There are several businesses around the world that have been run successfully by Native Americans. These are the Native Americans who have invested wisely in different businesses. Experts have described the country as a land of opportunity. Judging from the number of businesses, like the well known Trump businesses to the little known enterprises that are striving to thrive, the American business acumen has been significant in the last decade with massive contribution to the global GDP (Mintel, 124)
However, this has not been without challenges such as the credit crunch that saw many companies sink into recession. Nevertheless, there are companies that survived this tide. A good example is the KFC “Kentucky Fried Chickens, a restaurant that specializes in fast foods. The well known chain of restaurants has its headquarters at Louisville, Kentucky, united states of America. However, there are many other branches around the world run by the Native Americans who are have seen this company seen this company rise to its current position as a major player in the food and general goods industry.
The company has an interesting history. The original idea upon which these restaurants have been built was first conceived by Colonel Harland Sanders, in 1930. Harland was born in Indiana in the United States. Indian is a state that is heavily inhabited by red Indians who are also known as Native Americans. Within the years the company has risen from the outdoor eatery that it was during the great recession to become a multinational company. Given the numerous opportunities in the concept, the company proceeded to sell its franchise to different outlets that are now in operation all over the world (Palmer, 23). This was under the watchful eye of the expatriate Native Americans whose ideas helped save the company.
This saw the company make huge profits of around twenty one million American dollars. Besides that, the enterprise gained publicity making it a favorite among lovers of fast foods. What makes KFC outstanding is their primary food and how it is prepared. Up to date no one really knows the exact recipe for their chicken (Meyers, 149) Apart from this, an excellent management and dedicated staff has made the company what it is today.
The main form of marketing the company’s product is by use of the traditional advertisements. The key brand symbol for KFC is the picture of its founder, sir Sanders. This symbol has been part and parcel of the advertisement for the longest time possible. A huge chunk of the company’s profits go towards maintaining the brand name at top notch( Mintel, 114) The use of Sir Sanders picture has been viewed by speculators as a psychological approach towards human behavior. the argument goes that the company’s Sander logo has been specially designed to maintain the old loyalties and also attract the newer breed of young customers.
The biggest opportunity for KFC that marked its great entrance into the market is the one fact that food sells even during hard economic times. This saw the company maintain a steady growth even during the great recession. A survey on the food industry shows that profits made from food sales continue to attract a positive margin. Having banked heavily in this economics of food concept, the company holds even more promise.
Another advantage to the company is the uniqueness of the products offered. According to industrial management strategies (Porter 19) puts it that the differentiation strategy works best for well developed and developing companies. This strategy sees a company offer something unique and different from what all the other companies offer. The catch here is that the company offers a deal that the customer cannot get anywhere else. KFC seems to have capitalized on this generic strategy.
Based on the findings of a SWOT analysis done on the company, the enterprise has been rated as one of the resilient companies in America. The company has been able to withstand difficult times through capitalizing on its strengths, minimizing on the weaknesses, exploring the available opportunities and safeguarding against any possible threats.
One of the challenges that KFC has strategically overcome is its constant clash with the law. On numerous occasions, the company has undergone a lot of pressure from environmental and animal support groups. At one time, PETA, an organization that campaigns for the ethical treatment of animals protested against the mistreatment of chicken by the company. This saw the companies gain publicity and in turn made huge profits and expanded the company’s customer base. This is a good example of how the company manipulated the SWOT approach to fit it instead of destroying it.
On a positive note, the company has committed itself to corporate responsibility. KFC aims at using her profits for a good course. A scholarship program that is fully funded by the company was started in line with this spirit. This program sees several students who are willing to pursue college and higher education and fully funds them through the whole process (Porter, 98)
Another major highlight by the company is the commitment towards environmental sustenance. The enterprise aims at ensuring that all their products are environmental friendly and that the ingredients used are legally approved. Apart from this, the company ensures the use of partially hydrogenated oil for frying its chicken and other foods (Palmers 103). This is a positive step towards environmental conservation.
The above company, KFC, was an idea borne by the Indians for the Americans other consumers. Years of hard work and persistence has seen the company grow to a great profit making venture. The concept upon which the company has been built on makes promises that the chicken people will be around for a really long time. That is the concept of feeding a hungry nation on cheap, healthy fast food. It still remains debatable that the company has achieved all the above mentioned although many will agree that the KFC company is a success story.