"Building and Managing Strong Brands" Content Updates (Rajeev Batra)

Chapter 15 — Managing Brands Over Time — says unequivocally that brands, to stay strong over time, have to not only refresh and update their visual identity (etc.) but to also continously improve their ‘real’ product/service quality. Burger King’s 2026 example is a good one; below are extracts from an August 6, 2026 report on CNBC.COM (https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/06/restaurant-brands-international-q2-2026-earnings.html) and a WSJ article on 7 August 2026 (https://www.wsj.com/business/hospitality/burger-kings-new-whopper-strikes-a-blow-in-fast-food-burger-wars-3e4a47b5).

Restaurant Brands International on Thursday 6Aug2026 reported quarterly earnings that topped analysts’ expectations, fueled by strong growth for the once-struggling Burger King, both domestically and abroad. “Burger King’s performance is a great example of what’s possible when you invest in the fundamentals and execute well – an approach we’re applying across all of our brands,” Restaurant Brands CEO Josh Kobza said in a statement. Restaurant Brands reported second-quarter net income attributable to shareholders of $507 million, or $1.45 per share, up from $189 million, or 57 cents per share, a year earlier. Net revenue rose 4.5% to $2.52 billion.

Burger King, owned by Restaurant Brands International, earlier this year improved the bun, box, mayo and other elements of its Whopper. The company in July said it would start guaranteeing the quality of its Whoppers, committing to remake orders on the spot if customers deem them unsatisfactory, and providing a future Whopper for free. Burger King executives said Thursday that work to revamp its signature burger earlier this year helped deliver an 8.5% increase in domestic U.S. same-store sales for the three months ended June 30. “A lot of people are saying they’re coming back for the first time in a long time,” said Tom Curtis, president of the chain’s U.S. and Canada business, in an interview. Restaurant renovations, sharper marketing, and a focus on core menu items like the Whopper have helped Burger King steal market share.

(This image below is taken from the WSJ article cited above.)

“A lot of people are saying they’re coming back for the first time in a long time,” said Tom Curtis, president of the chain’s U.S. and Canada business, in an interview. Curtis said that the Whopper upgrades were working, and the chain now needs to focus on hospitality. The U.S. Burger King chief said he was still taking direct calls from customers on his phone several days a week, and friendly service comes up as one of the top issues.

Rival McDonald’s reported U.S. same-store sales growth of just 0.8% in its second quarter, for comparison. Executives said that they were disappointed by the performance, and McDonald’s tapped a new U.S. president to help accelerate its sales. McDonald’s is working to upgrade its own menu, step up customer service and develop new store prototypes. The chain is testing new hand-breaded chicken offerings and a line of brightly-colored beverages, including new drinks that include Red Bull. “We’ve got to elevate the taste and quality of the food,” said McDonald’s Chief Executive Chris Kempczinski on an investor call this week. “We’re going to elevate the experience that we’re offering our customers.”

Burger chains have been working to elevate their signature sandwiches, with both McDonald’s and Burger King staging overhauls in recent years. McDonald’s in 2023 debuted a renovation of its Big Mac and other core burgers in the U.S., promising hotter and juicier sandwiches.

Still, executives said that there is more room for improvement for Burger King. Not all of its U.S. restaurants have been remodeled yet, and the chain has further plans to improve its menu after upgrading the Whopper earlier this year.

Burger King is also seeing strong results outside of the U.S. Restaurant Brands said international Burger King restaurants saw same-store sales growth of 5.4% during the quarter.