What the FK, BK?

Same King, new Kingdom.

That’s right. The King of Burgers (if only by name), just a few weeks deep in unveiling their new HEALTHIER Satisfries^TM, is taking promotion to a whole new (read: confusing) level!

I guess their #WTFF guerrilla campaign didn’t gain the momentum BK had hoped?

Chicago - W. Wacker Drive

Their latest cry for attention, a faux re-branding from “Burger” to “Fries” King, began to unfold Tuesday via social media.

And they’re dead serious! (At least at one location)...

Fries King -- As seen through Social Media...

To set the record straight, the 3^rd-string fast food kingdom is NOT really changing its name. Apt at garnering attention on the many realms of social media, the hubbub tucks nicely with BK’s raucous, counter-culture personality.

And while it definitely generated buzz, we remain skeptical of the results.

Man, they REALLY want us to try these fries!

Let’s face it; the fast food burger market is as stale and mature as they come.

Everyone knows the Whopper; they either like it or they don’t. And while the introduction of new bacon sundaes may have intrigued, they aren’t the type of stuff you can build a sustainable business on.

Robin to the sandwich’s Batman, fries are the full-time side item, part-time snack that can bring new business! Seriously, there’s like 15 choices for sandwiches, but only 1 side item EVERYONE wants (and it’s not those mushy apple slices).

The change in monikers is BK’s plea with the most skeptical McDonald’s and Wendy’s loyalists that have yet to try the new fry – (and that fry better BLOW minds if it hopes to secure repeat traffic).

“We couldn’t make it in burgers, so we’re focused on fries!”

But flip that burger and you’ve got yourself a real pickle of a marketing dilemma (HA!).

By saying they’re king of fries, is BK conceding to burgers that aren’t all that stellar? What about all the efforts made to reinvent the sandwich side of the menu board last year? Quality ingredients, flame broiled this and that? All lies? You aren’t home of the fry unless the burger moves out.

Wait, what was that about a Bacon Sundaes?

That’s right, we blogged about BK last summer when they were amidst a significant overhaul of their menu; BBQ burgers and pork, and bacon dropped on top of everything (including sundaes). While competing chains were focused on attracting the more health-conscious, it was as if BK was bucking the trend, opting to make a direct appeal to calorie junkies and cholesterol addicts everywhere.

Not even a year later, they’re touting the healthiest fry? Which market are you after? Because you can’t be all things to all people (that’s Marketing 101).

And lastly, (or perhaps it should have been FIRST and foremost), you NEVER toy with the LOGO!

The LOGO is sacred! It’s like America’s flag; don’t tread!!

Aside from MAYBE April Fools, you don’t change your brand “just for fun”.

First, it dilutes the impact of a real change (ain’t that right, Yahoo!?). And second, it’s just confusing. We are a dumb people, U.S. consumers. Give us one thing to look at. That’s it, that’s you. Now don’t change it unless you want us thinking you weak.

Note: BK was on our New Logo Wish List for 2013 – (this is NOT what we had in mind).

PS: Have YOU been SATISFRIED?

Has anyone tasted ‘em? Chicago is a golden arches town, so I have yet to walk myself over to the one, single location downtown. Let me know what you think! (I swear the advertising didn’t work on me). :P

Wendy’s to get a facelift in March 2013

It’s certainly been a busy year for fast food/casual dining chain revamps. First it was Domino’s, then Arby’s and now a major shake-up expected at the world’s third-largest quick-service hamburger company.

Set to kick off in March of next year, Wendy’s says their new logo will crystallize the total brand transformation that’s already underway.

So let’s see it.

It’s the first change in nearly 30 years, so you knew it was going to sting.

While Wendy’s says it’s innovation and fresh thinking that all the while stays true to the company’s core values as a distinct and beloved brand.

We say it’s a 50’s soda shop. The font is sloppy and feels too playful, as if the goal was to hand brand resonance over to five year-olds.

Wendy’s IS Wendy. While there’s no denying the importance in retaining her image, this version is too cartoon-y for me; leaving the brand locked behind the times.

It just doesn’t jive with the Wendy’s of today (but maybe that’s the point?)

While our initial reaction was “yick,” maybe we just need some more time. Maybe that’s why Wendy’s previewed the mark nearly 6 months before its intended “official launch?”

The new logo does some things right.

The Wendy we've known for the past 30 years...

