The Clown vs. the King

The Clown vs. The King

A Comparative Analysis Between McDonald’s to Burger King

04 October 2010

Introduction

“Two whole beef patties and having it your way” These are parts of the advertising jungle of two of the largest fast food giants in the world, McDonald’s and Burger King Inc. These two organizations have become so intertwined into the fabric of our society that their very existence has plaid a critical part of popular culture. These two companies are not the only ones who provide fast food but there are rated as the top two. As primary competitors with each other many of their advertising dollars are focused with outdoing each other. Can you imagine a world without McDonald’s and Burger King? The daily operational tempo of the average American has increases to such an extent that we have relied heavily on companies to provide a fast inexpensive service to match our hectic life style.

Background

McDonald’s is one of the leading restaurant chains in the world, touching the lives of people every day. The long journey of the burger brand started in 1940, when two brothers, Dick and Mac McDonald opened the first McDonald’s restaurant in San Bernardino, California. Initially, they owned a hotdog stand, but after establishing the restaurant they served around 25 items, which were mostly barbequed. It became a popular and profitable teen hangout. In 1948, the brothers closed and reopened the restaurant to sell only hamburgers, milkshakes and French fries (Smith, 2006).

Burger King, often abbreviated as BK, is a global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The company began as a Jacksonville, Florida-based restaurant chain in 1953. Originally called Insta-Burger King, it was owned and operated by Kieth J. Kramer and his wife's uncle, Matthew Burns. After the company ran into financial difficulties in 1955, its two Miami-based franchisees, David Edgerton and James...