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 >
