Ditching the “King” to take a more traditional route may be the best marketing move Burger King has made in a long time… and it’s potentially having an impact on its long time rival McDonald’s.
Since the California Whopper ingredients-focused campaign launched over three weeks ago from new agency McGarryBowen, Burger King’s perception with burger eaters has sizzled while taking a bite out of McDonald’s numbers.
Both Burger King and McDonald’s brands were measured using YouGov BrandIndex’s Impression score, which asks respondents: "Do you have a general positive feeling about the brand?" Results were filtered for consumers who have eaten hamburgers in the past month.
YouGov BrandIndex measurement scores range from 100 to -100 and are compiled by subtracting negative feedback from positive. A zero score means equal positive and negative feedback.
Just before the campaign premiered the weekend of August 20th, Burger King’s Impression score was half of McDonald’s score – 24.4 compared to 48.9. Ten days later, the perception picture changed dramatically – Burger King soared to 45.1 on August 30th, while McDonald’s drifted down to 41 the same day.
Currently, Burger King is retaining its edge over McDonald’s – 38.8 versus 35.9. McDonald’s current score is well below its August 18th high of 54.
