INTRODUCTION

This Paper Analyzes the products and communication strategies of McDonalds and burger king
who are two of the biggest competitors in fast food market. The paper starts with evaluation of
the target market of both the brands and their products and understanding their communication
strategies then investigating the positioning statement from the viewpoint of the consumer which
is done by in-depth interviews and finally proposing some recommendations.

Products and market segment

McDonald's founded in 1940 in san Bernardino ,California is the largest chain of hamburger fast
food restaurants. The menu at McDonalds consists of hamburgers , chicken sandwiches ,salads,
drinks and shakes. Big-mac introduced in 1967 is one of the most prestigious burgers for
McDonalds. They are also Widely recognized for their breakfast menu which includes
sandwiches , pancakes , French toast, hash browns , coffee , parfait , oatmeal and sausage burrito.
In 2010 the mobile application for nutritional information was launched while in 2012 they
launched an under 400 calorie menu. In April 2015 McDonalds cut down their menu and axed a
few of its products that were slowing down the customer service. Starting from October 2015
MacDonald's will serve breakfast all day.
McDonalds aims at creating a hospitable and fun environment for a broad segment from parents
of young children and children who love happy meals and the cartoonish image, Workers that
can rely on the consistent service, free Wi-Fi or the fast drive through and the teens who are
attracted by the value menu and also consider it as a place to socialize.

Burger king was founded in 1953 in Jacksonville Florida and is currently headquartered in
Miami Florida. After McDonalds is the largest chain of fast food restaurant. Their menu is made
up of hamburgers , Sandwiches , Sliders , Chicken Fries , shakes , smoothies , coffee and salads.
Introduced in 1957 their signature hamburger known as 'The Whooper' is so well known that
burger king markets itself as home of the whooper. Burger king is also known for their flame
broiled burgers , where a conveyor belt carries the meat over flames instead of actually frying it

on range top. In 2009 Whooper bar was opened up in Orlando Florida which has a higher end
feel and featured open kitchen for the first time in the fast food Industry. In 2014 burger king
acquired Canadian coffee chain 'Tim Hortons' and by 2017 plans to open 600 more international
locations.
Burger king has gone through a lot of ownership changes and have faced a lot of changing
strategies. Historically burger king has always targeted males of age group 18-35 however after
facing a lot of struggle the chain decided to change its promotions and advertising and target a
broader segment of customers which now includes teens who are attracted by the dollar menu

Communication Strategies
McDonald's has created an image of low budget , family friendly fast food chain. Initially
McDonalds focused their attention on being the cheaper option with marketing campaigns like
'Real Good and still only 15 cents' and 'lets eat out' to appeal to the families with young children
to treat them with McDonald's. Then they focused on teenagers and who would want to satisfy
their hunger late night with McDonalds campaign 'Mac Tonight'. However with child obesity
rising in America and the teens becoming more conscious about their calorie and other nutrient
facts intake rather than affordability , convenience and fast service McDonald's was not the first
thing that came into mind when thinking of a low calorie healthier menu and this led McDonalds
shift its focus on healthier and more natural options adding salads, Fruits ,better quality of
coffee and healthy drinks on its menu and their social media pages aligns with their marketing
strategy, their Facebook page which has around 59 million likes is regularly updated with
current products and videos such as a farmer growing best quality potatoes to supply to
McDonald's for their famous fries. McDonald's is the highest spender for marketing and
advertising in its category with $808 million in 2014 mainly focused on Value and convenience

Burger king initial market segment was males in the age group of 18-34 years and was hit really
bad during the recession and uncertain economic conditions. In 2010 Burger king was bought by
new owners and their first move was to broaden the target market from only males to women and
teens and has used stars such as David Beckham who has a huge female fan following around the
world. Burger king is often viewed as a fast food chain with really good standards and
infrastructure. Their burgers are marketed to be bigger and juicer than McDonalds and their
service a lot better than their biggest competitor. Lately burger king has introduced the value
menu and started providing a lot of promotional and discount deals , they have also simplified
the menu to provide a faster and better service. Burger king also changed their tagline to 'Be
Your Way' in 2014 to position itself as a brand which gives people power of self expression and
which is something that makes them different. It also focuses on their Customizable side , where
they can come to burger king and order what ever they want and how they want it. Their Social
media following is pretty low comparing to the brand following that they have. There are
occasional posts about products and offers and looks like burger king is doing that because
everybody else is.

