Burger King Critical Essay

By 2004, Burger King’s sales and status descent were so pronounced that smaller rivals were already on the verge of overtaking them. Burger King (BK) CEO Brad Blum put the blame on their boring advertisements. He thought their ads were uninspiring and unable to effectively reach their core customers. He wanted to change their flat image and bland marketing approach. Thus, Blum hired the small but gutsy and creative Crispin ad agency and tasked them to create an ad series for BK that was innovative, effective, relevant, and out-of-the-box.

They had to stay true to the BK identity but still forge new connections with fast food customers. 2. What target market is Crispin going after and why? Is this the best target market for BK? Crispin thought BK’s main audience is the young male fast food fans. They have a huge demographic and have on-the-go lifestyles that are perfect for BK ads to aim at. BK is famous for its big, flame-cooked burgers that appeal to young males more than anyone else. Further, it is also more logical for Crispin to go after a market that already had interest in what BK offers.

They need only to push their tastes more towards BK. The University of Alberta Students’ Union’s article entitled “Setting Advertising Objectives” states the six stages of buyers’ readiness: awareness, knowledge, liking, preference, conviction and finally, action. Young males already know BK as a fast food restaurant. Thus, Crispin only needs to convince them that BK is the right fast food restaurant for them. This was easier for a recovering company such as BK.
It was also better than trying to attract a market that was absolutely uninterested in fast food such as executives and vegetarians. 3. Why did Crispin choose to advertise BK in the way they did with spin off commercials, bands and a website? What impact will this have on BK’s brand image and marketing endeavors? Innovation and relevance are Crispin’s main weapons. Unlike other advertisements that try to take customers to a place that will signify the product, Crispin took the product and placed it right in front of the customers.
Crispin’s ads appealed to the audience by blending in with customers’ lives and making it seem that BK is indeed part of their lives. Moreover, the ad series gave BK’s image a juvenile youthfulness that was cool with the target market and made BK one of them. Work Cited University of Alberta Students’ Union. Setting Advertising Objectives [PDF File]. 2006. University of Alberta. 12 Dec. 2008 <http://www. su. ualberta. ca/services_and_businesses/businesses/marketing/AdObjectives>.