KFC CMO Melissa Cash shares the importance of sauce for the brand
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KFC’s Hot Ranch paired with chicken and friesKFC
Sauce has been on a rampage in recent years as restaurants seek to distinguish themselves from their competitors with unique flavors that don’t gum up operations.
According to Technomic Ignite data, sauce introductions grew by 27.7% in both 2024 and 2025, after 66.5% year-over-year growth in 2023. KFC has certainly participated in that innovation as the brand tries to regain relevance among American consumers.
“Earlier this year, we introduced Honey Chili Crisp, which balances sweetness and heat, and Jalapeño Ranch, a creamy ranch with cilantro and jalapeño,” the chain’s chief marketing officer, Melissa Cash, said in an email.
In August, the fast-food chicken chain followed up with Hot Ranch Big Dip, a spicy ranch made with chiles, garlic, and herbs in a double-sized cup, “giving fans plenty for dipping, dunking, and drizzling,” said Cash, who joined KFC in September of last year.
“Our iconic chicken will always be at the center of the menu, but sauces give fans new ways to enjoy it and make each meal their own,” she said.
KFC could use the help that dynamic sauces can provide. The Yum Brands subsidiary has been struggling with sales in the United States, which fell 4.6% in 2025. KFC U.S. president Catherine Tan-Gillespie, who took that position in April of 2025, said the brand is “loved but latent,” and needs renewed energy.
Of course, the sauces have to go with the food, Cash said, and fried chicken certainly takes well to sweet heat and spicy ranch.
“We’ve seen a positive response to [these] bold, flavor-forward sauces. … We saw that enthusiasm both in our restaurants and across social media, with guests sharing how much they enjoyed pairing the sauces with their favorite KFC menu items. It’s a great reminder that dipping is becoming an increasingly important part of the eating experience, and guests are eager to try new flavors with the foods they already love.”
She called the Hot Ranch Big Dip “an exciting step for us. … the larger cup gives fans even more freedom to dip, dunk, and drizzle.”
She said the new sauces help respond to consumer demand for variety, bold flavors, and customizations, and cited Datassential data indicating that 60% of consumers look at restaurants’ sauces and condiments when deciding where to eat.
“Sauces give brands an opportunity to introduce something new through a format that already feels familiar,” she said. “The challenge is not simply to chase what is popular, but to identify flavors that have broad appeal and make sense with the food. Ranch had a major cultural moment this summer thanks to the World Cup, and Hot Ranch Big Dip gave KFC an opportunity to take that enthusiasm to the next level by pairing the creamy, tangy flavor fans already love with a kick of heat.”
Ranch dressing got a lot of attention from European visitors to the United States during the global soccer tournament, with reports of tourists trying to smuggle it back home.
Contact Bret Thorn at [email protected]
