<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re finding that there will be chapters to this as we go through time, and right now is this family strategy chapter, where we\u2019ve done enough work and transformed our restaurant operations to the extent that we\u2019re proud of,\u201d Curtis said. \u201cWe\u2019re inviting families back in, and we\u2019re finding that we\u2019re getting better retention when they do come back in.\u201d<\/p>\n
Curtis said focusing on families gives Burger King the opportunity to attract customers across age cohorts, from millennials to Generation Alpha, which is roughly defined as people born between 2010 and 2025. Plus, parents\u2019 avid use of social media means that word spreads quickly, giving the approach a leg up compared with targeting a single demographic that isn\u2019t as enthusiastic online.<\/p>\n
The limited-time themed menu items include the Dragon Flame-Grilled Whopper, with a red and orange marbled bun; Fiery Dragon Mozzarella Fries, made with Calabrian chili pepper breading; Soaring Strawberry Lemonade; and the Viking\u2019s Chocolate Sundae, with Hershey\u2019s syrup and black and green cookie crumbles.<\/p>\n
Movie collaborations aren\u2019t anything new for fast food \u2014 or Burger King. It was one of the first fast-food chains to lean into movie tie-ins. In 1977, the chain sold \u201cStar Wars\u201d drinking glasses ahead of the film\u2019s release.<\/p>\n
McDonald\u2019s wasn\u2019t far behind, following with a Star Trek-themed Happy Meal two years later, kicking off decades of movie, TV and toy tie-ins aimed at kids. More recently, the Golden Arches\u2019 collaboration with \u201cA Minecraft Movie\u201d across more than 100 markets sold out within two weeks in the U.S., about half the time earmarked for the promotion.<\/p>\n
In Burger King\u2019s more recent past, under Curtis\u2019 leadership, the chain has had two major partnerships: one with \u201cSpider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse\u201d two years ago and another with the Addams Family franchise, timed for Halloween last year.<\/p>\n
Both of those menus featured Whoppers with thematic, colored buns, dyed using natural colorants, like beet juice or ube.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot having artificial dyes and colors is something that\u2019s been important to us for a while,\u201d Curtis said.<\/p>\n
Burger King use of natural dyes comes as artificial food dyes have come under fire from health-concerned parents. Following a push from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Food and Drug Administration recently announced plans to phase out the use of petroleum-based synthetic dyes in food and drinks.<\/p>\n
The two previous collaborations also were Burger King\u2019s top-selling Whopper innovations, based on the number sold, according to Curtis.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat we found in the Addams Family promotion specifically was, as we dug into the property, traffic was fairly flat, but sales were up,\u201d he said, attributing the sales growth to families, which have a higher average check than a solo diner or a couple.<\/p>\n
The expected sales lift from the \u201cHow to Train Your Dragon\u201d menu comes at a crucial time for Burger King.<\/p>\n
In its most recent quarter, the company\u2019s comeback stumbled. The chain\u2019s U.S. same-store sales slid 1.1%, mirroring an industrywide slump as fears about the economy and bad weather kept diners at home.<\/p>\n
But Curtis is confident that Burger King is on the right track, pointing to the chain\u2019s relative outperformance compared with its two biggest competitors: McDonald\u2019s and Wendy\u2019s.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know that they\u2019re scrambling, and sometimes, frankly, copying some of the things that we do, which, you know, plagiarism is the sincerest form of flattery,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen we see them doing that, it gives us more conviction to stay on course.\u201d<\/p>\n
When the live-action version of \u201cHow to Train Your Dragon\u201d hits theaters on June 13, it\u2019s expected to be one of the summer\u2019s big blockbusters. After all, the animated trilogy has grossed more than $1.6 billion worldwide.<\/p>\n
Burger King has similar expectations for its menu tie-in.<\/p>\n
The past success of the Spider-Verse and Addams Family menu items pushed Burger King to \u201cdramatically\u201d up its forecast for the \u201cHow to Train Your Dragon\u201d menu, according to Curtis. And Burger King is also planning on changing its advertising strategy, which could drastically increase demand for the Dragon Flamed-Grilled Whoppers.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the past, we would just kind of associate ourselves with the movie property, but we wouldn\u2019t necessarily advertise the association \u2014 you\u2019d just see it and hear about it in social media,\u201d Curtis said.<\/p>\n
The promotion is supposed to run through early July, but in case Burger King burns through its supply in just three weeks, the chain is prepared to monitor what locations have run out of the menu items. That\u2019s a lesson it learned during its Spider-Verse promotion, when it had to launch a tracker on its website to help customers find the coveted Whopper.<\/p>\n
As it learns from every experience, Burger King is planning to dive deeper into franchise partnerships, betting that the extra effort will drive long-term loyalty for the brand.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re doing a couple more of them than we have in the past,\u201d Curtis said. \u201cWe\u2019ve got one toward the end of the year that we\u2019re very, very excited about \u2026 and we\u2019re getting some lined up for next year as well. In every one of those, we\u2019ll go all in.\u201d<\/p>\n
Disclosure: Comcast owns CNBC and Universal Studios, the producer and distributor of \u201cHow to Train Your Dragon.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\nThis post appeared first on NBC NEWS<\/div>\n
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As Burger King enters the next phase of its turnaround efforts, the fast-food chain is trying to lure families back to its restaurants with colored Whopper buns and kid-friendly movie partnerships. Starting Tuesday, the Restaurant Brands International chain will sell new menu items inspired by the \u201clive action\u201d remake of \u201cHow to Train Your Dragon.\u201d The collaboration is…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1011,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1010","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thetradingdictionary.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1010","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thetradingdictionary.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thetradingdictionary.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thetradingdictionary.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thetradingdictionary.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1010"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thetradingdictionary.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1010\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thetradingdictionary.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1011"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thetradingdictionary.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1010"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thetradingdictionary.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1010"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thetradingdictionary.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1010"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}