Popeyes or Megan Thee Stallion: Who’s marketing who?

I had to do a quick search of the WATTPoultry.com website, and my hunch was correct. The word ‘hottie’ had never been used in any of our articles or blogs.

Roy Graber Headshot
(Courtesy Popeyes)
(Courtesy Popeyes)

I had to do a quick search of the WATTPoultry.com website, and my hunch was correct. The word ‘hottie’ had never been used in any of our articles or blogs.

So when I got a press release from Popeyes about its new Hottie Sauce, I figured that would have to change.

I got to reading it, and apparently this is part of a marketing scheme that involves some gal who calls herself a hottie, called Megan Three Stallion (sic). Hmm. I never heard of her. Then I read a little more closely, and I realized it was Megan THEE Stallion. I’d still never heard of her. And the name puzzled me. A stallion is not a female. But I guess Megan Thee Filly or Megan Thee Mare just doesn’t quite have the same pizzazz.

So this gal is a rapper, I learned from doing a Google search of her name. I asked my teenage son, whose musical tastes somewhat mirror mine, if he knew about her. He said he had heard of her, but it wasn’t his type of music.

But evidently, Megan Thee Stallion is not only a rapper, she is also a Popeyes franchise owner, and she partnered with Popeyes to introduce Megan Thee Stallion Hottie Sauce, as well as co-branded merchandise like t-shirts and other goods.

Concerning the sauce, according to the release Megan worked closely with the Popeyes culinary team to develop the sauce, “which flaunts a sweet, yet bold flavor with a hint of spice, inspired by Megan’s sassy personality. Made with honey, cider vinegar, and Aleppo pepper, the Megan Thee Stallion Hottie Sauce adds a perfect amount of heat to complement the authentic Louisiana chicken recipe fans know and love.”

The new sauce will be offered on the Popeyes Chicken Sandwich, as well as as a dipping sauce to go with Popeyes' new chicken nuggets.

“Teaming up with Popeyes is such a milestone in my journey and evolution as an entrepreneur. I’ve always been a fan of the Popeyes brand and I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to join the brand and help create the new Megan Thee Stallion Hottie Sauce for their line-up,” Megan said in the press release.

As part of the larger collaboration, Popeyes and Megan will be making a six-figure donation to Houston Random Acts of Kindness, whose mission is to promote empathy and compassion while encouraging selfless concern for the welfare of others in the Houston community. 

This is really a pretty smart marketing collaboration.

A new sauce will drive more customers into Popeyes, and a sauce affiliated with a pop culture figure is apt to do so even more.

But aligning herself with Popeyes will also get Megan Thee Stallion’s name out there.

She’s off to a good start. She’s already got this middle-aged man from the rural Midwest to learn about her, and even check out one of her videos on YouTube (well, maybe only about 15 seconds of it, but that should still count as a view). 

While I think I’ll stick with listening to Foreigner and Boz Scaggs, I do admire her entrepreneurial and philanthropic spirit, and I hope her Hottie Sauce, which debuts on October 19, becomes a hot commodity.

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