Chick-Fil-A's perception with fast food
eaters has plummeted since company president Dan Cathy conceded that
the company financially supports groups opposed to gay marriage.
Cathy first discussed the issue in a
Baptist Press interview published July 16, in which he
responded “Guilty as charged” to claims his company supports
groups opposed to gay rights.
According to YouGov.com,
Chick-Fil-A's BrandIndex national score, which measures a company's
brand health, on that day was 65 out of a range from 100 to -100. A
zero score means equal negative and positive feedback.
Four days later, the company's score
had fallen to 47; by Wednesday, 9 days after Cathy's first comments
were published, Chick-Fil-A's buzz had plummeted to 39.
Perception among respondents in the
South fell from an index score of 80 on July 16th to 44.
In the Northeast, it dropped 41 points, from 76 to 35. Midwesterners
gave Chick-Fil-A a quick two day thumbs up, driving up the regional
index score from 45 to 70 then back down to where it was before
Cathy's comments were published.
(Related: Starbucks'
buzz increases among Democrats after gay marriage endorsement.)