Essay 1B- Competition of McDonalds vs. Burger King

(http://www.wix.com/mcvsbk/mcvsbk)

Question: Define what market competition is and how it pertains to any one or all of these rivalries. How are these rivalries reflected through the effective use of both traditional offline and emerging online marketing and media?  McDonalds Vs. Burger King 

Part I

Summary: In researching McDonalds and Burger King I discovered how different both companies were at the same time how similar they are. When deciding on which one to go to it is not only about taste but also how they advertised to you and what product stuck out the most.

Reason: I believe the reason for this question was to show how advertisement really affects everyday life. This is a huge part of marketing and getting a company’s name out. If one is not effective with advertisement their company may not last very long in the market with other rivals.

Purpose: I believe the purpose for this question was to make students think about how competition works with advertisement and how it affects top brands that are used daily. America runs off of these products/companies we as customers should be able to understand how they compete with their rivals and how advertisement plays in.

Direction: The direction this question has left me in is wanting to know if Burger King will every try to improve their menu and truly compete with McDonalds. After looking at both companies websites I noticed that McDonalds really was the universal company trying to appeal to everyone. It will be interesting if in the future Burger King makes a huge come back.

Impressions:  The biggest impression is when I found the statistics about the calories and nutrition aspect of the Whopper vs. the Big Mac. I always thought they both were comparably close in carbs and fats. I was surprised to see the Whopper was 130 calories more than the Big Mac.

Part II

(http://www.sodahead.com/living/ronald-mcdonald-or-the-king/question-708597/)

Answer: Market competition is vital for a company to progress and keep improving its product. Without competition there is no need for improvement because you are the only one to sell that certain product. Along with competition comes advertising, this as well is vital for the survival of your company against competitors. Market competition is defined as follows, “Competition in economics is a term that encompasses the notion of individuals and firms striving for a greater share of a market to sell or buy goods and services” (https://www.google.com/#hl=en&q=market+competition&tbs=dfn:1&tbo=u&sa=X&ei=jhi_ToyLDtS30QHL04yeAw&sqi=2&ved=0CBoQkQ4&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&fp=609d4f749ce15644&biw=1366&bih=638).

One of the biggest company rivalries is between McDonalds and Burger King. When you see one building you will always see the other down the road. With McDonalds in the lead of Burger King the company still has to watch its back. Burger King is slowly trying to change a few things to make its way past McDonalds. Advertising is a great way to get a new product out there and to show your customers why you are better. One way to advertise is through television or the internet. However, Burger King did not do great advertisement when they showed the King stealing McDonald’s breakfast egg sandwich recipe. At the end of the commercial it states “It’s not that original but its super affordable” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZF86Rb-uFNE&feature=player_embedded).  Some state that this commercial does not help them look better than McDonalds because “Burger King is advertising themselves as thieves stealing McDonalds recipe, Burger King admits that McDonalds has better ideas, and Burger King’s strategy is to price cut vs. innovate” (http://businessmodelinstitute.com/burger-king-concedes-to-mcdonald%E2%80%99s-business-model/). When logging onto their websites Burger Kings is all about making it your way (http://www.bk.com/en/us/index.html?sp=1) while McDonalds shows you their newest product (http://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en/home.html). From there both websites are similar, they both contain their products and nutrition along with their history. Also, on Facebook McDonalds has 11,594,400 likes while Burger King only has 1,832,242 (http://www.facebook.com/McDonalds and http://www.facebook.com/burgerking). Along with this only 47,683 talk about Burger King while 130,946 talk about McDonalds on facebook. This shows how just online how different both companies are. Who is their biggest customer to advertise to? Children. This is because the kids will beg their parents to take them so they can get the toy. Their advertisement for children is very costly and so are their partnerships with companies, like Disney, to produce these products. When a child watches television they are bound to see at least one commercial for these companies. This is done on purpose. These companies know that if they put a commercial on that appeal to the younger generation they will get more customers.

The second way to advertise is through traditional build boards or visual advertisement. Burger King does make them self look better when they advertise that they flame broil their burgers. They are trying to appeal to the customers that want a less “greasy” burger. McDonalds also uses its diverse menu in their newest commercial to appeal to more customers. They now sell apple dippers, fruit and yogurt and fruit and walnut salad, along with side salads. While Burger King only sells side salads.  Also, along with the “healthy” aspect of fast food the Big Mac is better than the Whopper “the Big Mac weighing in at 540 calories, 29 grams of fat, and 45 grams of carbs, is the better alternative to the Whopper, which boasts 670 calories, 39 grams of fat, and 51 grams of carbs. And that is without cheese on it.” (http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/04/09/mcdonalds-vs-burger-king-battle-of-the-brands/) . With these statistics comes your health and which one appeals to your taste buds better.