Positioning Statement
McDonald's want to position themselves as a place where you can enjoy a burger with your
family or friends from their wide selection including low calorie burgers and Fresh salads and
enjoy the quality products at low prices and amazing customer service anytime of the day or
night.
TESTING HYPOTHESIS
H1: McDonald's is a place you will go to find a quality Burger at a cheaper Price
H2: It is a good place for someone who eats healthy
H3: Anyone looking for a break from their day can come in and enjoy the great ambience
H4: Great place for younger one's specially the happy meal
H5: Place with really good customer Service no matter what day or time

Positioning Statement
Burger king wants to position themselves as a place you would go to enjoy a reasonably priced
good quality food , served efficiently in attractive and hygienic environment.
Testing Hypothesis H1: Someone Would go to burger king for a good quality Burger
H2: It is a good place for someone who eats Healthy
H3: They are well cooked and have a Unique Smokey Taste.
H4: The environment of the restaurant is clean and Hygienic

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

The Sellers positioning strategy was tested with the consumer's point of view. Three in Depth
Interview's were conducted which consisted of questions about both the brands, The responses
can be found in the Appendix.
H1: Consumers Believe that McDonald's is definitely the cheapest option
when it comes to Fast-food and the burgers are not that special but are also
not bad. However Consumers believe that the products used are not high
quality , but are quite average. Some Consumers have had bad experiences
where the bread was stale and chicken tasted older.
H2:Consumers believe that the salads only look healthy in Advertisements however they are
pretty bad when it comes to trying them in restaurants. They think It is something that

McDonalds is doing just to add a healthier section to its menu but do not care much about
improving them.
H3: The restaurant's look older and have no television sets or forms of entertainment except the
free-Wi-Fi
H4: Consumers agree that the happy meal is attractive to the younger kids however it is still unhealthy and can't be eaten regularly
H5: The customer service is bad. More attention is paid on Drive-Through than inside the
restaurant and the wait times are high. Orders are often confused.

Burger King
H1: Consumers Believe that their burgers look healthier in advertisements and are the same at
the stores.The bread is fresh and the meat is juicy and well cooked.
H2: There are not many healthy options at Burger king however they have two salads , Both are
decent , However the dressings are really good.
H3: The burgers at Burger king are flame-broiled instead of being fried and consumers agree that
they do have a Smokey unique Taste however it is not consistent.
H4: consumers agree The restaurants have better furniture and a more clean feel to it , Even from
the outside. Toilets are clean and overall gives the place a very nice hygienic feel

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

McDonald's - There are a number of differences in the hypothesis and what the consumers think
about the them. People believe that McDonald's is one of the cheapest fast food places however
the extensive efforts made by the company towards showcasing the quality of products used has
not worked well. Many consumers complaint about the bread being stale and poor Quality
chicken and Awful tasting salads, Even people who have not been to McDonalds a lot believe

this image created in the marketplace about McDonalds using inferior quality products and using
them past their expiry dates. People believe that the freshness and quality can only be seen in
their advertisements but not practiced in their kitchens. McDonalds instead of showing where
their products come from should focus more on letting people inside the kitchen by making
videos or giving people tours. McDonalds should also work on changing the infrastructure of the
restaurants and making them attractive and fun as they are marketed. The kids menu and the
happy meal has a huge fan following however they are considered unhealthy and are not likely to
be eaten often, McDonald's can change this by adding fruits and juices and other healthier
options for kids. There has been a couple of reports about the longest Drive-through time
compared to other restaurants and even the highest for McDonalds in their last 15 years , The
condition in the restaurants is worse as most of the attention and resources are spent on the drivethrough traffic, McDonalds should hire more employees who focus on both the drive through
and the people inside the restaurants.

Burger king has does not have many variations on the hypothesis and what people think about
them. The burgers are juicy and good quality as the images in the advertisements show , The
restaurants are clean , attractive and hygienic, However the Smokey taste of the burger king
burgers is not consistent from one restaurant to the other and also sometimes vary on the same
restaurant. In the 21st century where people have a number of options they look for consistency
from these big global brands and it is one of the vital factors for them coming back. Burger king
should make sure that same ingredients and procedures are used and have the same signature
taste for which people keep going back to them. The image that burger king is looking to create
is also directed towards health conscious customers but they do not offer a lot of alternatives
when it comes to this category , If they want people to consider them as one of the healthier food
joints they should add more choices for them.

REFRENCES

Web. 20 Oct. 2015.

<https://sites.google.com/site/mcdonaldsfranchisestrategy/home/mcdonalds-positioning>

Web. 18 Oct. 2015.

