In the history of poorly thought out PR promotions, this may go down as one of the worst. A KFC franchise in Utah wanted to do something to combat Type 1 diabetes, so they decided to donate a portion of sales from an item to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). The item they picked? The 800-calorie Mega Jug of soda.
A poor choice and too bad because the franchise owner wanted to make a difference. The owner has a personal connection with Type 1 diabetes and wanted to help JDRF. The non-profit defended the action, saying that the promotion only occurred at one location. They also (correctly) reminded people that Type 1 diabetes is genetic and arises when the body attacks insulin producing cells. By comparison, Type 2 diabetes has been linked to obesity and poor diet.
Still, not the best PR move. At least KFC didn't run the promotion on the Double Down sandwich though.
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