KUALA LUMPUR: KFC has just launched a special site takeover on all its social media pages. Have you managed to spot it?
Keep a careful lookout, and you'll notice that the iconic Colonel Sanders logo has been replaced by that of an unidentified woman. And no – she's not just Colonel Sanders with a wig.
So who is this woman and why is she significant?
She's actually Claudia Sanders, the wife of Colonel Sanders, and her unexpected appearance is in conjunction with this year’s International Women’s Day (IWD).
Key ingredient in KFC’s success
The late Sanders couple met way back in 1930, when she was working as a waitress at the Colonel's first restaurant, and later got married in 1948.
While everyone knows the many contributions of the Colonel and just how hard he worked in building up KFC into a popular fast food franchise, you guys probably don't know that Claudia is the backbone of KFC's success stories.
In fact, David Novak, the former president and chief executive of KFC, once said that "We could not have been the company we are now without Claudia's contributions."
Without Claudia, the Colonel would not have been able to juggle all the various responsibilities that came with running a successful business
In an interview in 1991, Claudia herself said that "While (The Colonel) was out selling, I was home doing the work." This included the important task of making sure that all the franchise outlets received the correct ingredients.
It was Claudia's duty to mix, package, and ship out the secret blend of herbs and spices to the respective outlets.
And do remember that back in the day, shipping wasn't as convenient as it is now. Claudia often burned the midnight oil and would go to the train station late at night to make sure that even the out-of-state restaurants received their package on time.
She also accompanied her husband on trips around the country to promote their fried chicken. In her own words, she "Went into restaurants all over the country and played the part of the hostess with this antebellum dress on."
KFC has chosen to shine a spotlight on Claudia as a representative of other women’s contributions on IWD 2018.
Celebrated annually on March 8 since 1911, IWD commemorates the movement for women's rights and continues to celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievement of women.
This year, the IWD campaign theme is #PressforProgress, which urges us all to press forward and progress towards gender parity. – SAYS.COM