<http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/253765/why-mcdonaldsburger-king-should-follow-the-way.html>.

Web. 21 Oct. 2015. <http://digiday.com/social/battle-of-the-social-brandsmcdonalds-vs-burger-king/>.

Web. 19 Oct. 2015. <https://www.qsrmagazine.com/reports/long-live-king>.

Web. 14 Oct. 2015. <http://www.thesaleslion.com/reasons-mcdonaldscrushes-beats-burger-king-year/>.

"Burger King Launches New Tagline: 'Be Your Way'" Advertising Age News
RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Oct. 2015. <http://adage.com/article/news/burgerking-launches-tagline/293283/>.

Web. 13 Oct. 2015.

<http://www.ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/ijms/article/viewFile/1645/1556>.

Web. 16 Oct. 2015. <https://www.thrillist.com/eat/nation/looking-back-on58yrs-of-mcdonalds-slogans>

"Burger King Marketing Plan." Marketing Mixx. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Oct. 2015.
<http://marketingmixx.com/marketing-plan-2/306-burger-king-marketing-plan.html>.

QUALITATIVE RESPONSE QUESTIONS AND RESPONSES

McDonald's
1.

Have You heard of McDonald's?

Yes

2. What do you know about the products that they sell?

I know about big Mac's and their chess burger from their Value menu , They
also have salads now and coffee and smoothies , shakes
3. Do you go to McDonald's often? why? why not?
I dont go to McDonald's much , I go once in like two weeks. I dont eat a lot of
fried stuff because of a healthy diet
4. what do you usually eat?
I usually get a Big-Mac and the M&M Mcflurry , I take stuff from the dollar menu
when I dont want to spend much.
5. what do you think About the healthier stuff on their menu?
I saw an advertisement about their Salads once and it looked pretty good in the
pictures even though they were not at all as shown. Never ordered them again.
6.

Do you prefer sitting in or Drive through?

I usually Prefer driving through.

7. Do you think McDonald's food is good quality?

No I dont think so , I have heard so many cases about people finding stuff in their food.
sometimes the bread tastes stale, sometimes the chicken feels older.
8. What do you think about the Service at McDonald's? Drive through?
I usually used to sit in , However there is so much of attention on Drive through that
sometimes there is nobody at the front and it takes forever to get what you order.
Drive through is okay too , sometimes it takes too long.
9. Do you like the ambience of McDonalds?
It used to be pretty good , However now it looks pretty basic. At night you find a
lot of shady people I dont know why.
10. If you were to recommend McDonald's to someone what would you say?
I would not recommend it in any way. There are no Pro's
11. would you go to McDonalds with you family, would you take your younger brother/sister
to McDonald's?
Not with my family, I would go with kids but very occasionally.

QUALITATIVE RESPONSE QUESTIONS

1. Have you heard of burger king?

Yes
2. What do you know about the products that they sell?
They have hamburgers , whooper , coffee , salads and other beverages.
3. Do you go to Burger king often?
No , but once in 15 days
4. What do you think about the healthier stuff on their menu?
I have never tried them
5. Do you think Burger king has better quality food?
Yes I think so
6. Do you prefer sitting in or Drive through?
I prefer sitting in
7. What do you think about the service at Burger king?
Service is always pretty good , I prefer them over McDonald's on service
8. Do you like the ambience of Burger king?
Always good , I like the music and the whole seating and infrastructure.
9. If you were to recommend Burger king to someone wat would you say?
It offers better quality burgers , if you are really craving for one.

QUALITATIVE RESPONSE QUESTIONS

McDonald's
12.

Have You heard of McDonald's?

Yes

13.

What do you know about the products that they sell?

I am a big fan so I know the whole menu

14.

what do you usually eat at McDonald's?

Depends on what time of the day it is , If its the breakfast time I eat the sausage burrito

and Egg and cheese Biscuit and get a coffee, Usually during lunch and dinner hours I get
the quarter pounder meal or the Big mac meal
15.

what do you think About the healthier stuff on their menu?

I have never tried it, Who would want to go to McDonalds' for heathy stuff , everything
there is unhealthy
16.

Do you go to McDonald's often? why? why not?

As I told you , I am a big fan , I almost go 8-10 times in a week.

17.

If yes , Do you prefer sitting in or Drive through?

Drive through is always the best option, I usually go alone and there is nothing much to
do in the restaurant , The one I go to does not even have TV's.
18.

