ATLANTA -- Church’s Chicken attributed a positive sales boost to the continued success of the brand’s marketing strategy and value-driven positioning. Its latest tactic is a 99-cent value menu offering eight items for less than $1, launched in January during a period typically slow for most quick-serve restaurants (QSR), the company reported.

The success of Church’s value menu, especially during a down economy, only reinforces the effectiveness of the chain’s multi-layered marketing approach to drive value while staying true to the brand’s core essence of authenticity and time-tested great products offered at a value, according to company executives.

"The introduction of the value menu gives customers an affordable option in stretching their dollar while satisfying their taste. The new value menu is just one more way to stay true to Church’s no-frills positioning," Church’s Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Farnaz Wallace said in a statement.

As a key ingredient to the brand’s marketing strategy and success, the value menu was developed to drive traffic while sustaining the brand’s positive same-store sales. Church’s said its domestic system experienced growth of 3.4 percent and a 6.3 percent rise in customer transactions during January. The brand also averaged an 8.3 percent sales mix and continued to maintain more than 6 percent sales mix during a 10-week time span.

By offering a variety of flexible and affordable menu options for customers, Church’s reported it has maintained a sales growth momentum of 2.6 percent year-to-date.

"The move to an even lower price point of these selected items only reinforces our brand’s commitment of value during these tough economic times," Wallace added.

Church’s original chicken sandwich is currently the brand’s highest seller. Its value menu also includes other Church’s classics including the Spicy Chicken and BBQ Sandwich, 1-piece chicken leg/thigh and 1-piece tender breast strip —each served with a hot honey-butter biscuit—and 5-piece Chicken Nuggets and its signature Jalapeno Cheese Bombers.

According to the chain, another key tactic of the brand marketing strategy has been to echo customer feedback through its advertising campaign, "I Know What Good Is."

"Consumer research has shown that Church’s customers connect with themes of community, family and fellowship, tradition and value," Wallace continued. "Church’s stands for all of those things, and we’ve done our best to reflect those values from real people in our advertising, which will re-launch later this spring."

Founded in San Antonio, in 1952, Church's Chicken is one of the largest quick-service chicken concepts in the world. As of March, the Church's system consisted of more than 1,600 locations in 21 countries, with system sales exceeding $1 billion.

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