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Burger King Vs. McDonald’s

September 10, 2009 in Marketing | 0 Comments

McDonald’s just reported sales and they are up 2.2% worldwide, missing analysts’ targets. Sales in the US were expected to be up 2.8% and came in at 1.7%. Value meal wars were partly to blame, but if you ask me the whole McCafe product extension is the cause. The New York Times reported the story – not a big one I might add – and nowhere is there a mention of the McCafe coffee line. I didn’t like the gourmet coffee move when I first read about it, and I don’t like it now. It’s not core.

Burger King, on the other hand, which for all its strategic and tactical ups and sideways owns the idea of “flame broiled,” decided not long ago it wanted to upgrade stores with state-of-the-art broilers. If memory serves, they’re supposed to be installed pretty soon. (I’ll have my fact checker get on it.) This is Russ Klein’s major stroke of genius. Crispin Porter, his agency, does great work and the King is the King, but flame broiling is what sets BK apart — and what should help them take a big chunk out of McDonald’s market share. Peace!

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Automation vs. Curation

May 12, 2009 in Marketing | 0 Comments

 

Google recently was dinged by an ex-worker for its data-driven design approach. The not-so-disgruntled worker suggested Google tests everything before making any firm design changes — the hue of the blue, for instance. If dark blue clicks through better than sky blue, dark is published.

 

Marketing is about “science” and “art.”  Finding the right mixture is the key. Creative directors hate focus groups and research that dictates what form the art will take. And data geeks feel the creative people are self-absorbed megalomaniacs. Automation vs. curation is what we’re talking about here in the digital age. There’s no formula for the perfect combination of these dueling approaches but they must both sit at the table.  Art and science. Left brain, right brain.

 

The best marketing shops are those that thrive in this coexistence. It’s not peaceful coexistence and it shouldn’t be, but it must be respectful. Burger King’s CMO Russ Klein might say this coexistence should be a couple of baby steps from “conflict.” Peace!

 

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