How Chick-fil-A set the bar for marketing healthful sandwiches

Some of the most notable food industry innovation trends involve sandwiches. Get the essential insights into this industry with Packaged Facts’ Sandwiches: Market Trends and Opportunities.

March 8 - For restaurant operators, integrating health on the menu is undeniably important: roughly 61% of adults age 18+ at least somewhat agree that they “try to eat healthier foods these days” and interest in organic/natural is on the rise, with some 28% looking for organic/natural when food shopping, up from 24% in 2007. These finding were published in the Packaged Facts report, Sandwiches: Market Trends and Opportunities.

Packaged Facts suspects that consumers are shifting away from policing health via low-no health claims and toward assessing it via inherent health. However, on U.S. menus, low-no claims remain in full force, which suggests that operators are caught between two major shifts in healthful perceptions-meaning they must cater to both to maintain the broadest appeal.

Operators can make simple healthy adaptions to sandwiches to help consumers make the connection between health and sandwich menu items; for example, offering lettuce wraps or spinach wraps as an alternative to bread. Chick-fil-A shows how sandwiches can be healthfully positioned.

Chick-fil-A is best known for its fried, breaded chicken sandwiches; however, the chain also features a number of grilled chicken options, including sandwiches and wraps, to help cater to those looking for healthier fast food.

Overall, Chick-fil-A strikes a strong alignment as a BFY fast food brand. A chicken-centric menu certainly drives this association, especially with a good variety of grilled chicken options. Chick-fil-A creates a health slant for its chicken sandwiches through its use of grilled chicken, fresh vegetable toppings, and/or BFY bread choices.

Another factor contributing the brand’s health positioning is its use of fresh ingredients and “hand-made” preparation techniques for many products. Additionally, in recent years, the company has announced intentions to work with suppliers over the next several years to remove all antibiotics (including ionophores) from its chicken supply.

-- David Morris