Abstract

The caselet deals with the dilemma faced by Wendy’s, an international fast-food chain, on continuing to project Dave Thomas, the founder of the chain, as its brand icon. After the demise of the founder, there were varied opinions expressed on the ways in which Wendy’s could continue to associate with the personality attributes of Dave Thomas. The caselet also assesses how Dave Thomas has influenced the brand attributes of Wendy’s.

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• How consumers associate a brand with its founder
• The extent to which an organization can use the image of founder as a brand icon after the demise of the founder
• and How the personality of an individual make its way to the brand personality of the organizatio

Keywords

Wendy's International Inc., Dave Thomas, Burger King, McDonald's, Orville Redenbacher, Perdue Chicken, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Fallon Brand Consulting, Landor Associates and Brand Icon