Today is National Chicken Wing Day. How did July 29 become a day to celebrate and eat chicken wings? As the story goes, when Stan Makowski was the mayor of Buffalo, New York in 1977, he made a proclamation that recognized the day as such. It has been celebrated each July 29 since then.

Buffalo has long boasted that it is the birthplace of spicy chicken wings. The meaty morsels have been served as an appetizer since 1963, or so the official National Chicken Wing Day website proclaims. Buffalo wings have a vey distinct, spicy flavor that was invented on a whim from a lady named Teressa Bellissimo. Her son, Dominic was working at the family bar late one night when a group of his college buddies came by and wanted something to eat. Like a good mother, Teressa looked for what she had on hand and found chicken wings that were going to be used for soup stock. She dropped the wings in a fryer and then smothered them in butter and hot spices. They were an instant sensation, so much so that other restaurants started serving their own brand of Buffalo wings. Today, Americans consume 1 billion wings per year.

How did chicken wings get to be so popular? The easy answer is they tasted great. But there have been other food items over the years that were tasty that did not catch on the way chicken wings have. The long success of wings can be attributed to three key characteristics that made them very marketable over the years. I have found that these marketing ploys can be adapted to your efforts too.

First, they can be made quickly. Fast sells well, especially in today’s environment where immediate delivery is expected. Any time you can provide fast service, market it. You create an expectation of urgency and speed to solve an urgent problem sells.

Second, hot wings pair well with other items. They can be served with celery and blue cheese, ranch dressing and carrots, pizza, chips and salsa. They have become the ultimate appetizer to start the meal. Since they are spicy hot, they go well with other food items that can take the burn out of your mouth. But they not only pair well with other foods, they also have become synonymous with sporting events. They are served at tailgate parties or when having friends over to watch the game. If you can market your products and services to bundle with other popular items, you stand a better chance of making your marketing last. Bundling sells.

Finally, they are adaptable. Over the years, different flavors have come and gone. Wings go well with a number of sauces. That gives restaurants the opportunity to market new flavors and special deals. If your products and services can adapt to changing times, take advantage of it. Hot ideas come in and out of style the same way different tastes do. Marketing your adaptability to latest trends will keep your products and services in front of consumers who chase after the current crazes. Popularity sells.

Learn a lesson from National Chicken Wing Day: speed, bundling and popularity sells. Make sure your marketing is taking advantage of all three.

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The Story of a Buffalo Classic, https://anchorbar.com/about-us/history/

National Chicken Wing Day, https://www.nationalchickenwingday.com/