Covert Cows and Chick-fil-A: How Faith, Cows, and Chicken Built an Iconic Brand

Written by Steve Robinson

Narrated by Milton Bagby

The longtime chief marketing officer for Chick-fil-A tells the inside story of how the company turned prevailing theories of fast-food marketing upside down and built one of the most successful and beloved brands in America.

During his thirty-four-year tenure at Chick-fil-A, Steve Robinson was integrally involved in the company’s growth--from 184 stores and $100 million in annual sales in 1981 to more than 2,100 stores and more than $6.8 billion in annual sales in 2015--and was a firsthand witness to its evolution as an indelible global brand. In Covert Cows and Chick-fil-A, Robinson shares behind-the-scenes accounts of key moments, including the creation of the Chick-fil-A corporate purpose and the formation and management of the now-iconic "Eat Mor Chikin" cow campaign. 

Drawing on his personal interactions with the gifted team of company leaders, restaurant operators, and the company's founder, Truett Cathy, Robinson explains the important traits that built the company's culture and sustained it through recession and many other challenges. He also reveals how every aspect of the company's approach reflects an unwavering dedication to Christian values and to the individual customer experience. Written with disarming candor and revealing storytelling, Covert Cows and Chick-fil-A is the never-before-told story of a great American success.

Enjoy a behind-the-scenes look at Chick-Fil-A’s visual marketing strategy with photos available in the audiobook companion PDF download.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson
• Release date: Jun 11, 2019
• ISBN: 9781400213214

Steve Robinson

Steve Robinson is a pastor, speaker, and author and the founding pastor of Church of the King—a growing multisite church with campuses spread across the US and internationally. Under his leadership, Church of the King has launched new locations from South Louisiana to Cape Town, South Africa, and built a thriving online community that reaches people around the world with a message of hope and purpose. A graduate of Tulane University with a Doctor of Ministry from Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida, Steve is passionate about helping people grow in their faith, discover their God-given potential, and live with clarity and resilience. He serves on the board of Equip, a global leadership organization founded by John Maxwell, and is the author of several books, including Decide to Thrive, Perspective Shift, and Hope Again. With a passion for helping people grow and thrive, Pastor Steve is dedicated to guiding others in their faith and everyday life. He and his wife, Jennifer, live in the New Orleans area and have four children—Isabelle and her husband, Stone, and Conrad, William, and Annaliese.

Reviews for Covert Cows and Chick-fil-A

[Juan Munoz · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excelllent book about how faith is applied to business in

[buckmitchell · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Spirit of Hospitality that Chick-fil-A brings to the world is amazing. Truett Cathy is my hero! Thank you Steve Robinson for writing such a great detail book about the life of Chick-fil-A. It was my pleasure to read it. Buck Mitchell Pensacola Florida

[Carlos Charre · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

AMAZING story on how one of the best fast food restaurants came to be successful. I received a ton of insight on how to help other restaurant clients of mine improve their marketing and truly achieve a “blue ocean strategy” (unique - only of its kind). Bless your soul Steve, one of my favorite books I’ve read!

[Rick Wheeler · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It’s alright. Nothing really insightful aside from your normal hospitality be nice to people mentality. 2 long chapters just talk about chick fil a sponsoring college football. Didn’t really learn anything other than how chick fil a and it’s owner got started.

[medwards429 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

“Covert Cows and Chick-fil-A” is not an exposé. Instead it is written as an inside look from a long-time employee’s view. An employee who was there before the “cows” came home, so to speak.

There are a LOT of faith references in the book. The reason for that is the founder, S. Truett Cathy, was a man of faith. He used his faith and those tenements to build his business and train his people, thus becoming a brand and a successful one at that. That faith is reflected in the mission statement of the company:

“To glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us. To have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-Fil-A”

As a result, the success of the restaurant is built on the relationships with the people – customers and staff. He believed the customers were the business not the product they were selling. Their corporate outlook is customers then operators. The rest comes successfully. Even testing new menu items involves the customers.

S. Truett Cathy made the decision to close on Sundays in 1946 when he opened his first restaurant in Hapeville, Georgia (The Dwarf Grill). He saw the importance of closing on Sundays so that he and his employees could set aside one day to rest and worship if they choose – a practice they still uphold today.

“We should be about more than just selling chicken. We should be a part of our customers’ lives and the communities in which we serve.” S. TRUETT CATHY (1921—2014)

He believed in a relationship with the customers as a guide – meaning the owner/operator (manager) had a hands on approach to running the store.

As of 2018, they had jumped in sales to #5 in sales behind No. 1 McDonald's, Starbucks, Subway and Taco Bell. Those chains are open seven (7) days a week – Chick-fil-A isn’t.

Looking at the per store averages, how many locations they operate, and the smaller menu – Chick-fil-A earns more (on an average) per store. In 2017, CFA per unit, made about $4,090,900. The total sales for a McDonald’s ($2,670,320 per unit), Starbucks ($945,270/unit) and Subway ($416,860/unit) is $4,032,450 combined.

Okay, so why did CFA need the cows?

Marketing. No one knew Chick-fil-A other than word of mouth. And, CFA didn’t have the multi-million marketing budget their competitors had. But, why cows? It came after someone said, jokingly, “don’t have a cow”. From there the idea was born.

In short, the cows don’t work for Chick-fil-A. They’re never CFA shills. They’re solely in it for self preservation. That’s always the number one thing to remember. They stay witty and relevant to avoid becoming burgers.

It started in 1995 when some renegade cows, who couldn’t spell, wrote: “Eat Mor Chikin” on a billboard in Texas. And, it proved successful. When asked, the customers had an 80% recall of the advertising.

This book describes the early days – the early locations, marketing, business ventures and strategies.

This book is a testament to faith, people over profits, and that that remaining a success is harder than becoming one.

Highly recommended for people who are fans of the restaurant as well as those who are curious as to how it became successful.