KFC Campaign Showcases Podcasting’s Power To Move Sales Metrics.

Podcast advertising is finger lickin’ good, one might say, based on the results of a KFC campaign that ran in Australia. The fast-food chain teamed up with Acast to promote its chicken to the market during the fourth quarter of 2024. The company is sharing the results of the campaign, offering a real-world example of how podcast ads can drive sales.

KFC relied on pre-recorded ads, sponsorships and social media mentions as it aimed to not only boost brand awareness but also consideration — and ultimately, sales. Acast recruited Tony Lodge and Ryan Jon, hosts of the We Mean Well podcast, to be the voices of the campaign. It says the ads mixed KFC’s flavor-led messaging with a side of humor, to create a campaign that bordered on being more fandom than advertising. It says personalized host reads and social reels spotlighted the brand’s Hot & Spicy product range while allowing each host’s authenticity to take the lead, making the ads as entertaining as the shows themselves.

Acast distributed the campaign across its premium shows and audience networks to scale reach and frequency. That led to more than 3.4 million total impressions, with a unique reach of over 1.1 million. Bonus inventory also helped KFC over-deliver by more than 2%, with most impressions served via mobile, ensuring high listener engagement through headphones.

‍How did it work? Acast shares that the campaign delivered measurable uplift across every major brand metric, including a 65.6% uplift in brand favorability among podcast listeners.

The campaign also offers fresh evidence of how podcast ads connect with listeners. Acast says its data shows KFC’s message resonated at scale, with standout engagement rates on social (up to 6.2%), with high ad frequency helping to drive recall. KFC’s ads delivered a 65.6% increase in brand favorability when compared to the don’t recall group, a 16.1% increase in brand awareness, and a 10% increase in brand consideration.

Rachael Lee, Partnerships Manager of EssenceMediacom, which works with KFC, says by partnering with the We Mean Well hosts and their long-term love for the brand, they were able to produce a “dream collab” and a campaign that produced results. “Together, we successfully amplified cultural relevance of the KFC brand, which led to increased sales and uplift on brand metrics,” Lee says.