Delivery Is Part of Burger King's Plan to Create More Custom, Personalized Experiences

If you're in the mood for Burger King, you might not have to get in your car and go to the drive-thru anymore. The fast-food giant now offers delivery at locations across the globe, something it's been rolling out this year, and wants people to consider that option when they think of Burger King. "We’re a business that has been around for a long time, so changing behavior requires a lot of effort," Marcelo Pascola, head of brand marketing for Burger King, told Adweek at the inaugural Brandweek event in Palm Springs, Calif., last week. "We have to allow people to start experiencing [our brand], especially the process of ordering and getting our food, a different way." The company offers delivery in some countries and partners with delivery services like Grubhub and Doordash elsewhere "so that people can actually order the food in the easiest possible way," Pascola said. Delivery, for Burger King, is about more than just getting people food how they want it—of course, that's a huge part of it—but about giving consumers more personalized experiences with the brand to meet the growing consumer demand for more unique, custom experiences. "We have to do delivery; it’s something that’s become standard," Pascola said. "But how we do it, the way we communicate it, the reasons our consumers are going to be drawn to delivery—they have to be very Burger King." That means, for example, coming up with a promotion like Burger King did recently in Spain, where it delivered dog treats along with burgers so consumers with pets could enjoy their delivery without the guilt of puppy dog eyes—and touted that with clever creative. "We are always trying to connect technology with something that is very human," Pascola said. "You’ve probably been through the experience of ordering food, and the tastier the food the crazier your dog gets. ... [The promotion gives you] the opportunity to fully enjoy your meal because your dog will also be fully entertained." Pascola said delivery is "going to grow exponentially, and it might surprise us all." "[QSR] is a business driven by convenience," he said. "In the U.S., such a huge part of the business is basically drive-thru because it is the most convenient option for people. So now that you get the opportunity to have it at home, it’s amazing, but at the same time, some people have very specific habits about how they like to get their food and when they like to get the food. For us, it doesn’t really matter. What matters is that we grow the business and that people have the options that they want to get the food the way they want." Burger King also recently updated its app, adding functionality like mobile pay and mobile ordering. Technology, for Burger King, "ultimately is about having unique, individual relationships with our customers on a massive scale," Pascola said. "We know more and more, people are looking to have an experience with a brand that feels very uniquely tailored to them, as opposed to something that has been produced, cookie-cutter, large production-scale feel," said Pascola, adding, "As this evolves, this will allow people to feel their experience with a brand is very customized. ... To make the experience very unique and personal on a massive scale, this is what I think will be truly transformational."

Brandweek

Delivery Is Part of Burger King's Plan to Create More Custom, Personalized Experiences

'Unique' moments for consumers will 'truly transform' the brand

Kristina Monllos

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Kristina Monllos