Editing KFC (section)

=== Sale and global expansion ===
[[File:KFC outlet in Tondano, North Sulawesi.jpg|thumb|KFC restaurant in [[Tondano]], [[North Sulawesi]]]]
In 1964, Sanders sold KFC to a group of investors led by [[John Y. Brown Jr.]] and [[Jack C. Massey]] for US$2 million (around US$17 million in 2020).<ref name="Smith2011" /> The contract included a lifetime salary for Sanders and the agreement that he would be the company's quality controller and trademark.<ref name="Cottreli-1980" /> The chain had reached 3,000 outlets in 48 countries by 1970.<ref>{{cite book|last=Aaseng|first=Nathan|title=Business Builders in Fast Food|url=https://archive.org/details/businessbuilders00nath_0|url-access=registration|access-date=March 13, 2013|date=January 1, 2001|publisher=The Oliver Press, Inc.|isbn=978-1-881508-58-8|page=[https://archive.org/details/businessbuilders00nath_0/page/125 125]}}</ref> In July 1971, Brown sold the company to the [[Connecticut]]-based [[Heublein]], a packaged food and drinks corporation, for US$285 million (around US$1.8 billion in 2020).<ref name="Barmash-1971" /> Sanders died in 1980, his promotional work making him a prominent figure in American cultural history.<ref name="Smith2007" /> By the time of his death, there were an estimated 6,000 KFC outlets in 48 countries worldwide, with $2 billion worth of sales annually.<ref name="washpostobit">{{cite news|last=Smith|first=J. Y.|title=Col. Sanders, the Fried-Chicken Gentleman, Dies|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=December 17, 1980}}</ref>

In 1982, Heublein was acquired by [[R. J. Reynolds]], the tobacco giant.<ref name="Darden1" /> In July 1986, Reynolds announced the sale of KFC to [[PepsiCo]] for $850 million (around US$2.0 billion in 2020).<ref name="Stevenson-1986" /> The actual sale took place in early October for $840 million.<ref>{{Cite news|agency=Reuters|date=September 13, 1986|title=COMPANY NEWS; Bid by Pepsico|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/09/13/business/company-news-bid-by-pepsico.html|access-date=March 18, 2021|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=November 5, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211105103757/https://www.nytimes.com/1986/09/13/business/company-news-bid-by-pepsico.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|agency=Reuters|date=October 2, 1986|title=COMPANY NEWS; Kentucky Chicken|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/10/02/business/company-news-kentucky-chicken.html|access-date=March 18, 2021|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=August 8, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220808035318/https://www.nytimes.com/1986/10/02/business/company-news-kentucky-chicken.html|url-status=live}}</ref> PepsiCo made the chain a part of its restaurants division alongside [[Pizza Hut]] and [[Taco Bell]].<ref name="Brooks, Nancy Rivera-1986" /> KFC entered the Chinese market in November 1987, with an outlet in Beijing.<ref name="Darden1" />

