Paul, my fellow brand coroner, posted a list of fast food and casual restaurants that have jumped on the DC (dietary correct) bandwagon. I was especially intrigued with Wendy’s and their low-fat marketing strategy given that low-carb is so today and low-fat is so yesterday.
The “Wendy’s 05 in ‘04” marketing campaign promotes their value offering of a “hot, plain baked potato, delicious small chili, and a fresh side salad with fat-free dressing.” Each costing 99 cents and when combined, these three Super Value Menu offerings have a total of 5 grams of fat. Doesn’t this marketing strategy feel 10 years too late?
Or have Wendy’s marketers decided to zig with low-fat messaging since every other food establishment has decided to zag by going the low-carb route?
If that wasn’t interesting enough, there is more. The following “05 in ‘04” print ad is currently running on the back page of Cooking Light magazine.
Wouldn’t you love to be the Wendy’s marketing manager with a bloated advertising budget that they can easily plop down $90K for a back cover page ad in a magazine that seems to be so off target? The Wendy’s potato/chili/salad ad seems so out of place in Cooking Light, a healthy gourmet lifestyle magazine. Sure, the media planner is trying to hit a reach/frequency number with the Cooking Light placement. But wouldn’t People magazine or Entertainment Weekly be a better lifestyle fit for the potato/chili/salad ad?
Or is it a case of the Wendy’s marketing manager having too high a BMI. Not body mass index -- bloated media index.
Love this one!!!
Posted by: Marty Moore Brown | February 03, 2004 at 10:49 PM
I need to add, this is my first view of BrandAutopsy's poignant view, and it's right on target. I look forward to reading more.
Posted by: Marty Moore Brown | February 03, 2004 at 10:51 PM