Burger Wars
Encyclopedia
The Burger Wars is series of off and on comparative advertising
campaigns consisting of mutually-targeted advertisements that highlight the intense competition between hamburger fast food chains McDonald's
, Burger King
and others in the United States. The term first came into use during the late 1970s due to an attempt by Burger King to generate increased market
and mind-share
by attacking the size of bigger rival McDonald's hamburgers.
By the mid 1980s, the constant spending on advertising began to effect the major players. In 1987, Burger King laid off more than a hundred people from its corporate headquarters in Miami, Florida
, while Dublin, Ohio
-based Wendy's
reported its first quarterly operating loss since its founding in 1969. Conversely, McDonald's operating revenue and profit increase while its market share also grew. Smaller chains, such as Hardee's
, worked to keep from getting caught up in the extensive financial brinkmanship by avoiding the expensive ad campaigns and by staying in smaller, more geographically limited locations.
The New York Times states that the poor economy of the late 2010 recessionary period has led to the return of the burger wars. Because of tightened budgets, consumers have been forced to seek value and the major fast food chains are increasingly competing for those consumer dollars. The Wendy's chain has been at the forefront of the revival, airing a series of ads that feature founder Dave Thomas
' daughter Melinda Lou Morse, the original "Wendy", advertising a series of new burgers and reviving its Where's the beef?
advertising slogan.
aired a series of television ads in the United Stated that disparaged several rivals Angus-beef burgers in which it was alleged that they equated Angus beef with an anus. Rival chain operator CKE claimed the ads were misleading because they confuse consumers by comparing sirloin, a cut of meat found on all cattle, with Angus, which is a breed of cattle. CKE, operator of the Carl's Jr. and Hardees chains, had been noted for running ads that were controversial ads and claimed that there was no comparison between the ads they were running those of Jack In the Box because their ads did not insinuate their products came from an undesirable part of cows.
Because of their similar preparation styles and menus, the expansion of Five Guys
into the territories of its Los Angeles-based counter part In-N-Out has been described as newer version of the burger wars by several publication.
Comparative advertising
Comparative advertising is an advertisement in which a particular product, or service, specifically mentions a competitor by name for the express purpose of showing why the competitor is inferior to the product naming it...
campaigns consisting of mutually-targeted advertisements that highlight the intense competition between hamburger fast food chains McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
, Burger King
Burger King
Burger King, often abbreviated as BK, is a global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The company began in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida-based restaurant chain...
and others in the United States. The term first came into use during the late 1970s due to an attempt by Burger King to generate increased market
Market share
Market share is the percentage of a market accounted for by a specific entity. In a survey of nearly 200 senior marketing managers, 67 percent responded that they found the "dollar market share" metric very useful, while 61% found "unit market share" very useful.Marketers need to be able to...
and mind-share
Mind share
Mind share, or the development of consumer awareness or popularity, is one of the main objectives of advertising and promotion. When people think of examples of a product type or category, they usually think of a limited number of brand names. For example, a prospective buyer of a college education...
by attacking the size of bigger rival McDonald's hamburgers.
By the mid 1980s, the constant spending on advertising began to effect the major players. In 1987, Burger King laid off more than a hundred people from its corporate headquarters in Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
, while Dublin, Ohio
Dublin, Ohio
Dublin is a city in Franklin, Delaware, and Union counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 41,751 at the 2010 census. Dublin is a suburb of Columbus, Ohio. Approximately 57,000 people live within the Dublin school district....
-based Wendy's
Wendy's
Wendy's is an international fast food chain restaurant founded by Dave Thomas on November 15, 1969, in Columbus, Ohio, United States. The company decided to move its headquarters to Dublin, Ohio, on January 29, 2006. It has been owned by Triarc since 2008...
reported its first quarterly operating loss since its founding in 1969. Conversely, McDonald's operating revenue and profit increase while its market share also grew. Smaller chains, such as Hardee's
Hardee's
Hardee's is a restaurant chain, located mostly in the Southeast and Midwestern regions of the United States. It has evolved through several corporate ownerships since its establishment in 1960. It is currently owned and operated by CKE Restaurants. Along with its sibling restaurant chain, Carl's...
, worked to keep from getting caught up in the extensive financial brinkmanship by avoiding the expensive ad campaigns and by staying in smaller, more geographically limited locations.
The New York Times states that the poor economy of the late 2010 recessionary period has led to the return of the burger wars. Because of tightened budgets, consumers have been forced to seek value and the major fast food chains are increasingly competing for those consumer dollars. The Wendy's chain has been at the forefront of the revival, airing a series of ads that feature founder Dave Thomas
Dave Thomas (American businessman)
David "Dave" Thomas was an American fast-food entrepreneur and philanthropist. Thomas was the founder and chief executive officer of Wendy's, a fast-food restaurant chain specializing in hamburgers...
' daughter Melinda Lou Morse, the original "Wendy", advertising a series of new burgers and reviving its Where's the beef?
Where's the beef?
"Where's the beef?" is a catchphrase in the United States and Canada. Since it was first used as an advertising slogan, it has become an all-purpose phrase questioning the substance of an idea, event, or product.-History:...
advertising slogan.
Modern examples
In a 2007 advertising campaign, Jack In the BoxJack in the Box
Jack in the Box is an American fast-food restaurant founded by Robert O. Peterson in 1951 in San Diego, California, where it is still headquartered today. In total, the chain has 2,200 locations, primarily serving the West Coast of the United States...
aired a series of television ads in the United Stated that disparaged several rivals Angus-beef burgers in which it was alleged that they equated Angus beef with an anus. Rival chain operator CKE claimed the ads were misleading because they confuse consumers by comparing sirloin, a cut of meat found on all cattle, with Angus, which is a breed of cattle. CKE, operator of the Carl's Jr. and Hardees chains, had been noted for running ads that were controversial ads and claimed that there was no comparison between the ads they were running those of Jack In the Box because their ads did not insinuate their products came from an undesirable part of cows.
Because of their similar preparation styles and menus, the expansion of Five Guys
Five Guys
Five Guys is a fast casual restaurant chain focused on hamburgers, hot dogs, and French fries. Originating in Arlington, Virginia, the company's headquarters are now in Lorton, Virginia.-Food:...
into the territories of its Los Angeles-based counter part In-N-Out has been described as newer version of the burger wars by several publication.
See also
- Cola WarsCola warsThe Cola Wars are a campaign of mutually-targeted television advertisements and marketing campaigns since the 1980s between soft drink manufacturers Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo Incorporated.- Competition :...
- Similar type of competitive advertising programs between Coca-Cola and Pepsi