Hot Dog King?

Burger King has recently introduced grilled hot dogs.  I wonder if the executive team checked the name of the company before rolling out the new products.  It's Burger King.  Burgers.  Get it?  Yes, they've introduced other grilled beef products before, but they've at least been in the same family as grilled beef.  Okay, they have chicken, too, but all fast foods seem to have chicken now.  But hot dogs?  Maybe a food too far. 

I understand why there is a yearning for new products for a fast food company like Burger King.  Product news is the lifeblood of marketing.  But the news, ideally, should fit into the brand's position.  The siren song of incremental sales often drowns out the need to stay focused. 

McDonald's has been struggling with "menu creep" for years ... with more and more added products complicating the menu, store operations, speed of service and, ultimately, the customer's understanding of what McDonald's stands for. 

Taco Bell has been a pretty good example of a chain that has been able to introduce new products while staying mostly true to its position.  That's because Mexican style food lends itself to re-combinations of ingredients that result in something that still looks Mexican.

Early reports indicate that BK's hot dogs are driving sales.  Let's see where it drives the brand in the long term.