Today it’s National Hamburger Day in the US, which means it’s a good time to go out for a burger! The US is well-known for their burgers, and Americans alone consume over 50 billion burgers a year. You’ll find that many burger joints have special deals on this day. That also includes the two largest burger chains in the world: McDonald’s at #1 and Burger King at #2. We’ll be comparing the two by their brand differences, similarities and more. But first, some fast facts.
McDonald’s fast facts
- Name: McDonald’s Corporation
- Type: Public
- Origin: San Bernardino, California
- Founding date: 15 May, 1940
- Headquarters: Chicago, Illinois, US
- Number of locations: 39,198
- Key people: Enrique Hernandez Jr. (Chairman) and Chris Kempczinski (President and CEO)
- Key stakeholders: Customers, employees, suppliers, communities, franchisees and shareholders
- Revenue: $19.2 billion USD in 2020
- Logo designers: Jim Schindler
- Areas served: Worldwide
Burger King fast facts
- Name: Burger King
- Type: Subsidiary
- Predecessor: Insta-Burger King
- Parent company: Restaurant Brands International
- Origin: Miami, Florida
- Founding year: 1954
- Headquarters: Miami-Dade County, Florida, US
- Number of locations: 18,838
- Key people: Alexandre Behring (Chairman RBI), Daniel S. Schwartz (CEO), José E. Cil (President) and Joshua Kobza (CFO)
- Key stakeholders: Customers, employees, suppliers, communities and investors
- Revenue: $4.97 billion USD in 2020 (parent)
- Brand design company: Jones Knowles Ritchie (rebrand)
- Areas served: Worldwide
Brand differences
A study shows that McDonald’s is the most valuable fast food brand in 2019, with a brand value of $130.4 billion. McDonald’s brand is so strong because they did their branding right all the way through. The company successfully appealed to its target audience. The restaurant’s atmosphere and menu items like the Happy Meal made it clear that it was catered to children. Over the years, the menu and target audience have only widened and can now appeal to all people, while children remain the basic foundation.
In contrast, Burger King ranks 7th with a brand value of $7.1 billion. Their brand is significantly weaker, which could be due to multiple factors. One example is that, for eight years straight, they aggressively targeted males between 18 and 34 years old. The male-oriented menus were forced to be switched by new menu items<
Furthermore, some consumers have experienced better consistency in quality between different McDonald’s locations—a consistency that Burger King sometimes lacks, which does not reflect the message they’re trying to convey. Their mission is to achieve the highest standards for food quality, sustainability, and restaurant experiences.
Lastly, with both brands being over 60 years old, it is no surprise that they have gone through changes. Both have created new visual identities in the past two years. Such changes are necessary to keep up with competitors and evolving consumer standards. Both brands now opt for minimalistic and flat illustrations, fitting today's "modern" aesthetics. Coincidentally, after rebranding, both restaurants’ new concepts focus on making modern consumers feel good—both in general and about the brand.
Controversies
Every organization is bound to face criticism—some more than others—but you just can’t please everyone. When issues escalate, they can significantly affect a brand.
Both restaurants have encountered controversies and legal cases. For instance, last year McDonald’s had to apologize for a display in one of its Chinese locations stating that “black people are not allowed to enter.” And this year, on International Women’s Day, Burger King UK’s Twitter stated “Women belong in the kitchen.”
After receiving criticism, it is up to the company how they respond. Often, the damage is already done, but sometimes the impact can be softened. Additionally, they may slowly make up for it through positive actions, such as charitable contributions.
Conclusion
From a brand value perspective, McDonald’s is a clear winner. However, personal preferences come into play since both brands have their unique differences and have built strong relationships with certain consumers. While both brands are very established, the question remains whether the new visual identities will work out for them. Can they become as iconic as the old ones? Only time can tell.
If you want to get a burger today, Burger King is said to offer the best burgers among a handful of other fast food chains (according to an American survey in 2014).
