Abstract

This case is about US-based fast food giant Burger King Corporation’s (Burger King) ‘Subservient Chicken’ campaign that was launched to promote its TenderCrisp chicken sandwiches, in April 2004. The campaign was launched with the aim of arresting the company’s decline in sales and regaining the market share that it had lost to competitors such as McDonald’s Corporation and Wendy’s International Inc. The main part of the campaign was the viral marketing component. It was backed by other promotional elements such as TV advertisements, print, online ads, and one time pay-per view program. The campaign generated a lot of buzz among the target consumers consisting of a young net savvy population and quickly spread through word-of-mouth marketing. It was considered by experts as an iconic viral marketing campaign that helped Burger King revive its brand image and resulted in an increase in the sales of its burgers. But some critics opined that though it was a very good viral marketing campaign, it did not link back to the Burger King brand and so failed to drive business for Burger King.

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• Understand the issues and challenges in launching a viral marketing campaign. Analyze the ‘Subservient Chicken’ marketing campaign. In the context of the case study, discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using a viral marketing campaign. Understand

Keywords

Advertising, Promotion, Marketing communication, Viral marketing, Word-of-mouth marketing, Brand awareness, Innovation, Branding, Brand image, Fast food industry, Quick-Service Restaurants, Subservient Chicken Campaign, Burger King, McDonald's, Wendy's