Do you think McDonald's food is good quality?

I think I have heard a lot of stories about how people have found stuff in their food at
McDonald's and I can see why , you cant see the kitchen clearly but can figure out that

its messed up , the quality. But I like the taste , I dont mind the bad food unless its Tasty.
Fast food is not good quality anyways I eat it for the Taste.
19.

What do you think about the Service at McDonald's? Drive through?

Its really bad at some places , its really good at some. It also varies what hour are you
going to McDonald's at.
20.

Do you like the ambience of McDonalds?

I dont , thats why I never sit inside , Its awful , sometimes it just smells bad
21.

If you were to recommend McDonald's to someone what would you say?

They have the best burgers for real cheap , They have good coffee , they have been in
business for years now , they are the biggest in the category and there should be a reason
for that.
22.

would you go to McDonalds with you family, would you take your younger

brother/sister to McDonald's?
I always take my younger brother there, He loves the happy meal and gets
so excited once he

sees the McDonalds arches.

QUALITATIVE RESPONSE QUESTIONS

10.Have you heard of burger king?
Yes
11.What do you know about the products that they sell?
All I know about them is that they sell burgers and almost sell same stuff
as McDonalds.
12.Do you go to Burger king often?
I Tried it couple of years ago , I hardly go there unless there is nothing else
around. Their burgers

are too Dry for me , I like greasy stuff.

13.What do you think about the healthier stuff on their menu?

Never Tried it
14.Do you think Burger king has better quality food?
I dont know , I have heard that they flame-broil their burgers which is
healthier I think.
15.Do you prefer sitting in or Drive through?
Drive Through
16.What do you think about the service at Burger king?
Nothing special , I think its a bit faster than McDonalds cause its not as
crowded.
17.Do you like the ambience of Burger king?
It looks good from the outside and the inside
18.If you were to recommend Burger king to someone wat would you say?

I would say go to McDonalds if you want good and cheap burger and go to
Burger king if you

want a better looking place that sells average

burger

QUALITATIVE RESPONSE QUESTIONS

McDonald's
23.

Have You heard of McDonald's?

Yes

24.

What do you know about the products that they sell?

Burgers , Wraps , Salads , Coffee , Shakes , Smoothies , Fries

25.

what do you usually eat at McDonald's?

I get any burger with the beef patty , dont quite like their chicken patty and their lettuce
tastes really weird
26.

what do you think About the healthier stuff on their menu?

Had their salad once and then found out it was like 100 calories lesser than a Big Mac
meal and the salad was so bad , chicken was really salty , Lettuce was in a real bad soggy
condition , not many dressing options
27.

Do you go to McDonald's often? why? why not?

I dont go their much , Too unhealthy , Messes up my Stomach specially the fries.
28.

If yes , Do you prefer sitting in or Drive through?

Drive Through
29.

Do you think McDonald's food is good quality?

No , They are the worst , I have seen pictures on the internet and read couple of articles
they really need to change something about their quality standards
30.

What do you think about the Service at McDonald's? Drive through?

Takes forever ,they messed up my order completely once and then asked me to wait at the
next unattended window and forgot about me
31.

Do you like the ambience of McDonalds?

No , its always full with homeless people sleeping inside, it is not their fault but
personally its scary
32.

If you were to recommend McDonald's to someone what would you say?

I would not recommend them to anybody

33.

would you go to McDonalds with you family, would you take your younger

brother/sister to McDonald's?
No

QUALITATIVE RESPONSE QUESTIONS

19.Have you heard of burger king?
Yes
20.What do you know about the products that they sell?
Just love burger king , Amazing taste , always well cooked , their salads are
better , coffee is so

good , Even the fries - satisfries are the best and

are so good and healthy

21.Do you go to Burger king often?
yeah a lot
22.What do you think about the healthier stuff on their menu?
They do not have many options , maybe because they are a fast food place
, but the salads are

pretty good

23.Do you think Burger king has better quality food?

Definitely , The food even looks better, They are the best
24.Do you prefer sitting in or Drive through?
I prefer sitting in
25.What do you think about the service at Burger king?
Its pretty fast and convenient , staff is nice and friendly
26.Do you like the ambience of Burger king?
Really good , I live everything , The moment you enter you know that they
would have good

food cause everything looks perfect.

27.If you were to recommend Burger king to someone wat would you say?

I would tell them about how fresh everything tastes and how different it is
from every other

Place , how everything from the sitting area to the

kitchen and bathrooms look clean.