Both companies are racing head to head in this market. McDonalds may be in the lead but Burger King is still making some hefty profit. Advertisement is the best way to get your name out there and for customers to see your products. Rivalry will always occur in any market. However, one company will always do better than the other.

Essay 3A- Branding

Essay Question: Define what branding is and its importance to these products. How have these companies’ brands been solidified or fortified through the effective use of both traditional offline and emerging online marketing and media?

Add: http://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2009/09/the-evolution-of-apple-ads/

Part One  

SUMMARY: In attempting to answer my topic question I realized how well brands can be. I knew that all companies use it and have to be effective at it to make profit but I never realized how well Apple marketed. After reading over a few sites I realized they never really put info in their ads about their product. They mostly show how your life will change with the product and what you can do with it. This shows how much people will rely on a product just because it has an apple on the front. This amazes me that brands hook so many people in when they do not even realize what the product fully does.

REASON: The reason I believe this question was asked was to open the eyes of how some companies advertise their brand symbol and how important marketing is for a company to stay afloat. This pertains to the course because this is a marketing class and if one was to go into this field of business this is what they would be working with. As well as whom they would be competing against.

Purpose: I believe that the purpose of this topic question was to make students research top competing companies and understand how their brand symbol can stand out against others just because it stands for a company. Also, to make us realize that companies are constantly putting their symbol anywhere so we are constantly thinking about their product.

DIRECTION: The direction this essay question has left me is to want to learn more about the top competitors and how their brands stick out against each other. How can Dell compete with Apple when Apple is taking over the market and not only taking over computers but also mp3 players, phones, and other products. I would like to know also why people rather see ads about the product changing their lives rather than the specs about the product.

IMPRESSIONS: What impressed me the most about this research question would be that Apple has customers wrapped around their fingers. They know that no matter how often they put out a product someone will buy it. They also know that with this generation growing up that technology is what they live by. As I researched I also realized that Apple is all about changing your life and how you do things and what can help you make the most of your time. Apple definitely makes luxuries products and with the right marketing they will have them flying off the shelves.

Part Two:

ANSWER: Brands surround us every day no matter where we go. A brand is “a name, picture, design, or symbol, or combination of those elements, used by a seller to differentiate its offerings from competitors’” (Principles of Marketing, John F. Tanner Jr and Mary Anne Raymond, Flat World Knowledge, Inc., 122). Some “brands can evoke images of dependability " Maytag", safety "Subaru", luxury " Tiffany" or in Apple's case "cool or hip and technologically superior"” (http://seekingalpha.com/article/74064-apple-s-branding-strategy-delivers-superior-results). These are the selling points companies want you to see and think that you need them. Branding is “A set of activities designed to create a brand and position it in the minds of consumers” (Principles of Marketing, John F. Tanner Jr and Mary Anne Raymond, Flat World Knowledge, Inc., 122). Apple does a great job putting their brand out there no matter where you go Apple will always be somewhere. They have done such a great job advertising that you will see their brand on bulletin board to TV commercials. They even “created a segment (MP3 players) using a very cool, image based television campaign featuring big name music stars to appeal to the image crazed teenager crowd” (http://seekingalpha.com/article/74064-apple-s-branding-strategy-delivers-superior-results). Apple has realized that the younger generations are mostly the customers they need to appeal too. That generation revolves around technology and will stand in lines for hours just to get the newest iPad. Therefore, “Apple has a branding strategy that focuses on the emotions. The Apple brand personality is about lifestyle; imagination; liberty regained; innovation; passion; hopes, dreams and aspirations; and power-to-the-people through technology” (http://www.marketingminds.com.au/branding/apple_branding_strategy.html). Apple has come up with the smartest way to market their products. In 2002 “The current CEO, Steve Jobs, spent $100 million marketing the iMac, which was a run-away hit”

(http://www.wired.com/gadgets/mac/commentary/cultofmac/2002/12/56677). Apple has learned not to “focus on the product features, like memory, or speed, or slimness. Instead they portrayed someone relaxing on their sofa using the product. The ads didn't tell us what the product was. They told us how we would use it, accessing news and entertainment whenever and wherever we want” (http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2011/07/the-secret-to-apples-marketing-genius-hint-its-not-marketing/241724/). This left many people wanting something that would make their life better and easier. Apple does and will continue to have the upper hand in the technology market as long as they keep producing upgrades of their products. Their customers will keep coming back for more as long as the technology stays up to date and Apple can keep them hooked.