International fast food chain Burger King, renowned for its targeting of predominantly young, male consumers over the past decade with large portions of burgers and French fries, has signalled a major shift in its commercial approach with the biggest revamp of its menu for almost six decades.
No doubt concerned over the ground it has lost to competitors like McDonald's – in the US last month it emerged that the chain had slipped into third place in terms of sales behind Wendy's – Burger King is fighting back by offering its customers a wider range of fresh and healthy foods.
According to a company press release, starting in North America, Burger King plans to introduce freshly prepared salads and fruit smoothies, all made to order, in effect moving away from the fire-branded, flame-grilled marketing strategy which has evidently dented its previously broad demographic appeal.
'We spent the last year analyzing every aspect of our business to better understand what our guests expect from the Burger King dining experience,' commented Steve Wiborg, president of Burger King in North America. 'We found that consumers wanted a broader range of menu options to complement our signature fire-grilled burgers. This expanded menu gives consumers more choices and more reasons to visit Burger King restaurants.'
The new menu items include a new Garden Fresh Salads range, which includes Caesar salad, BLT, and apple and cranberry options made fresh and to order.
These salads will reportedly include 'premium ingredients' and will be topped with a choice of Burger King's trademarked Tendercrisp or Tendergrill chicken.
Alongside other new items such as snack wraps, chicken strips and frappés, the other notable addition to the menu for the fresh produce trade are smoothies made with real fruit, fruit juice and low-fat yoghurt.
The introduction of two smoothie flavours, tropical mango and strawberry and banana, have been announced so far.
'Over the past year, we developed and tested more than two dozen menu items,' Wiborg continued. 'After extensive consumer testing in both our test kitchens and at restaurants around the country, our consumers chose these as their favorites. From there we worked hard to make sure these new items are truly the best of what our brand has to offer.'
Burger King is promoting the introduction of its new menu items with advertisements involving a number of of major celebrities said to represent 'the many faces of the American melting pot'.
The campaign's stars include David Beckham, Mary J Blige, Salma Hayek (pictured left), Jay Leno, Steven Tyler and Sofia Vergara, all of whom feature in a variety of fun, lighthearted scenes to showcase the new products.
'This is an exciting time for Burger King and that's why we're getting the word out in a big way,' said Alex Macedo, Burger King's senior vice-president for marketing in North America. 'Our star-studded ads will generate awareness and buzz for the brand and highlight our new food in unique and refreshing ways.'
David Beckham, who can be seen in one of the advertisements ordering a banana and strawberry smoothie, said he was happy that the chain had seen fit to incorporate healthier products into its menu.
'With their latest initiatives, Burger King is showing commitment to areas that I'm passionate about, such as supporting charities, helping children and improving the healthier eating options,' Beckham commented. 'I am happy to help the brand launch its first smoothie platform, which is a great addition to any diet.'
