Burger King is running an instant-win promotion on more than a million drinks cups, using rip-open labels to win home entertainment systems, and is luring kids with film souvenir cards, stills, trivia and six collectibles based around the latest Hollywood version of The Hulk.
But some marketers don't think any licence is strong enough to get the public to switch from market leader McDonald's. Judy Bartkowiak, managing director of research specialist Kids Brands Europe, recently finished a project examining children's attitudes to fast food brands. She says: "Burger King is wasting its money. It does not have the brand experience McDonald's has. Having a licence and the free gift is just one aspect of the experience."
When she asked groups of children what the McDonald's brand meant to them, it was a long time before they mentioned the free gift. They were more concerned about the environment, the colour, the other children and the parties. Bartkowiak says what Burger King is doing with its licensing promotions is like "a teenage party where you've got the people, the gear, the music and the food but mum and dad are sitting in the corner".
As you'd expect, Burger King marketing director Paul Reynish says this is rubbish. He claims Burger King is not setting out to be the brand of choice for children but is trying to "own the territory of kids who don't want to be kids any more".
The chain is reinforcing this strategy through licensing promotions, with touches such as The Hulk meal deal for "hungry young men", not boys.
It is also using the property to target an older audience by offering prizes such as the home entertainment systems and using the theme of The Hulk in a manager incentive scheme.
Licensing consultant Kelyvn Gardner sees the move as a step in the right direction. "The Hulk is the perfect property for Burger King," he says.
"He's big, beefy and superhuman, so it's a really good association."
Smart move
Gardner also thinks it's a smart move for a brand competing with a much smaller budget against one wielding the power of a licensing deal with movie giant Disney. McDonald's has exclusive rights to all Disney licences, cutting its rivals off from a raft of blockbuster movie properties.
In Gardner's opinion, Burger King has turned this potential disadvantage into an advantage, making use of the freedom to spot the "big" properties - something McDonald's can't do because of its relationship with Disney.
"Cynics might say Burger King should spend its money on its brand, not The Hulk's," says Gardner. "But the more you shout about it, the more you gain from that property if it turns out to be popular."
The downside of such a high-profile property is that there may be so much noise that Burger King's voice is drowned out. But the agency behind the promotion, Draftworldwide, is hoping the strong focus on good merchandise will help, according to its international director Moyra Harvey.
She admits that, in today's market, licences are a prerequisite for fast food marketing but says it's about creating a differential. "It works on different levels with different properties," she says. "Some give you competitive advantage at a certain time, like The Hulk will during the crucial summer holidays."
Reynish agrees and says licensing is "the topspin that brings home the match product".
Creating competitive advantage is crucial in a market plagued by dwindling profits and swamped by healthy eating messages. Fast food chains have to work harder now to get people through their doors. Licensing can do this, but the ante is constantly being upped.
It won't be long, says Gardner, before chains are giving away gifts such as mobile phones. Then, he claims, licensing will come into its own. "If several brands are giving away mobile phones, the only differentiator is the licence," he says. "It will be the licence that makes the sale, not the product."
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