Harland Sanders probably never imagined that his 1930 roadside chicken stall would one day get a “Howzzat!” moment of its own. When KFC landed in India in 1995, it didn’t force the Colonel’s recipe on the country. It added Indian spice, put vegetarian options on the menu and tweaked its formats, which worked like a polite introduction before the brand got much louder.

Then came the fun part. Instead of just sponsoring cricket chatter, KFC listened to it. Fans were already screaming “Howzzat!” at their TVs during the IPL, so the brand turned that habit into a voice-activated discount. The result was 1.2 lakh+ users, 30% more transacting users and 26% more revenue, proof that a good idea is sometimes already sitting in your audience’s mouth. The bucket got a promotion too, going from packaging to playground with Design Your Own Bucket, Bucket Canvas and #SpeakSign.

Next, KFC handed the mic over. CarryMinati didn’t just front Saucy Popcorn; he helped shape its ideation, packaging and promotion. By 2026, the brand was staging launches like pop culture events. Dunked got the Khushi Kapoor and Orry treatment, where a real friendship and two very online personas did the talking. Double Chicken Dynamite, meanwhile, threw crispy chicken and Korean noodles together as a “Match Made in Madness”.

So what’s the secret recipe? No 11 herbs and spices needed. KFC simply refuses to stand on the sidelines of culture. It goes global, gets local and then gets cultural, which is a pretty good way to stay relevant.