Goodbye King. Hello Mom’s.

8/25/11

For the past several years, Burger King has focused their advertising efforts on fast food’s heavy users, i.e. men 14-24, using the creepy king mascot to capture their loyalty. Unfortunately the strategy seems to have failed as same-store sales were down 5% in the second half of 2010, and 6% in first quarter 2011.

So, it’s time for a new target and a new approach. Focusing on food quality could appeal to both the core target and moms since healthy eating is now becoming more of a priority across all demographic groups. But will adding guacamole to the whopper really do the trick? Does that make it healthier or just more fattening?

Right now perceptions of BK’s food quality lag behind McDonald’s, Subway, and even KFC. So, they have a challenge ahead of them. But what I really want to know is why did they stick with the king as long as they did?

Walker, E. (2011, March 30). Burger King faces continued declines in sales, profits. miamiherald.com. Retrieved August 24, 2011, from
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/03/30/2142096/burger-king-faces-continued-declines.html

Horovitz, B. (2011, August 19) Burger King freshens fast-food image, kicks King to the curb. usatoday.com. Retrieved August 24, 2011, from
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/story/2011/08/Burger-King-freshens-fast-food-image-kicks-King-to-the-curb/50046768/1

Don’t Mistake Engagement for Purchase Intent.

8/18/11

Many of you may recognize this line from my book: Does It Make You Want To Buy Something?

Well, a new global research study from Fournaise Marketing Group shows that consumer response to advertising declined by 19% in the first half of 2011, across 20 markets worldwide. (McClellan, 2011)

While the firm acknowledges that the uncertain global economic situation is partly to blame, they also point out that ads during the first half of 2011 were not arousing much consumer interest. Why? Too much emphasis on building awareness through creativity and new media, and not enough focus on consumer benefits.

Why am I not surprised? How about you?

McClellan, S. (2011, August 9). Offline, On: Ad Campaign Effectiveness Dives. mediapost.com. Retrieved August 11, 2011, from
http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=155597&nid=129727

Are coupons saving Sunday newspapers; or is it affluent readers?

8/11/11

According to Scarborough Research, coupon clipping is up 24% since 2006. And, despite the rush to all things digital, and the primary channel for coupons is still Sunday newspaper inserts, with 49% of coupons coming from this source. (Baar, 2011)

At the same time, the Mendelsohn Affluent Barometer says that among the top 20% of Americans ($100K+), 86% are still reading their newspapers in hard copy form. (Shullman, 2011)

Is it any wonder that my weekend edition of the Wall Street Journal now includes FSI’s?

While younger generations are clearly moving toward electronic media options, it would appear that the old hard copy newspaper still has some life in it yet. Advertisers take note!

Baar, A. (2011, August 10). People Still Turn To Sunday Papers For Coupons. mediapost.com. Retrieved August 11, 2011, from
http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=155627&nid=129762

Shullman, B. (2011, August 1). Among Affluent Americans, Print Media Is Tops. adage.com. Retrieved August 11, 2011, from
http://adage.com/article/adagestat/affluent-americans-print-media-tops/229002/

What’s your favorite gadget? It depends how old you are.

8/4/11

As media fragmentation continues unabated, we are seeing different target segments gravitating toward different media. Newspapers are for upscale Baby Boomer men, while video games are the best way to reach Gen Y boys. Gen X women like their Facebook; Boomer women like tv; and so on.

Now we are seeing similar trends emerging for the new mobile devices that have been introduced over the past few years. According to a study by Affinity research it shakes out like this: Boomers prefer E-readers, Gen Y prefers iPads and Gen X prefers smart phones. (Walsh, 2011)

My guess is that Boomers like E-readers because they are having trouble with small print. Gen X likes iPads because their kids can play games on them. And Gen Y likes smart phones because they are all about texting.

What do you think? Are you using the right device for your demographic? What do you prefer and why?

Walsh, M. (2011, July 27) E-Readers Are For Boomers, Smartphones For Millennials. mediapost.com. Retrieved August 4, 2011, from
http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=154819&nid=129329