Burger King Vies for a Comeback

Wendy’s overtook Burger King last year as the second place burger chain in the United States, but Burger King is ready to take the title back, according to an article in Advertising Age.

Wendy’s held 12.3 percent of the nation’s share when they eclipsed Burger King at 12.2 percent, and Burger King is making moves to narrow the gap. 

Burger King had an impressive first quarter, adding 4.2 percent same-store sales and 9 percent in April alone. Wendy’s increased same-store sales by less than 1 percent this quarter. 

Some experts don’t believe these numbers are indicative of anything concrete. According to industry observers, Burger King had a bad quarter last year, making these increases less significant. 

Another reason for the sales increase was most likely Burger King’s couponing push and Wendy’s’ W Burger flop.

"We're less interested in who is number two or number three. We're more interested in being the best in quality," said Wendy’s spokesman Denny Lynch.

Burger King spent a lot of money on big-name celebrities appearing in their ads, such as Jay Leno, David Beckham, and Mary J. Blige. The ads quickly ran into legal troubles musically, causing the Blige ad to be pulled indefinitely. 

"The common thread is they're both trying to go back to their roots,” said Sara Senatore, senior analyst at Bernstein Research. “And they both went too far away from talking about the quality of their food."

Burger King has also been in the news lately for stepping up its competition abroad. Check out Burger King's truffle burger launch in Hong Kong here. 

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