In the endless cycle of inventing new fast food items to entice customers, brands are always trying to come up with something to make people hungry.
For some, that means piling a burger with so many ingredients that fitting it into one's mouth would pose a real challenge for the average human.
This has been Restaurant Brand International's (QSR) approach with Burger King's King Yeti, which consisted of a solid pound of meat across four patties and dripped with so much Gouda cheese that the sandwich looked as if it was oozing snow.
Others prefer to keep the focus on value. Wendy's (WEN) keeps its offerings fairly simple, but its recent $5 Biggie Bag comeback will likely draw customers looking for cheap lunches. It's a loss leader, sure, but one that many fast food restaurants go back to again and again.
This time around, it seems that Burger King has decided to aim somewhere in the middle, adding a dash of social media-inspired wordage to the mix for its latest limited edition burger. But before you rush to social media to post a picture of your lunch, you're going to have to eat the hashtag.
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What is Burger King's Newest Sandwich?
A juicy burger is one of those things that's enjoyed in many places across the world, and Thailand is no exception.
Burger King Thailand's newest limited edition sandwich takes it a step further, however, by adding a crispy new layer to said burger: One made of waffle fries.
Burger King Thailand
Fries cut like waffles bring Chick-fil-A to mind since they were that chains single most popular menu item last year. But it looks like Burger King's ready to give them a try too.
They're called "hashtag fries" for this promotion, which is a little bit of a stretch, but it's doubtful anyone will complain while wolfing them down.
The burger can also be customized to add more meat, cheese, and bacon if you so desire, making it an even crazier calorie bomb than it already is.
The as-is version, however, will sell for 119 Baht ($3.54 U.S.) while you can get it as a meal with the Hashtag Fries and a 16 ounce Coke (KO) for 199 Baht ($5.90 U.S.).
A Winning Blend of Personalization and Loyalty
While the Hashtag Burger and matching fries are just another way to catch a customer's eye, what QSR really wants here is to keep building on the strength of its international business, which has doubled in size since 2012.
Josh Cil, RBI's Chief Executive Officer, highlighted the importance of the market in the company's Q3 earnings call, describing it as "a bright spot for the BURGER KING brand and a key driver of our long-term growth."
Deepening and personalizing the customer experience is also an area where QSR sees big potential. And with the Hashtag Burger, as well as its push towards ordering in the app, it clearly hopes to appeal to a social media-savvy audience.
"Digital remains a big opportunity for the BK System," Cil also said. "We've already started to put in place the -- obviously, the app has been in place for a while, Royal Perks on loyalty, the ability to personalized offers and drive behavior with our CRM and outdoor digital menu boards making the experience in the drive-thru much more digital and much more personalized."
