Burger King To Change Menu With Expanded Value Meals
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Chicago-Burger King Corp. said that it will expand itsbundled menu offerings with additional sizing and strongerpromotion of its popular Value Meals, beginning with a new nationalprogram called "Make It A Meal for 99 Cents."
Burger King said it's focusing on a series of Value Mealsthat feature Burger King's flame-broiled Whopper sandwich line.The new three-tiered Value Meal program, which adds the large sizeof the company's existing medium- and king-size meal offerings,includes a permanent change to the menu boards at Burger King's8,300 U.S. restaurants, the company told Reuters. The boards willnow clearly post the pricing for each Value Meal size.
The new effort, designed to more clearly outline meal optionsfor the customer, is expected to boost Burger King's sales,which this year have flagged in the highly competitive U.S.market.
"What we wanted to do was really give consumers morechoices, to make it easier for them to buy the Value Mealthat's appropriate for their appetite," said Dana Frydman,Burger King's senior director of product marketing.
During the four-week introductory promotion, customers who buyany sandwich from the Whopper line can get a medium-sized valuemeal for only 99 cents beyond the sandwich's recommendedpricing, a 50-cents saving over the meal's typical pricing.
The company also announced that it's unlikely to use pricecuts as a marketing ploy and will instead focus on the attributesof its flagship Whopper sandwich.
"I'm not typically a fan of deep discounting as apricing strategy," Chris Clouser, executive vice president andchief marketing officer for Burger King, told Reuters. "Deepdiscounting is not the long-term solution."-Reuters
