KFC has appointed its first-ever global chief brand officer as the fast-food chain looks to make a comeback amid fierce competition.
Amy Ellis Durini — a longtime executive at KFC’s parent company, Yum Brands — was appointed to the role, effective November 1, the company said in a press release.
Durini will lead global brand strategy and oversee brand, loyalty, retail and new concept development and innovation. Her appointment to the role comes amid efforts to modernize the KFC brand and help improve the fried chicken chain’s positioning among competitors.
While the chain is successful overseas, its U.S. arm has been attempting a comeback, looking to rival competitor chicken chains like Raising Cane’s and Chick-fil-A. The chain announced a rebrand this June that includes new menu items and a new logo as part of an effort to lure back those customers.
The new logo features Colonel Sanders sandwiched between “KFC” in the shape of a chicken bucket.
The company said it was looking to make its logo feel “more relevant, more expressive, and more in tune with modern culture” while “keeping it’s “iconic ‘Finger Lickin’ Good’ ethos,” according to a statement.
The rebranding effort also included changes to stores and a revamped menu that features more boneless chicken, more than 20 new flavors of dipping sauces and a variety of drinks.
The new dips range includes flavors like include “Chimichurri Ranch” and “Hot Honey Habanero.”
KFC, which has 34,000 locations globally, is also joining scores of other fast food restaurants in expanding its drink selection.
The new drink line, available under the sub-brand Kwench by KFC, includes “Boba Refreshers,” sparkling lemonades and iced coffees.
The offerings are already available in some U.K. and Ireland locations and will expand from a pilot program to permanent menu items in Australia and Canada sometime this year. It was not immediately clear when they would arrive in the U.S.
Establishing global chief brand and marketing officer roles is one way companies attempt to bring consistency to their operations, Restaurant Dive reports.
Valier Kubizniak has acted as KFC’s global chief marking officer since 2022 and has been working on KFC’s most recent overhaul, according to the report.
In addition to KFC’s revamp, Yum Brands just finished selling Pizza Hut for $2.7 billion, concluding years of struggles for the pizza chain.
