Burger King: An International Success

Burger King: An International Success
When one thinks of the flame-broiled burgers that Burger King specializes in, one thinks of an All-American treat that can only be appreciated as an American specialty. However, this has not stopped entities such as Burger King from taking their American classics global. Burger King, like many other companies, has taken on the challenges of global expansion. There are many challenges that can manifest once a company decides to go global, but also there are many things to be learned that can improve the entity. Learning to cater to varying cultural requests while implementing a successful strategy can be just one of the many bridges that a company will have to cross to eventually become a success globally. Staying true to the brand while tweaking it for global success is a hard thing to do and will usually come with much trial and error. In this discussion, we will address how Burger King has managed its global successes and failures. We will also discuss Burger King’s strategizes and the advantages and disadvantages that an international company, specifically Burger King, face in the global market.
Burger King’s Strategies Burger King has chosen to take a strategic and systematic approach to expansion which has proven to be more logical and successful when deciding what international markets to expand in. Rather than just going off a businessman’s hitch, Burger King has chosen to expand based on reasoning. These criteria include expanding in international markets that have a high consumption of beef, environments that are favorable for business, and places that have a high concentration of young, large populations (Daniels, Radebaugh & Sullivan, 2011, p. 467). Burger King has also decided to expand globally later rather than sooner in comparison to its competition such as McDonald’s. This may seem like a total disadvantage initially, but there are advantages also as it pertains to late expansion. One disadvantage is the limited access to suppliers in smaller markets. If the existing market’s resources are already in use by an existing company, then there is no room for Burger King to make its claim in that particular market (Daniels, Radebaugh & Sullivan, 2011, p. 467). On the other hand, Burger King has the advantage of knowing in advance what markets could potentially be successful based on the success of the existing competition in a particular area (Daniels, Radebaugh & Sullivan, 2011, p. 467). Burger King mainly concentrates its international business in Latin American countries, but also offer franchise opportunities in counties such as Germany and also on the continent or Africa. This might be attributed to the fact that its main competitor also has success in these regions (bk.com, Franchising, para. 3). When competing with local companies, Burger King has to cater to the local tastes to stay relevant and remain a factor in the market. The local norm might vary greatly when it comes to taste from region to region, so Burger King has to be mindful to accommodate the locals. In Spain, for example, there is a burger that has the flavors of Spanish curry and other local spices in the sauce for the fall season (burgerking.es, Promociones, para. 2). This new burger is a premier item on the Spanish Burger King website and is a big promotional item.
Burger King’s Market and Revenue Burger King should stay focused on its North American revenue and market simply because it is the largest. Concentration too much on making other markets its