In 1991, the KFC name was officially adopted, although it had already been widely known by that [[initialism]].<ref name="Seth Stevenson-2004" /> Kyle Craig, president of KFC U.S., admitted the change was an attempt to distance the chain from the unhealthy connotations of "fried".<ref>{{cite news|title=And Now, Finger Lickin' Good For Ya?|url=http://www.businessweek.com/stories/1991-02-17/and-now-finger-lickin-good-for-ya|access-date=February 5, 2013|newspaper=[[Businessweek]]|date=February 17, 1991|archive-date=March 21, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130321040500/http://www.businessweek.com/stories/1991-02-17/and-now-finger-lickin-good-for-ya|url-status=dead}}</ref> The early 1990s saw a number of successful major product launches, including spicy "Hot Wings" (launched in 1990), popcorn chicken (1992) and, internationally, the "Zinger", a spicy chicken fillet sandwich (1993).<ref name="newitems">{{cite news |title=A feast of bargains |newspaper=[[Sunday Herald Sun]] |date=May 31, 1992}}</ref> By 1994 KFC had 5,149 outlets in the US and 9,407 overall, with over 100,000 employees.<ref>{{cite book|author1=John A. Jakle|author2=Keith A. Sculle|title=Fast Food: Roadside Restaurants in the Automobile Age|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0nYcgnWKWXgC|access-date=March 11, 2013|year=1999|publisher=[[JHU Press]]|isbn=978-0-8018-6920-4|page=221|archive-date=March 13, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230313151226/https://books.google.com/books?id=0nYcgnWKWXgC|url-status=live}}</ref> In August 1997, PepsiCo spun off its restaurants division as a public company valued at US$4.5 billion (around US$7.3 billion in 2020).<ref name="Chicago Tribune-1997" /> The new company was named Tricon Global Restaurants and, at the time, had 30,000 outlets and annual sales of US$10 billion (around US$16 billion in 2020), making it second in the world only to McDonald's.<ref name="New York Times-1997" /> Tricon was renamed [[Yum! Brands]] in May 2002.<ref name="tricontoyum">{{cite news|title=Tricon Global Restaurants Shareholders Approve Company Name Change to Yum! Brands, Inc.|url=http://www.qsrmagazine.com/news/tricon-global-restaurants-shareholders-approve-company-name-change-yum-brands-inc|access-date=November 20, 2013|newspaper=QSR Magazine|date=May 16, 2002|archive-date=May 21, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140521220225/http://www.qsrmagazine.com/news/tricon-global-restaurants-shareholders-approve-company-name-change-yum-brands-inc|url-status=live}}</ref>

On March 31, 2011, [[Priszm]], owner of KFC in Canada, went into bankruptcy protection in Ontario and British Columbia.<ref>{{cite web|first=Sacha |last=Peter |title=Priszm Income Fund Declares Bankruptcy |url=http://divestor.com/2011/04/01/priszm-income-fund-declares-bankruptcy/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120707101810/http://divestor.com/2011/04/01/priszm-income-fund-declares-bankruptcy/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 7, 2012 |date=April 1, 2011 |publisher=Divestor }}</ref>

