Capitulation or Progress? The Impact of Chick-fil-A’s 2019 Sponsorship Decisions on Corporate Social Advocacy and Brand Equity

Abstract

In November of 2019, Chick-fil-A made the decision to withdraw sponsorship from The Salvation Army and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Chick-fil-A framed this decision as a desire to have a more focused philanthropic approach moving forward, with an emphasis on supporting organizations that address hunger, homelessness, and education in the nation’s youth. This decision was set against a backdrop of heavy protests due to the company’s religious principles as well as the homophobic comments made by President Dan Cathy in 2012, resulting in failed expansion attempts in San Antonio, Buffalo, and Reading, U.K. Once the decision to withdraw sponsorship was made, the company faced backlash from both conservative and liberal individuals and groups. This research is based on a qualitative content analysis of 30 articles that covered this decision, with an even ratio of conservative, liberal, and unbiased sources. The main findings are that this decision impacted brand equity by taking away existing brand loyalty and making brand associations unclear. Additionally, when a brand abruptly changes the direction of its corporate social advocacy, consumers lose sight of who the company is, at least temporarily.