Dbanj’s popular song “Fall in Love” starts with the line “Don’t get it twisted love is a beautiful thing!” and the #KFCproposal story trending on social media is a beautiful example and much needed reminder to everyone that love is indeed a beautiful thing.
The fairytale story is about a couple – Hector Mkansi and Nonhlanhla Soldaat in a beautiful and magical moment at a KFC outlet in South Africa. Mkansi and Soldaat are about to dig into their KFC meals, but before that can happen, he gets down on one knee and pops the question. A passerby Kateka Malobola @Kmalobola who was just so excited by the act filmed the proposal and uploaded it to social media and within a few hours, it went viral.
As soon as the video made waves online on Thursday, KFC South Africa @KFCSA tweeted it, calling for the public to help find the couple and by Friday morning, the many Sherlock Holmes’ of social media had tracked them down.
KFC South Africa announced immediately that they will be giving the couple a #streetwise wedding and…. boom what seems like a heavy downpour of love from individuals and corporate brands – big and small ensued. As at the time of writing this article they had over 175 pledges from multinational companies, SMEs and Individuals which covered everything from Wedding, Honeymoon, Cash and Financial Services, Gods and services and even education for their children.
Wow, I can’t recall any news or event that has united people the way this #KFCProposal has. This story has become not only a South African sensation, but a global one. I doubt that any of the players and particularly KFC South Africa had any inclination on what their simple acts could snowball into. The multiplier effect of this incident will a huge impact on revenue and brand loyalty not only for KFC South Africa but indeed KFC globally. I see two key attributes demonstrated by KFC SA in this story, crucial for business success that business owners and leaders could learn from.
- Love as a vital element for business Success
In the words of Maria Montessori, “Of all things love is the most potent.” Love is a love is a vital factor for improving the triple bottom line of business, and for solving the most pressing social, environmental and economic issues of our time. Love in this context refers to an intense feeling of connection. As entrepreneurs—whether boot-strapped or venture-backed—we juggle countless difficult choices and moving parts on the road to realizing our dreams. But, at the core, love is what drives us all: a feeling of connection to a mission or idea that is so strong that it inspires us to take risks and put ourselves on the line, and gives us the courage to create something from the ground up.
As regards managing people, a person functions at a higher level when they feel loved and appreciated. Business leaders should create an environment where their employees love coming to work and they feel appreciated for their efforts. This boosts productivity and the nimbleness of the organization.
- Nimbleness as a business strategy
Organizations often view nimbleness and flexibility as individual or cultural attributes. But really, they need to be business strategies as the Business environment is not only fast paced but also Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous (VUCA). An organization must be flexible and customer focused to actively look for and respond to opportunities in the marketplace.
On a final note, dreams still do come true, and God is still in the business of doing miracles. As a business and as an individual, what are you dreaming about? what are you believing God for? Spend some time today to paint the canvas of how you want your year 2020 to be like.
Cheers to your success.