It all started with Popeye’s introducing a new chicken sandwich. It consists of some chicken on brioche, with pickles and mayo. That’s it. This was way back, a little more than two weeks or on Aug. 12.

Chick-fil-A tweets out a simple, harmless tweet that lays claim to being the first with the sandwich, not even mentioning Popeye’s.

And the gauntlet was thrown down.

Popeye’s responded, and a chicken sandwich war had become. Shots across bows. Hashtag mania. Tons of PR.

Some tweeted that they now could get a great chicken sandwich without supporting Chick-fil-A’s politics. Others made racial slurs about the target audiences. And even celebrities jumped into the fray.

And now, not even three weeks later, Popeye’s has just announced that, while the purchased enough to supply stores with sandwiches through September, they are official sold out of the new sandwich. Which in turn is causing even more publicity?

Londre asks “Was this all planned?”  Some was. Most wasn’t.  Add the “planned” scarcity and publicity and sometimes you can strike gold.  There’s a concept of “scarcity marketing,” which is a technique or principle that “People (one of the nine P’s) may want what is difficult to obtain. If an event is SRO (standing room only) don’t “people” want to get in?

Apex Marketing Group, a consulting firm in Michigan, has released a report estimating that Popeye’s received $23.25 million in free advertising as a result. Popeye’s ad agency, GSD&M, which also oversees social media for the chain, is clucking with happiness.

Popeye’s Twitter following has grown more in three weeks, than in nearly three years.

Will it have staying power? Time will tell.

Sounds like a victory for Popeye’s. And maybe a taste test for the 2 Guys On Marketing…when the sandwiches are back in stores!

For the 2 Guyz, smart Marketing moves, and it’s a chicken sandwich which has legs, sales and publicity.

“WENDY’S!!!”  (@Wendys on Twitter). (Thanks COM 490!).

While Taco Bell seemed to hold the crown a year or two ago, Wendy’s has developed a following of over 2.4 million people.

Brand and Marketing researchers know there is a correlation between social media engagement and brands, but there is debate whether people like a brand and then follow, or follow a brand and then like it.

Either way, getting millions of followers to engage with your posts, liking, sharing, and commenting, is basically a social media home run.

BoredPanda.com, a website dedicated to “showcasing the world’s most creative artworks, offbeat products and everything that’s really weird or wonderful”, recently highlighted they Twitter genius of Wendy’s.

Research does indicated witty brands can be more memorable. But it can be a delicate balance.

The 2 Guys On Marketing teach that funny is good when it is memorable, relates to the brand or product, and is within the brand character. Londre and Hemsworth also know what makes the cash register ring is most important.  It’s about sales and their generation.

The Wendy’s tweets walk a fine line, but they appear to be witty and hitting the funny bone of millennials. The result is that Wendy’s is seen as cooler, hipper than places like McDonalds or Burger King.

Wendy’s is also on a steep upward growth track, planning to add 1000 stores globally in the next two years. (Source: http://www.nrn.com/operations/wendy-s-plans-add-1000-units-2020).

How long will the Twitter halo last? Will it continue to generate sales?

What the 2 Guyz really know about fast food is that new product development is key to future success, too, but that’s a future topic!

We’ll keep you posted!