By 2015, KFC was struggling, having lost business to other retailers and being surpassed by [[Chick-fil-A]] as the leading chicken retailer in the US three years previously. The company launched a new initiative with a plan to revamp its packaging, decor and uniforms and expand its menu. Additionally, beginning in May 2015, a new series of US advertisements was launched featuring [[Darrell Hammond]] as Colonel Sanders.<ref name="2015revamp">{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/05/25/the-fried-chicken-wars-inside-kfcs-weird-new-fight-to-dethrone-chick-fil-a/|title=The fried-chicken wars: Inside KFC's weird new fight to dethrone Chick-fil-A|first=Drew|last=Harwell|date=May 25, 2015|access-date=May 27, 2015|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]| archive-date=May 26, 2015| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150526114110/http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/05/25/the-fried-chicken-wars-inside-kfcs-weird-new-fight-to-dethrone-chick-fil-a/ | url-status=live}}</ref> In a planned rotation of actors,<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.prweek.com/article/1380826/cmo-q-a-kfcs-colonel-sanders-reboot-broke-internet-twice#KPGIHPkcP6dtJDs2.99 | title=CMO Q&A: How KFC's Colonel Sanders reboot 'broke the Internet' – twice | date=January 27, 2016 | access-date=February 7, 2016 | archive-date=February 1, 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160201033705/http://www.prweek.com/article/1380826/cmo-q-a-kfcs-colonel-sanders-reboot-broke-internet-twice#KPGIHPkcP6dtJDs2.99 | url-status=live }}</ref> [[Norm Macdonald]], [[Jim Gaffigan]], [[George Hamilton (actor)|George Hamilton]] and [[Rob Riggle]] portrayed Sanders in similar ads through the fall of 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/kfc-brings-on-last-comic-standing-judge-norm-macdonald-as-its-new-colonel-2015-8|title=KFC has 'Last Comic Standing' judge Norm Macdonald as new Colonel – Business Insider|date=August 17, 2015|work=Business Insider|access-date=September 10, 2016|archive-date=December 26, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151226205151/http://www.businessinsider.com/kfc-brings-on-last-comic-standing-judge-norm-macdonald-as-its-new-colonel-2015-8|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Johnson|first=Lauren|url=http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/kfc-swaps-out-norm-macdonald-jim-gaffigan-its-latest-real-colonel-169469|title=KFC Swaps Out Norm Macdonald for Jim Gaffigan as Its Latest 'Real' Colonel|work=[[Adweek]]|date=February 6, 2016|access-date=August 23, 2016|archive-date=August 17, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160817030459/http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/kfc-swaps-out-norm-macdonald-jim-gaffigan-its-latest-real-colonel-169469|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Moran|first=Victoria|url=http://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/kfc-brings-george-hamilton-play-extra-crispy-colonel/304659/|title=KFC Brings in an Extra-Bronzed George Hamilton to Play Extra Crispy Colonel|journal=[[Advertising Age]]|date=June 23, 2016|access-date=August 23, 2016|archive-date=August 21, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160821181054/http://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/kfc-brings-george-hamilton-play-extra-crispy-colonel/304659/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://fortune.com/2016/09/08/rob-riggle-kfc/|title=KFC Debuts a New Colonel For Football Season|date=September 8, 2016|website=Fortune|access-date=September 10, 2016|archive-date=September 9, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160909163532/http://fortune.com/2016/09/08/rob-riggle-kfc/|url-status=live}}</ref> In January 2018, country music icon [[Reba McEntire]] played the first female Colonel Sanders.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/reba-mcentire-as-colonel-sanders-kfc-2018-01-26/|title=Reba McEntire to play KFC's Colonel Sanders|date=January 26, 2018|website=CBS News|access-date=January 27, 2018|archive-date=January 27, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180127092717/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/reba-mcentire-as-colonel-sanders-kfc-2018-01-26/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Before leaving as CEO in 2021, Andrea Zahumensky told ''[[Ad Age]]'' the "brand assets that we're so lucky to have" were the bucket, the three stripes and the full name Kentucky Fried Chicken. All of these were being used more by the chain.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://adage.com/article/marketing-news-strategy/kfc-us-cmo-andrea-zahumensky-leaving-yum-brands-chain/2329001|title=KFC U.S. chief marketing officer, Andrea Zahumensky, exits|last=Wohl|first=Jessica|work=[[Ad Age]]|date=April 19, 2021|volume=92|issue=5|page=3|access-date=May 13, 2022|archive-date=June 29, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220629140518/https://adage.com/article/marketing-news-strategy/kfc-us-cmo-andrea-zahumensky-leaving-yum-brands-chain/2329001|url-status=live}}</ref>

Australia rebranded KFC back to its original name, "Kentucky Fried Chicken" in 2019.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.news.com.au/finance/business/retail/fried-chicken-chain-kfcs-big-branding-change-in-australia/news-story/0d0d6eaa41c828ac3248cc54551275a7#:~:text=KFC%20in%20Australia%20is%20re,KFC%20is%20who%20we%20are. |title=Fried chicken chain KFC's big branding change in Australia |last=Brook |first=Benedict |work=news.com.au |date=July 26, 2019 |access-date=December 12, 2023 |archive-date=September 22, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210922202045/https://www.news.com.au/finance/business/retail/fried-chicken-chain-kfcs-big-branding-change-in-australia/news-story/0d0d6eaa41c828ac3248cc54551275a7#:~:text=KFC%20in%20Australia%20is%20re,KFC%20is%20who%20we%20are. |url-status=live }}</ref>