Last week, people discovered wallets all over cities like Chicago and Orlando. These weren’t typical wallets that people lose and others often find. These wallets were purposely left around cities for people to find and keep.
What’s going on here? Well, this was a creative PR tactic that Burger King put into action. The fast food chain dropped wallets in busy places and told people to keep them. When people opened the wallets, they were pleasantly surprised to find money, Burger King gift cards and other random Burger King items.
I’m not a big fan of fast food, but this is a great PR tactic. By doing something different, people will talk about Burger King. This generates buzz for the company. I’ve found multiple blogs written by people who’ve heard about this tactic or found a wallet themselves. This also shows that Burger King is generous because they give away free things.
Isaacs PR Blog discusses three reasons why this PR tactic worked for Burger King. The first reason is because the tactic was unexpected. People drop wallets all the time, but they don’t usually do it on purpose. You also don’t hear much about companies dropping free items around town, especially without making an announcement. The second reason why this tactic worked was because the timing was perfect. Because of the poor economy, people could use a little help. A $5 Burger King gift card and a few bucks could really benefit someone. Finally, this tactic grabbed the audience’s attention faster than any other tactic. People are more likely to notice this tactic than the usual commercial or billboard.
If I found a wallet, my first instinct would be to return it to the owner. So, if somebody told me to keep it, I’d be pretty excited. I wish I could have found one of these wallets and been a part of Burger King’s PR tactic!
More information:
[…] HERE for more on their stories. A couple of PR and marketing bloggers are weighing in as well, praising the promotion and calling it “unexpected and well-timed” given the current state of the […]
Thanks so much for the “PR”! 🙂
My good deeds are coming back to me tenfold!
Public relations is an exciting field because of the creativity it takes to make the right impact. I hope to return to this awesome blog once my free time permits me. It shouldn’t be hard to remember because you are getting added to the blog roll immediately!
Zack,
Thank you for the comment and adding me to your blog roll! I’ve enjoyed reading your blog, and I’ve added you to my blog roll as well.
The PR tactic Burger King used shows the wide range of ways a company can reach people.