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How Taking on Your Competitors Can Translate Into Good PR
How Taking on Your Competitors Can Translate Into Good PR
Taking on the King of Coffee… Coincidently
Picking a fight with a weaker opponent can be an easy decision. But what about taking on the heavyweight champion? That’s exactly what Dunkin’ Donuts did in February when it offered 99-cent small lattes, cappuccinos, and espresso drinks on February 26th. That just happened to be the day that Starbucks was closing all its stores for three hours of employee training.
In its press release, Dunkin’ Donuts never mentions Starbucks and later insisted the promotion was in response to a great showing in a customer satisfaction survey and the timing was a coincidence. In what could be just another coincidence, the press release included a well-worded quote that seemed to capture much of the criticism leveled at Starbucks:
“Long before we launched the espresso revolution in 2003 and made it possible for customers to enjoy authentic lattes without long waits, high prices and confusing sizes, the hard-working people who keep this country running recognized Dunkin' Donuts as the place to enjoy high-quality coffee and baked goods any time of day at an affordable price"
The story received a ton of media coverage. Would Dunkin’ Donuts have received that kind of attention had they not done the promotion on the day Starbucks was closed? No way.
Score one for “coincidence.”
A Whopper of a Campaign
Here’s a blast from the past, three simple words that boosted a big chain: “Broiling Beats Frying.”
In the early 1980’s, Burger King started the campaign to position its burger-broiling method as superior to the fry-grills of McDonald’s and Wendy’s. The slogan became part of the language of the era and probably still resonates with the 40-plus crowd. Same-store sales at the time jumped 15% in a year.
Burger Wars: Chicago Style
Patty Burger is a diner-style restaurant in Chicago featuring burgers, fries and shakes and a QMG client. Owner Gregg Majewski isn’t afraid of taking on his competition, even when it’s a little company called McDonald’s. His philosophy is simple: he’s offering a better product and isn’t afraid to say so. We created a “trade in your burger” event to be held on National Hamburger Day. Gregg made no bones about having a better burger than the guys with the golden arches. The event was a success, with hundreds of people trading in burgers during the four-hour event. The story was covered in print, blogs, TV, and radio. In these audio clips, Gregg is interviewed for a business segment on Chicago’s WBBM radio. The hosts waste little time bringing up McDonald’s and Gregg doesn’t shy away from answering.
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