VIEWPOINT This case was analyzed from the point of view of Burger King’s Marketing Executive. TIME CONTEXT The case happened in September of the 2010. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM What measures could Burger King do to dethrone McDonald’s as well as hold off the challenge of a number of other chains that were growing in size and competitive power? How to reimage Burger King from creepy to hip? STATEMENT OF THE OBJECTIVES To boost the image/brand image of the company. To provide measure(s) to improve the company’s performance in the market.
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VIEWPOINT
This case was analyzed from the point of view of Burger King’s Marketing
Executive.
TIME CONTEXT
The case happened in September of the 2010.
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
What measures could Burger King do to dethrone McDonald’s as well as hold off
the challenge of a number of other chains that were growing in size and
competitive power?
How to reimage Burger King from creepy to hip?
STATEMENT OF THE OBJECTIVES
To boost the image/brand image of the company.
To provide measure(s) to improve the company’s performance in the market.
AREAS OF CONSIDERATION
STRENGTHS
1. Strong market position.
a. BKC is the world's second-largest Fast Food Hamburger Restaurant (FFHR)
chain as measured by the total number of restaurants and system-wide sales.
The company’s specialty is burgers and fries which it sells through over 12,150
flagship fast-food restaurants. The company leverages its strong market position
to gain economies of scale and increase its bargaining power.
b. BK has more than 12,150 restaurants in all 50 states and in 76 countries and
U.S. territories worldwide.
2. Strong brand equity.
a. Burger King has fantastic brand equity, and it's already a competitive concept in
America due to its long history, its size and its muscle," restaurant industry
consultant Allan Hickok said.
b. Burger King serves one of the world’s favorite and well-known brands including
the Whopper sandwich, the Tendercrisp Chicken Sandwich, Chicken Tenders
and the BK Veggie Burger. In 2005, Brandweek magazine ranked Burger King at
15 among the top 2,000 brands of the US. Overall, the company’s established
brand image has enabled it to penetrate various global markets and compete
with regional player effectively.
c. Burger King’s Whopper is known for its quality and it is the best known brand in
fast food. The Whopper (and by extension, Burger King) presents a well
integrated “package”, where product attributes, benefits, values and personality
are distinctive, positive and mutually reinforcing.
d. The most notable aspect of Burger King is the extent to which its identity is tied to
a magnet menu item, the Whopper.
◦ BK is prominently identified as “The Home of the Whopper”, and the two
are inexorably linked.
◦ BK’s menu is “Whopper-centric”.
◦ The BK marketing model is essentially “brand as ‘star’ vehicle”, with the
Whopper as the anointed star.
◦ The Whopper is a well qualified image leader (a true “signature product”)
for Burger King in several respects:
◦ It has a proprietary name with compelling image-oriented as well as
attributes oriented associations.
◦ It offers a distinctive product experience (flame broiled, big, prepared to
order) versus its main competition.
3. Strong brand financial performance.
3G Capital. Because of the popularity and capability of financing
firms/companies by buying shares, BK should allocate and plan well the profit that they
will get from 3G Capital.
4. High quality products.
a. BK quality assurance starts from the initial stage. BK ensures that products are of
the highest quality during receiving deliveries as well as during restaurant
operations; consistent checks are made to guarantee customers receive the best
quality, wholesome, safe food.
5. Wide variety of food products.
The company’s products and services are categorized under the following
different segments:
o Sandwiches
o Hamburgers
o Cheeseburgers
o Salads
o Hash browns
o Coffee
o Juice
o Cookies
o Pies
o Shakes
o Fries
o Onion rings
o Soft drinks
WEAKNESSES
1. Heavily concentrated in the US.
a. Though the company operates in 65 countries, its operations are heavily
concentrated in the US and Canada. About 65% of its restaurants are located in
the US and Canada. Concentration of operations in one geographic area
increases company's exposure to local factors such as adverse economic
situation, labor strikes and changes in regulations that can affect its operations.
b. Concentration of operations in one geographic area increases company’s
exposure to local factors such as adverse economic situation, labor strikes and
changes in regulations that can affect its operations.
2. Few corporately owned stores.
a. Not enough corporately owned stores mean it relies heavily on franchisees to
execute its brand promise.
3. Inconsistent management and strategy. Changing Executives.
a. Management lacked focus and direction and has struggled with marketing mix
decisions. Franchises became confused and angered, service was slow and food
preparation wasn't consistent. Burger King lost its core product-flame broiled
burgers, made the way the customer wanted them.
b. Burger King Corp. was founded in Miami in 1954 by James McLamore and David
Edgerton, a year before Ray Kroc opened his first McDonald's in suburban
Chicago. The Whopper was introduced in 1957. In 1967, Burger King was
acquired by the food conglomerate Pillsbury. In 1988, Pillsbury was bought by
Grand Metropolitan PLC, a British conglomerate. In 1997, Grand Metropolitan
merged with Guinness to create Diageo. With each merger, even as Burger King
grew, it became a smaller piece of the overall company. Ultimately, it became an
afterthought. Soon after the merger, Diageo decided that Burger King no longer
belonged. In 2000, Diageo officially placed Burger King on the auction block. The
company was finally sold in 2002 to a consortium of private equity investors—