KFC's 'Plate of Hope' feeds over 13,000 children in India

KFC India recently launched initiative to fight hunger in the country – Add Hope – is now being amplified through KFC’s digital and social media channels.

To help contribute towards fighting hunger in India, Blink Digital added another leg to KFC’s Add Hope with the ‘Plate of Hope’ digital campaign. Launching an exclusive website, www.plateofhope.in today, consumers will have a chance to contribute through an interactive online session. For every plate created on the website, KFC will feed a hungry child.

“KFC is committed to supporting the hunger initiative and this may mark the start of many to follow in India. These statistics are of concern and we request people to spare their time to make a change. We are quite pleased with the way Blink Digital has created a simple yet call to action website that integrates what we stand for and for what they can do,” said Lluis Ruiz Ribot, Chief Marketing Officer, KFC.

Speaking about the campaign, Dooj Ramchandani, Co-Founder & Creative Director, Blink Digital, said, “KFC has been a great client to not only work with, but also a partner who understands and is willing to push the envelope with constructive action and thought. We wanted to make a difference…be bold and marry the brand ethos to actual consumer action. The entire initiative is very simple for a smartphone or desktop user to contribute to. We do hope people share this and create their own Plate of Hope for a better tomorrow in India.”

Add Hope is KFC’s global initiative and was launched in India in May. In India, KFC’s Add Hope programme is committed to fighting hunger in the country whilst creating awareness for the cause. It aims to provide 20 million meals to underprivileged children by 2020 in association with World Food Program (WFP) and India FoodBanking Network (IFBN).

Ribot added, “As a leading brand in the restaurant space with more than 14,000 restaurants in 120+ countries and territories, KFC feeds the world and is committed to leading the fight to end global hunger through add Hope, KFC’s signature global programme. With WFP as their global partner, add Hope raises funds to feed hungry children and families around the world and encourages participation in local hunger programmes. Through the dedication of franchisees and team members, in 2015 KFC globally raised more than $11 million in cash and food donations for hunger organisations, enough to provide 44 million meals for women and children.”

Speaking more on the genesis of this initiative, Ribot said that through Facebook, KFC invited consumers to join them in their fight against hunger. All they had to do was to simply create a ‘Plate of Hope’ on KFC’s exclusive website and share their plate on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to further spread the message. For every plate created by the consumer, KFC committed to feed a hungry child.

He further explained, “One in four children in India is malnourished and consequently, facing greater obstacles in reaching their fullest potential. Hunger and malnutrition are particularly devastating to children. Not having enough food can have serious implications for a child’s physical and mental health, academic achievement and future economic prosperity.”

“We are a food company and it’s our privilege and responsibility to address the issue of hunger where millions of children go days without a proper meal.  Therefore, we are focusing on giving these children an opportunity to grow and thrive through Add Hope by providing them with meals with all the essential nutrients,” he added.

On taking the digital route to amplify the programme instead of the more mass mediums like TV and radio, the KFC Chief Marketing Officer, said, “In today’s time and age it is critical for brands to be digital savvy and speak the language of its consumers. It is the fastest way to reach people from all walks of life within a few minutes – both reach and impact is tremendous. KFC’s aim through Add Hope is to spread awareness and get as many people as possible to support the cause and join us in our fight against hunger. Therefore, we decided to amplify our efforts through digital.”

The campaign went live on May 11, 2016 and was amplified across all KFC’s digital platforms. The official hashtag #KFCAddHope trended nationally at #3 on Twitter after receiving 511 Tweets with a total reach of 12.8 lakh and impressions of almost 40 lakh. Overall the campaign reached out to 2.4 lakh+ (LinkedIn) people.

The ‘Plate of Hope’ campaign has produced meals for more than 13,000 children till now. Through the year, KFC will continue to drive both consumer and employee engagement initiatives to draw maximum participation for the cause.