into content creation marks another fracturing of the overall media landscape.
- Its investments signify that content funding sources continue to diversify beyond traditional ad dollars.
