If you happened to be up late and didn’t blink, you might have seen me on Nightline last night. The story was about Burger King’s “risky” and successful effort to differentiate themselves from McDonald’s. First, let me say that it was an honor to be included in a story that mentions Crispin Porter Bogusky, the agency responsible for BK’s advertising and the best in the biz as far as I’m concerned. They have consistently produced the most entertaining and engaging work in the fast food industry including their recent Western Sandwich and The Simpsons campaigns. If you are a student of this business, I’d recommend studying both of these efforts including the highly viral online components (i.e. Pet Mustache & Simpsonsize Me) which are both hilarious fun.
One of the issues that came up in my interview with Nightline (but didn’t make the final story) was the ethics of fast food marketing. The reporter asked for my thoughts about a fast food company that actively and successfully promotes “unhealthy” foods. I responded that consumers are not helpless zombies somehow under the spell of evil fast food advertising. I believe consumers have lots of choices when it comes to food, healthy and otherwise. I mentioned the fact that McDonald’s has been offering salads for several years and yet consumers still choose burgers most of the time.
Burger King has made the conscious decision to promote higher calorie/higher fat options since this is what their target audience seems to want. While it is unfortunately that many Americans elect to fill their diets with unhealthy options, I respect their unalienable right to do just that. Subway, among others, has made some headway offering lower fat options. If consumers really want healthy options, then competitive advantage is to be gained by the fast food restaurant chain that can deliver great tasting food that is also better for you and reasonably priced. Opportunity knocks and I will certainly celebrate any company that enhances their offering as such.
The point of all this is that sometimes we have to take the good with the bad. I have no problem acknowledging good (in this case entertaining) marketing when I see it even if it is for products that are less than good for you. Burger King advertising over the last four years has helped grow their business but not grow the category so really they are simply getting their target to eat at BK more often than Wendy’s or other equally unhealthy options. Should we really hold Burger King responsible for making young American men fatter as a result of their clever advertising? Last time I checked, no one is forcing anyone to eat anywhere.
That said, I do think leading fast food restaurants would be wise to take a cue from cereal/food companies like Kellogg’s and curtail or revise their kids marketing efforts. Getting kids to eat better is a “whopper” of a challenge that will take the unified efforts of parents, schools and food companies. Perhaps I’m talking out both sides of my mouth here so straighten me out if you feel otherwise.