Chick-fil-A brand health dives 40 percent after anti-LGBT remarks

The Georgia-based fried chicken chain Chick-fil-A has taken at massive hit since its founder publicly announced that the company opposed equal rights for LGBT people, according to a recent brand analysis.

Market research firm YouGov found that Chick-fil-A's BrandIndex score had fallen 40 percent nationally since Dan Cathy told the Baptist Press that his company was “guilty as charged” of funding groups that oppose marriage equality.

YouGov determined the BrandIndex score by averaging other measurements, including "quality, impression, value, reputation, satisfaction and willingness to recommend."

When Cathy's remarks were published on July 19, Chick-fil-A was enjoying a national score of 65, one of the highest in the industry. By July 25, its BrandIndex had plummeted to 39.

In the South, Chick-fil-A's BrandIndex fell from 80 to 44. And the company's brand was damaged the most in the Northeast, where the score dove from 76 to 35.

Last week, Fox News host Mike Huckabee said he was so outraged that “militant homosexuals” were attacking the Christian restaurant chain that he called for for “Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day” on August 1.

On Friday, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) also showed her support for the company by tweeting a photo of herself holding a bag of chicken in one of the restaurants.

"When an aspiring politician says something controversial, the attention of prominent Republicans can be a career boon," The Washington Post's Rachel Weiner pointed out on Monday. "For a fast food company, things are different."

"Have Democrats been fueling the fire with calls to boycott Chick-fil-A? Sure. But instead of joining a culture war, it looks like Republicans should back off and let Chick-fil-A do its own damage control."

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