dispatches from the new world of work

Who Does Own Your Brand?

There's an article in today's business section of the New York Times describing Heavy.com, titled "A Web Site So Hip It Gets Laddies to Watch the Ads." Half of the appeal is that the community of users also contribute to the video-heavy content. But what was most interesting was the attitude of marketers at Burger King who have let these same users create ads (of a sort) for Burger King, without their control.

Gillian Smith, Burger King's senior director for media and interactive marketing, said the program with Heavy was 'a calculated risk.' Ultimately, the company concluded that people who were likely to be offended by this sort of video were not likely to spend much time on Heavy.com and besides, it no longer had the ability to control its brand imagery the way it had in the past. 'Anyone could have purchased a king mask, which we sell online, done exactly the same stuff and put it up on their own blog,' Ms Smith said.

Clearly the wave of the future. Let your customers create the advertising.

Erik Hansen posted this on 03/27/06.

Comments

Hello, with us in Austria gives at present only 2 nearly Food to chains MC Donald and Burger King. Market leader is MC Donald with 70% portion, the prices is also very expensively, twice as high as in the USA. If you want to become full must you per meal on approx. 12-16 euro count that are so 20-25 US Dollar, are not straight cheaply. But but one gets a good operation and good meals on the table and very fast. With us in Austria gibts still Wuerstelstaende and Doenner Buden, who wants to know more writes simply. Sorry for the bad English and kind regards from Austria

Posted by Manuel at March 27, 2006 4:42 PM

Wonder why fast food isn't super healthful and metabolic efficient - now it is - feel good stay lean and eat more: come to Eriks - the new wave in dining.

Chemistry is there to make dining healthful and more profitable - corp world too lazy to figure it out.

Posted by Sean at March 28, 2006 9:03 AM

i was only suggesting that burger king marketers have the right attitude vis a vis their brand and their control (or lack thereof) over it. i'm not suggesting that you eat their burgers.

Posted by Erik Hansen at March 28, 2006 11:34 AM

Obesity epidemic - a few slides via Tom - radically important - greater threat than terrorism?

Posted by Sean at March 28, 2006 1:49 PM

Erik,

With all due respect, there is no "right" attitude. The key to effective marketing and brand development is to develope and produce products and services which improve people's lives, and which they'll happily exchange their time, attention and money for. Apple gets it. BK doesn't. It's still, and will always be, about the product experience!

Posted by Tom Asacker at March 28, 2006 3:17 PM

Erik - This is a great point. The book Brand Hijack digs into this idea. (Too bad people are distracted by fact that it's Burger King. That's not the issue!)

The reality is that you don't brand your customers, they brand you. They get to decide how to think about you. Brand Hijack talks about how Mattel resisted this when people created Trailer Trash Barbie, and blew a great opportunity for their brand. (It was a very convincing argument!) Burger King is not making that mistake.

Posted by Steve Yastrow at March 29, 2006 2:21 AM