Introduction
Burger King has been a staple in the fast food industry for decades, and it has been known for its unique customer attractions. Unfortunately, one of these attractions, the “Eat This Not That” program, is being discontinued. This program allowed customers to choose from a variety of healthier options when ordering their meals. While this program was popular among customers, Burger King has decided to discontinue it in order to focus on other initiatives. In this article, we will discuss the history of the program, why Burger King is discontinuing it, and what this means for customers.
Burger King Is Discontinuing This Decades-Old Customer Attraction
Burger King is saying goodbye to a decades-old customer attraction. The fast-food chain is discontinuing its iconic “Have It Your Way” slogan, which has been used since 1974. The company is replacing it with the new tagline “Be Your Way.”
The new slogan is meant to emphasize the company’s commitment to allowing customers to customize their orders. Burger King is also introducing a new logo and packaging design to go along with the new slogan. The new logo features a more modern font and a simplified crown.
The company is also introducing a new menu item, the “Impossible Whopper,” which is a plant-based burger. The burger is made with a patty from Impossible Foods, a company that makes plant-based meat substitutes. The burger is being tested in select markets and is expected to be rolled out nationwide later this year.
The move to discontinue the “Have It Your Way” slogan is part of Burger King’s effort to modernize its brand and appeal to a younger generation of customers. The company is also introducing a new mobile app that will allow customers to order and pay for their food ahead of time.
Burger King’s “Have It Your Way” slogan has been a part of the company’s identity for decades. The slogan was first introduced in 1974 and was used in the company’s advertising campaigns for many years. The slogan was also featured in the company’s logo until recently.
The move to discontinue the “Have It Your Way” slogan is part of Burger King’s effort to modernize its brand and appeal to a younger generation of customers. The company is also introducing a new mobile app that will allow customers to order and pay for their food ahead of time.
While the “Have It Your Way” slogan may be gone, Burger King is still committed to giving customers the freedom to customize their orders. The company is introducing a new menu item, the “Impossible Whopper,” which is a plant-based burger. The burger is made with a patty from Impossible Foods, a company that makes plant-based meat substitutes. The burger is being tested in select markets and is expected to be rolled out nationwide later this year.
One of Burger King’s most popular customer perks is becoming extinct this year, according to the chain’s leadership. The King’s CEO Jose Cil said in a recent earnings call that the chain will be phasing out its popular paper coupons, which have served to get customers in the door for decades.
The fast-food chain, which has slipped to third place behind McDonald’s and Wendy’s in terms of sales, will no longer offer printed coupons for deals like Buy One, Get One for $1 and 2 for $6. In fact, the chain is planning to reduce the volume of promotions it runs overall. Burger King has traditionally offered many more value deals than its major competitors, and that may have hurt rather than boosted sales.
RELATED: Sales at This Major Burger Chain Are Slowing Down Dramatically
“For years, we’ve been spreading ourselves too thin across too many messages with mixed results . . . we’ve consistently had the most value constructs in the market, three times as many as our lead competitors, which diluted marketing firepower and added to operational complexity,” Cil said. “It also confused guests.”
Now the chain will turn to value offers delivered via digital interfaces, like the Burger King app, and it will work to leverage its Royal Perks customer loyalty program, which saw success when rolled out nationwide in the third quarter of this year.
In theory, replacing paper coupons with digital promotions makes plenty of sense: there is no way to ensure a printed coupon reaches an end-user likely to take advantage of it—if it even reaches anyone at all before being tossed away. On the other hand, digital promotions can be both tailored for and delivered to specific customers, greatly increasing the chance of them converting to a sale.
The problem with discontinuing paper coupons, though, is that Burger King may risk losing out on around 20% of its potential customer base, namely older Americans. According to PYMNTS.com, customers in the Baby Boomer or older age groups account for 36% of the total U.S. population, and 58% of them do not order food online. While turning to digital deals may help attract a younger customer—something the chain desperately needs—the move may also end up alienating older customers.
The chain’s latest earnings report was another disappointing one for the chain that was announcing a comeback. Burger King’s Q3 earnings show a sales decline of 2.8% compared to the same period in 2019.
For more, check out:
And don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter to get the latest restaurant news delivered straight to your inbox.