The former Governor of Kentucky, John Y. Brown, gave us a lesson in branding today. His philosophy includes statements like, “If everyone is going left, I go right because that’s where the opportunity is,” and “We didn’t know how to do it until we did it.”
He’s credited as the father of the KFC superbrand and certainly has the facts to back it up when you consider his accomplishments in building the chain from 600 stores to more than 4,500 stores in less than 8 years.
He’s recognized by the Harvard Business School as one of the Great American Business Leaders of the 20th century. They credit him with co-launching the rapid growth of the fast food industry (along with Ray Kroc of McDonald’s).
You can listen to him tell a story about working with Colonel Sanders and KFC below.