Plus: Arby’s Still Exists – And Apparently Advertises
1. Burger Clown.
“Burger King in November released its latest menu item: Big King, made of two beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles and onions on a sesame-seed bun,” Ad Age reports.
“That came months after it unveiled its summer menu, which included a BBQ Rib sandwich – a boneless rib pattie just like the McRib.
“It’s not unusual for BK to emulate McDonald’s menu – the Big King, in fact, was once a limited-time offer in the ’90s, without the middle bun it now has. But BK’s recent products appear to be more strikingly similar to McDonald’s items than ever.”
What really persuaded analysts that a dirty game of corporate copycat was going on, though, was when Burger King introduced its new mascot.
2. Bongo Room Rules.
Belated props for this social media maneuver.
3. Arby’s Still Exists – And Apparently Advertises.
4. No-Go Cups.
“KFC has a new item called the Go Cup, a container that houses chicken and fries and fits in your car’s cupholder,” the Kicking Tires blog reports.
“Or at least it ‘will fit into 83 percent of cupholders out there,'” according to USA Today.
“Challenge accepted. I put on my lab coat and went to work.”
Click through for the resulting photos.
5. Jon Stewart Hates Them.
“If you love Chicago style food, then you have to check out Chicago Hamburger Company in Phoenix,” ABC15 reports.
“Customers we spoke with are actually from Chicago and they say it’s the only place in town that got it right. They say the food is delicious, and the atmosphere even reminds them of home.”
What’s a Chicago-style hamburger? Apparently it’s an ersatz White Castle.
6. “Crazy” Burger Trends Dying Down.
But when it comes to toppings, anything goes!
7. Chicken Little.
“Tyson Foods is the largest U.S. commodity beef and chicken supplier, with slaughterhouses that process an average of 132,000 head of cattle and 41.4 million chickens weekly,” Bloomberg Businessweek reports.
“But the company is seeking fortune beyond the supermarket meat department.
That’s why it’s rushing to sell piping-hot Buffalo chicken bites near the cash register at many of the gas stations and 149,000 convenience stores across the U.S.
“Such locales may not be sexy or even particularly appetizing, but their sales are growing while revenue at traditional food stores is falling.
“The profit margins of prepared foods – even those sold alongside cigarettes and condoms – can be bigger and more stable than those for raw meat.”
Pick up a C-suite – chicken, condoms and cigarettes – today!
8. Pigs Go Viral.
“Hillshire Brands Co said [last month] that cases of a virus deadly to baby piglets were growing and the company was increasing meat prices to combat rising commodity costs tied to the disease,” Reuters reports.
“The Chicago-based maker of Jimmy Dean sausages and Ball Park hot dogs was one of the first companies to state publicly that the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus, or PEDv, was hurting its bottom line – and it will not be the last, analysts said.”
Separately, Hillshire announced it would start selling piglets in blankets at area convenience stores.
9. Kraft Removing Yellow Dye From Some Mac And Cheese.
Will rename product Mac And Cheeseishness.
10. Lay’s Announces Chocolate-Covered Potato Chips To Go On Sale Next Week.
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Comments welcome.
Posted on December 3, 2013