Compared to its brand incumbent, the new mark is drastically simpler and therefore, better suited for mobile-/virtual-consumption – (a shift we’ve touted as a new logo must-have countless times before). For the first time since ‘83, it floats frame-free and feels less like a sign and more like a brand.

Yellow only seems to work on McDonald’s. By dropping the eye-squinting gold and antiquated black “iron gate,” Wendy’s instantly feels less garish and greasy.

It retains Wendy, although I’d like to have sampled a version or two that took the icon in a more abstract direction – just the hair? A side profile with tighter crop? A close up on an eye with freckle and crop of hair? The logo and character blend and become one? – something less literal and more clever.

 

Additional information on the brand re-launch here.

And the logo is just part of the Wendy’s brand renaissance.

Restaurant “Image Activation” – a strategy in new store concepts that is bold and ultra-modern in design.

Early concept restaurants boast new lounge seating and fireplaces, flat-screen TVs, and Wi-Fi; updates that have generated strong increases in traffic; boosting same-store sales 25% at minimum.

And Wendy’s isn’t kidding when it comes transforming its in-store experience.

By year-end there will be 75 re-imagined restaurants domestically (that’s 3 months pre-launch). And while the company plans to overhaul 50% of its corp.-operated locations by YE 2015, they’re also providing up to $10M in incentives to franchisees who re-image their restaurants by the end of 2013.

All brands need to evolve.

Maybe we just need to see the logo paired with other “Image Activation” brand elements; new packaging, advertising, restaurant signage, employee uniforms and a refreshed website. It could grow on us.

What do you think of Wendy now?

Arby’s has a new logo…not really.

From flat, neon red, and all-caps to a 3-dimensional, bolder maroon, and lower-case, the new Arby’s logo is as conservative a change as any.

But the brand mark’s apostrophe is just the first slice of change for a chain about to turn 50.

When I say “fast food,” what immediately comes to mind? Does Arby’s even fall in the top 10?

Let’s be honest,
Despite their last positioning statement, no one’s ‘thinking Arby’s.’

For as long as we can remember, Arby’s has tried to carve a niche for itself through differentiation.

“It’s different out here.” “Different is good.”

It’s a marketing no-brainer for a restaurateur lagging behind fierce competition.

So Arby’s built a modest legacy off the backs of both its signature roast beef and curly fries.

But it wasn’t enough.

If differentiation via menu mainstays can’t get the job done; can repositioning as “fresh?”

New homepage...

This time, you may be on to something Arby’s…

Maybe the secret to breaking through has been there all along; quietly gliding back and forth, slicing roast beef just behind the register.

No one thought to promote freshness in the 70’s and 80’s because frankly, no one cared. But we’re a hyper-healthy (yet fatter than ever) America now and maybe “Slicing Up Freshness” can prove highly-salient.

Watch Arby's Latest Spot: "Slicing Up The Truth About Freshness"
No Arby’s DID NOT just attack Subway head on?!

If chains like Subway and Chipotle can build an entire business on freshness, there’s no reason Arby’s can’t make a hard right, back pedal a bit and fight a new group of thugs. Or is there?

Too little, too late?

With more than 10 new menu items slated to debut over the next 12 months, Arby’s is trying to move from one over-saturated segment to another. All without a sizable enough footprint to capitalize on volume (Arby’s global footprint could fit inside Subway’s pinky toe – approx. 3,500 restaurants, to Subway’s 34,000).

You kept the 10-gallon hat for a reason…

If this repositioning effort doesn’t take hold (and we hope it does), maybe it’s time to go back to basics?

If I were Arby’s, I’d look to build out a stronger presence in niche geographic markets – capitalize on my truly differentiated “Western take” on fast food. Not steamroll it across all of America, but where it may resonate most.

It might not be global, but it’s got to be an easier road.

Just Because it Tweets Like a Duck...

I mean, what is this!?

I realize that for consumer brands social media is all about invoking meaningful engagement with customers; that it should be conversational and not 100% promotional.

But to carry on as if you’re just another (human) connection reaching out for compassion and relate-ability?

How can a business have a case of the Mondays?!

I could see validation in this tweet if it were posted by a small, single-unit shop – a hair salon, for example.

Picture a staff of 5-10 stylists and manicurists who, through the process of early morning chit chat, come to agree they all feel a bit sluggish. THAT type of situation might warrant such a tweet (and even then, should STILL coincide with a promo):

Are we to assume that McDonald’s first distributed a corporate email to vet their claim?

