Would you by a knock off Rolex, then why would you by a knock off burger?

Wendy’s and Burger King follow the menu rule book. Digging out of a quagmire of its own making Burger King did what QSR’s do with menu and marketing innovation COPY.  Copy-cat marketing and menu innovation is nothing new at Burger King or Wendy’s but once you have fallen behind from lack of innovation copy-cat actions don’t help unless you operate in a duopoly. (The burger sector is no duopoly.) 

Recycled menu ideations and marketing positioning come in most cases from recycled marketing and menu innovation team members.  If you look as the top 25 restaurant chains and note how many have menu developers that have had multiple 2, 3, or 4 year stints at other restaurant chains.  You will note that same is true with the marketing VP’s.  Why did they leave the other firm’s?  Results did not provide the “lift” or level of innovation needed to meet consumer demand, yet here they are again.

Chain restaurant CEO’s are to blame.  Most follow the golden rule of CEO’s” DO NO HARM”.  There is a difference in risk and calculated innovational risk.  Consumer respond positively to new products even when they are a “bust”.  Remember McLean, bust; but the hallo of buzz created around the McLean drove trial and then anticipation for what might be next.  Yes, I know that’s McDonalds.  You’re not nor will you ever be if all you do is copy. Be not afraid reach out of the box or comfort zone. Success does leave clues. 

The ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh food niche is booming because high quality fresh prepared food is being offered in new avenues of distribution.  It’s time that restaurants look at menus as an avenue of consumer communication and consumer relevance.   If you would not by a knock off Rolex why would you by a knock off burger?  Drive consumer in not away with your menu.  Need Help? Grocerant@q.com

Outside eyes can deliver top line sales and bottom line profits.  Invite Foodservice Solutions® to complete a grocerant program assessment, brand, product placement or positioning assistance.  Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche visit Facebook.com/Steven Johnson, Linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant