A&W Targets Math-Challenged Americans

Posted by & filed under Consumer/Buyer Behavior, Global Marketing, Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC), Marketing Research, Pricing, Product Brands and Branding, Relationship Marketing, Retail Marketing, Services Marketing.

Description: In the 1980s, A&W Restaurants tried to compete with McDonald’s Quarter Pounder by offering a bigger 1/3 pound burger at the same price. Unfortunately, Americans aren’t so great at math. Confused consumers wrongly assumed that 1/4 was bigger than 1/3 (because 4 is bigger than 3) and the whole experiment went down in history as a huge marketing fail.

Source: MediaPost.com – video report

Date: Oct 22, 2021

Link: https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/368049/aw-targets-math-challenged-americans.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=readmore&utm_campaign=124092&hashid=mI87WHEHTLqABop5-niE5Q

Questions for discussion:

  • What do you think about the new approach to communicating size to the consumer?
  • Why do you think the firm is concentrating on size, rather than any other factor?
  • What would you advise the firm do to compete better?