That a majority of their team (HQ and restaurant staff a like) agreed to having a “case of the Mondays?”

As a socially connected patron, should I be prepared for compromised customer service or food quality because of this corporate-wide “off” day?

If I roll up to the drive thru and express empathy will the order-taker appreciate the sentiment or go on the defense and snap at me?

I’m being a bit ridiculous, I realize – but hey – a bit of satire does the body good.

Besides, the basis of my argument is true.

Do this (not that):

First, let me just say that I love how Dunkin’ Donuts uses the “DD” any chance they get, parlaying brand elements into the conversation.

More importantly, instead of expressing synthetic emotion and asking open-ended and ultra-vague questions about their patrons’ weekends, this tweet opts to engage (and soft-sell) followers with multimedia content.

DD doesn’t pretend to be just another human tweeter in your feed, but a conduit for sharing the brand experiences of other human tweeters.

Why doesn't Ronald tweet?

Just a thought, but if McDonald's wants to tweet in a one-to-one fashion, why not employ one of their beloved characters as the "author?" I'd talk to Grimace or the Hamburglar!

I realize Ronald has taken a bit of a backseat role in branding at McDonald's, but "chatting" with a character would feel more real than doing the same with a corporate logo.

I don’t mean to pick on McDonald’s.

In truth, both companies post some pretty lame tweets now and again.

As Social media continues to evolve within the marketing mixes of B2B and B2C brands alike, striking the right balance between pushing business and sharing experiences remains TBD.

Both McDonald’s and Dunkin’ seem to be at the forefront of what’s right (most of the time).

Maybe the joke is on me.

While I maintain that the “case of the Mondays” tweet undermines the intelligence of the McDonald’s fan base, it appears it got great traction:

 

Retweets, Favorites and Replies (not included).
Who are the users engaged by this type of drivel?!

Perhaps my gripe is with them… ;)

Ice cream, with a side of bacon

You know, Burger King launched a “new menu” back on April 1^st.

April Fools!

Don’t take it personal, David Beckham. The chain’s largest menu expansion since inception boasted nothing more than what had already been available at McDonald’s for years. Premium salads and coffees, snack wraps and smoothies – it’s no wonder it fell largely on death deaf ears!   

Summer Do-Over

With the official start of summer next week, the big 3 fast food chains are shaking up their menus – eager to attract sun-soaked, famished snackers.

McDonald’s added a S’mores Pie, new smoothies, and dropped the price of their vanilla cones to a mere 50 cents at some locations (if interested in a map of participating locations in Chicago, let me know – I tour them in a vicious cycle).

Wendy’s brought back their summer favorite Berry Almond Chicken Salad and beefed up their Frosty line to include a strawberry shortcake parfait.

Burger King is throwing a nationwide BBQ

The number 3 fast food chain (that’s right, Wendy’s took over the number 2 spot late last year) just unveiled a line of southern-inspired menu items. For a limited time, patrons can order sweet potato fries, BBQ pork, chicken, and beef sandwiches and, a bacon sundae.

That’s right, a bacon sundae

The vanilla soft serve is topped with fudge, caramel, and bacon crumbles and is paired with a slice of bacon “for dipping.” It weighs in at 510 calories, 18 grams of fat, and 61 grams of sugar.

At first it just sounds disgusting; an artery-clogging, food coma-inducing nightmare.  But hold on, BK might be on to something here. The cool, sweet vanilla would pair nicely with the rich, maple spiced bacon – a sort of salty/sweet swirl in your mouth.

BK’s Bearded Lady

So the sundae might have some (marginal) culinary street cred, but that’s not the point.

It’s the “bearded lady” of BK’s circus; an attraction designed to lure curious gawkers and non-believers (KFC’s ‘Double Down,’ anyone?) You may try it, you may not. But once inside, Burger King hopes you order something. It’s their chance to dazzle you with their “new menu” in the flesh. Who knows? Maybe you’ll discover a new favorite and visit again.

I’m intrigued (and I’m an unusually healthy guy).

Maybe it’s just that it’s close to lunch and I’m famished, but I’m onboard. Heck, I’m a sweet potato fry/pulled pork junkie – I might go for the gold and try all three!  

(...after my trip to Costa Rica next week)

If you stop by your local BK this weekend and decide to give it a try, report back!