In our upcoming book version of Marketing with Meaning, one of the companies that I feature early is Burger King. Since its acquisition in 2002, Burger King has reinvented itself as an entertainment brand that appeals deeply to young men, while making many of the rest of us smile as well. From reinventing the King character to producing branded Xbox games and branded boxers (my 8-year-old daughter just looked over my shoulder and added that one) to playing the Whopper Freakout prank, Burger King continues to parade new ways for us to be entertained and to form meaningful connections with the brand.
The latest chapter in its story is the launch of the Whopper Sacrifice Facebook tool, in support of its limited-time Angry Whopper. The premise was pretty simple: “Unfriend” 10 people on your Facebook account, and Burger King promised to send you a coupon for a free Whopper (a $3.99 value). The application and offer launched on January 5, and news stories claimed that more than 200,000 people had been unfriended successfully within a week.
I discovered the application on January 8—and I’m a little embarrassed to say that I successfully did the deeds necessary to receive a free coupon. Little did I know that I would be one of the last to cash in on friendship. Facebook quickly stepped in and claimed that Burger King should disable the feature that showed others which friends had been sacrificed. Burger King decided to pull the plug but not before another big burst of media attention came to the promotion.
Overall, this had to be a huge win for Burger King: two bursts of media coverage, lots of social network activity, and traffic to stores from people eager to cash in their coupons. The cost had to be tiny: Facebook applications are fairly low cost (even for a nice one such as BK’s), and I would estimate about 20,000 coupons were sent, of which maybe 10,000 will be redeemed. That’s probably in the ballpark of $150,000 all-in, a fraction of what a large weekend TV media buy would be.
On a side note, I was extremely impressed that Burger King sent the coupon to my home exactly a week after I finished sacrificing. Most brands promise coupons in six to eight weeks, and don’t get me started on Dr Pepper’s goof-up.
But is it meaningful to consumers? Of course it is! Tens of thousands of people chose to engage in the tool, and they didn’t have to purchase anything to enjoy it. The coupon and opportunity to clean out some Facebook dead weight are extra benefits. There likely is some net negative karma around the friends who are dropped, but that’s life, and we have a handful of Facebook friends who don’t need to see what’s going on in our lives. This even might start a real conversation and some social norms about what kind of Facebook relationships are legitimate. Oh, and Burger King is capitalizing on its bad karma with the opportunity to send an “Angry Gram” to those who de-friended you.
I cannot wait to see what comes next from Burger King. Odds are that it will break the rules, surprise us all, and be worth talking about at the watercooler each day. You can’t say the same thing for McDonald’s.
Damn, what an excellent idea and as always, I just wish it was me that came up with it!
These days there are very few totally unique good ideas out there as they all have a little borrowed from here and there. In this case I do think that Burger Kings’ Marketing has done an excellent job.
Great post, thanks.
Bob
The developer who created the APP for CP+B is now banned from Facebook. Not cool. You need to know the rules and the consequences of breaking them. What developer would now want to work with Crispin? Burger King as a brand is also on probation. Again, if they are kicked off Facebook what value can they derive from the brand?
Good idea? Yes. Could it have been done within the rules? Yes.
Adam
Hey Bob,
I’ve been reading your blog as a “ghost” for a few months. Nice work. I’m an ABM at P&G on the Eukanuba business.
Have you been following Pedigree? They are doing some work I think you’ll fine in sync with the Marketing with Meaning work you guys are pushing.
Check out their pre-seeded super bowl add and the viral videos they launched recently. The campaign is: “Maybe you should get a dog.”
http://www.pedigree.com/03Adoption/superbowl/
I really appreciate the boldness and creative approach of BK and CP&B. Yes, it’s controversial, but few companies are willing to take such a risk and challenge the way things “should” be done. I like it!
I love it when a post get such a diversity of comments…
Adam, you make a very good point – one that I’m still wrestling with in my mind. I didn’t hear about a developer getting banned. I actually think that BK should have adjusted the app to comply with Facebook rules. It likely still would have generated a ton of buzz and use. I guess it fits with the personality of C+P – a little too arrogant and snarky.
Elliott, thanks for pointing out the Pedigree work. I’ve actually got a section in the upcoming book about their cause marketing program. Incredible business results and many dogs saved. It will be interesting to see what the SuperBowl does for them and I’ll likely have to post about this. The ad is funny, but I wonder if it goes too far away from showing a true love for dogs and saving their lives – adoption drive is a tag line rather than a true focus.
Bob, time will tell. The ad is definitely bold. And, I’d say the copy has strong “conversation capital.”
Although they aren’t banging consumers on the head with “adopt a dog”, I think it’s clear (at least to me) that they are making a statement that the dog is the ultimate companion. And, if you agree, join them in their cause–and by the way purchase their food.
But your right. The consumer needs to take a leap to dogs are cool, Pedigree helps dogs, I should buy Pedigree. We’ll see how they do when the public share data comes out.