Position Paper Final: Burger Planet

PR GURUS
Position Paper

As a result of extensive research, it is our belief that women between the ages of 30-50 are not attracted to the unhealthy food choices at Burger Planet. According to an article on www.confectionerynews.com, the market for low-fat foods has been increasing over the last few years. It also states that in the US, 65 percent of the adult population is classified as overweight and 30 percent are obese. With the rising trend of obesity in America, people, especially women, are becoming more health-conscious in their food choices. For this reason, we are proposing to enhance the image of Burger Planet by introducing healthier food choices into the menu, bring in a health professional to give our healthy menu credibility and promote a healthier lifestyle, and do this without taking anything away from Burger Planet’s classic menu items.

As part of our research, we conducted several focus groups to find out why or why not middle-aged women were eating at Burger Planet’s restaurants. Following are some direct quotes from members of the focus groups:

A 45-year-old mother of four said: “Burger Planet is my dirty little secret. My heart races when I think about the Saturn burger, layers of juicy beef topped with delicious onion rings. But I'd never tell my husband I eat there. My husband runs marathons. He used to scold my eating habits. And I'd never take my children there. I think that would almost amount to child abuse. I try to make sure they eat healthy. You know, a cup of milk a day, plenty of veggies." She also said that the one phrase she thinks of when she hears the name Burger Planet is “grease on a bun.”

A 39-year-old waitress who was once employed by Burger Planet said: “I figure you gain 10 pounds every decade and, well, I have recently decided to change that in my own life. I like Burger Planet because it's fast and, hey, I'm a busy working mother without much time. But dining on Burger Planet caused my weight to top the 150-pound mark. And I'm barely 5 foot tall. I just made a decision that before I turn 40, I'm going to lose weight. So, I had to give up some luxuries. Like Burger Planet."

Based on these statements, we have concluded that women enjoy the food at Burger Planet but feel that eating at Burger Planet and maintaining a healthy lifestyle is improbable, if not impossible. As we find from the statement from the 45-year-old, she likes Burger Planet’s food and eats at Burger Planet often, but she is too embarrassed to admit it, much less recommend Burger Planet to other people. We believe this can be remedied by conforming the image of Burger Planet to increasing health-conscious trends.

Our Plan

We propose two main steps to enhance the image of Burger Planet so that women between the ages of 30 and 50 will start or continue to eat at Burger Planet.

First, we propose to add healthy food items to Burger Planet’s menu. These new menu items will include, but are not limited to, white meat chicken breasts, gourmet salads and various fruit choices.

Secondly, according to Burger Planet’s Market Research VP, research has shown that women in their 30s and 40s have been Burger Planet's base customer for the past 20 years. But in the past two years, we've spotted a growing trend. Those women aren't coming to Burger Planet as much. They don't see Burger Planet as a healthy place, but those women trust Opal Whitcomb. Whatever Opal Whitcomb promotes on her show, female consumers make it a bestseller. Opal's viewers all followed her efforts to lose weight with Jayne Petersen. If we hire Jayne Petersen, we get Whitcomb's credibility with our target consumer by association.

By hiring Jayne Peterson, we gain instant credibility with our target audience. Burger Planet will no longer be seen as a “dirty secret” by these women, but as a leading supporter for women wanting to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Conclusion

Burger Planet should no longer be known as “grease on a bun,” but as the leader of a health-conscious food industry. There is a large market for healthy food, and Burger Planet can seize the majority of it by enhancing its image right now while other fast-food chains are dragging their feet.