Burger King is a world famous manufacturer of fast food meals. The company organized a network of franchise cafes in more than 80 countries. So a marketing channel is the path of goods from an independent producer to the consumer. To simplify the passage of goods, the manufacturer builds a system of movement and distribution of goods that promotes optimally fast and easy passage of goods to the consumer (Philip Kotler, Kevin Lane Keller, 2016,p 516) . The company uses vertical marketing channels because it is well suited for a franchise network. VMC is a distribution channel structure in which manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers act as a single system. One of the channel’s members either owns the others, or has contacts with them, or is strong enough to ensure full cooperation. A company such as Burger King has franchises around the world and therefore it is almost impossible to produce all the necessary products by themselves, therefore the company enters into contracts with suppliers in countries where it operates. For example, in Russia, the main supplier of the company is Miratorg, the country’s largest agricultural producer (Vladislav Vorotnikov, 2017). The following describes the product distribution process:
- first, suppliers send their products to the company’s factories and warehouses
- further, at the company’s factory, some products are processed and frozen, vegetables remain fresh.
- then already verified products are sent to the cafes where all products will be combined into the final dish
What are the ways company connects with its customers to provide more value for them?
Burger King Company is famous all over the world for its delicious and natural burgers as well as for its coupons and great offers. Clients of the company are always confident in two things: the fact that they will have a delicious lunch at their favorite cafe and also receive a new advantageous offer from Burger King. For example, in the United States, Burger King leads in the number of coupons issued, which sets them apart from other fast food cafes. This helps the company compete with cheaper cafes such as McDonald’s. The company distributes its coupons through newspapers, magazines, as well as through a mobile application. Customers using the company’s application receive, in addition to coupons, a “offer of the day” every day, with which there is a big discount when buying a certain food set. Moreover, the coupons in the application are different for users, that is, the client feels that he is receiving an exclusive offer (“Burger King App Review”, 2019). Also, through the application, customers can make a preliminary order and pick it up at the appointed time, as well as order delivery in some countries (USA, Great Britain). For all of the above reasons, the Burger King application can be called one of the main communication tools of the company, because it shows the company’s clients that the company takes care of them and makes unique offers for them.
How they have integrated their communication system?
The current level of market saturation will not allow achieving the desired level of product sales without preliminary preparation of consumers using various promotion elements. Promotion is a certain form of message used by a company to provide information to consumers about its products, services, social activities. Burger King uses tools such as advertising, promotions, as well as personal communication between the buyer and the seller to promote their products. The company is very active in social networks and always follows the trends of the Internet. Burger King is constantly fighting on social networks with its main competitor, McDonald’s, creating memes and funny pictures about each other and this does not leave the company’s customers indifferent and helps to find new customers. However, the company very rarely uses advertising mailings via webmail because it believes that such a promotion is not effective and causes mostly negative emotions of customers (HowandWhat.net, 2019). The company also shoots famous, media personalities in its commercials, for example, in a recent advertisement, Burger King showed a mixed martial arts wrestler, Connor McGregor. Such advertising could not leave indifferent fans of the fighter, and the company received a huge number of positive reviews and thus Burger King found new customers. The company also uses personal sales systems, that is, when customers place their order, the seller offers him to take a set at a bargain price or try something new. Promotions such as coupons help to find new customers and keep old ones, because everyone wants to eat tasty at a cheap price. Customers can find coupons in newspapers, magazines, as well as in the company’s mobile application. This communication system has proven itself very well over time, which is why Burger King has millions of loyal customers around the world.
What advertising medias are chosen by your company?
The company uses such advertising media as: television, social networks, newspapers and outdoor advertising. On television, Burger King often shows his creative commercials, usually in the style of comedy. Such advertising is aimed mainly at older people who often watch television, because it is no secret that the younger generation watches TV much less often. However, these commercials are also laid out on social networks, for example YouTube and already there the company finds more young viewers. The company also maintains its own page on Instagram, Facebook and twitter and follows all modern internet trends. On these pages, the company introduces to its customers’ new products of Burger King, as well as presents promotions and events. Also, a company often buys advertisements in newspapers and magazines, and also prints its own coupons on them, which is very convenient since in the USA millions of people get fresh morning newspapers and this promotion helps to find new customers and increase sales (Zigu, 2013). Moreover, the company often uses street advertising in cities with high populations, such as New York or Moscow. Such advertising is aimed mainly at customers with a car in order to attract them to make a purchase through drive thru. All this helps the company to find new customers every day and increase the frequency of purchases of its customers.