In acquiring Canadian-headquartered coffee shop chain Tim Hortons, Burger King gets a chain with high marks in value and quality perception but less than a third of the brand awareness of its U.S. rivals.
With 866 outlets in the U.S., compared to 4,546 in Canada, only 30% of U.S. citizens are aware of the brand, compared to more than 90% for the far bigger Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks.
However, in the eyes of consumers, Tim Hortons is very competitive on the value and quality fronts. And with increased investment from Burger King, Tim Hortons could close the awareness gap through expansion and aggressive marketing, and be well-positioned to compete against its better known rivals.
YouGov BrandIndex’s quality and value data is measured on a scale from 100 to -100 with a zero score means equal positive and negative feedback, and is adjusted for awareness levels across the three brands.
Tim Hortons' Quality score is currently 23, only five points below Starbucks (28) and eight points below Dunkin Donuts (31). Twice this year – March and June -- Tim Hortons actually surpassed Starbucks on this metric.
However, on value, there are much wider differences between the chains: Dunkin Donuts leads with a 22 score, with Tim Horton’s following reasonably close behind with a 15 score. Starbucks trails with a -20 score.
In addition to Quality and Value scores, Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks, and Tim Hortons were measured with YouGov BrandIndex’s Awareness score, which asks respondents “Which of the following brands have you ever heard of?” Awareness is measured from 0 - 100%. All respondents for all three scores are adults age 18 and over.
Awareness: Tim Hortons, Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks
Value: Tim Hortons, Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks
Quality: Tim Hortons, Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks
