Gay Marriage Controversy Pays Off For Chick-fil-A - Business Insider

When Chick-fil-A president Dan Cathy made statements saying that gay marriage is "inviting God's judgment on our nation," people instantly began a movement against the fast food chain.

There were boycotts, politicians making statements, protests outside the restaurants and more. Soon, it had escalated into a national controversy, with vehement support from both sides.?

But, in the end, it seems to have paid off for the chicken chain, reports Bruce Horovitz at USA Today.

According to a study by research firm Sandelman & Associates:

• Consumer use was up 2.2 percent in Q3 compared to the year prior
• Market share up 0.6 percent
• Total ad awareness up 6.5 percent

"There was a lot of talk that this would hurt Chick-fil-A, but it actually helped the brand," Jeff Davis, president of Sandelman, tells USA Today.

PR pros and pundits had widely panned Chick-fil-A's response to the controversy initially. Some are still befuddled by what happened.

DON'T MISS: Meet S. Truett Cathy, The 91-Year-Old Billionaire Behind Chick-fil-A >

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/gay-marriage-controversy-pays-off-for-chick-fil-a-2012-10

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