To millions of customers, Burger King paints a mouthwatering picture.
Add new restaurants opening left, right and centre. Friendly teams. Awesome benefits. Opportunities to fast track your career. An ambition to be an Employer of Choice by 2024. It’s no surprise the company wanted potential employees to feel that way about joining the team too.
However, recruiting in an industry that typically has a transient workforce and a high turnover is never an easy feat. Persuading candidates that Burger King is a place where you can build long-term careers, and not just find short-term jobs, was a big ask. Delivering powerful people messages using an existing consumer brand seemed like biting off more than anyone could chew.
And wrapping it all up in a way that meant the business could become self-sufficient when it came to employer branding felt like… well… it felt like everyone was about to get a Double XXL Whopper sized challenge.
That’s why they turned to Chatter, award winning employer branding agency, to help them make sure their candidates and internal teams all got a taste of the good stuff, too.
Just like their customers do.
Where did they start?
No-one ever orders food without first looking at the menu. And no-one should ever create an employer brand without first digging into what really makes a business tick.
The insight Chatter uncovered was as juicy as it comes. They learned that Burger King’s offer was as simple as it was tasty: You can make whopping great opportunities into your story at Burger King.
Chatter found that they needed to turn up the heat and amplify the fact that Burger King’s business is fast, it’s fun, it’s individual, and it’s dedicated (to development). They discovered that they could articulate the entire EVP via just three no-nonsense people promise pillars: Whopping Support, Whopping Fun, and Whopping Opportunities.
Creating an employer brand that was big enough to solve Burger King’s challenges meant going all out, focusing on individuality, and really pushing some boundaries in the people space.
It was time to get cracking.
What did Chatter do?
During the insight and research process, Chatter came across an incredible quote: “In a world of standardisation, inauthenticity, and unfairness, we are a place where you can be exactly who you are.”
When you combine that sentiment with a need to capture Burger King’s fun culture, its diverse mix of people and customers, and the sense that working and eating at BK is what real life is all about, the idea behind the employer brand suddenly became obvious.
That idea was about amplifying what’s great about Burger King. It was about finding a workplace where you can be you; genuinely you, whoever you are. It was about being part of a team that always has your back. It was about discovering no-nonsense learning and development, and a future you can grab with both hands.
Most importantly, it was about smashing down that world of standardisation, inauthenticity, and unfairness.
And, just like that, the unique sentiment – and the big idea – behind Burger King’s new employer brand was grilled, wrapped, bagged and ready to go: You can keep it real at Burger King.
Honesty, authenticity, and openness all exist at the heart of Burger King’s employer brand. This is a real workplace for real people with real lives, real ambitions, and real futures. Which meant the brand articulation needed to check off everything on that list.
So, the tone of voice Chatter developed reflected the way people talk – not just at Burger King, but in real life. There’s no beating around the bush. No pulling punches. And no flowering things up.
Their visuals were inspired by the bold and colourful personalities of Burger King people – and their customers. You might be a Restaurant Crew Manager by day… but by night, you might also be a board game ninja, a baking guru, a poodle trainer, or anything else. Chatter let those personalities shine.
And to bring it all together, they spelled out some simple rules around the use of colour, typography, drop shadows, and illustrations. It’s not a million miles away from the consumer brand but, just like Burger King’s people, it has a life all of its own.
But of course, Burger King needs to be self-sufficient. The business wanted the tools to be able to create their own external facing collateral, write their own social posts and job ads, and communicate their own internal comms initiatives.
To begin with, Chatter activated the brand with a suite of fresh-off-the-grill comms that included:
- An updated careers website
- Updated social profiles
- A hero video
- People photography/video stories
- Refreshed job ads
- Drive-thru banners
- Pull up banners
- Restaurant toolkits, including poaching cards, table stickers, tent cards, window posters, and interview guidance for managers
Then, this was followed by:
- A comprehensive brand playbook
- A fun, day-long session to help the Burger King people team get under the skin of their new employer brand, and learn how to use it.
Ultimately, this is an employer brand with true longevity. Chatter have only just started scratching the surface of what keeping it real means to Burger King people – and it’s really exciting to see how the brand will evolve and grow, and continue to deliver real results.
What did they achieve?
The wrap-up is that Burger King now has a new employer brand that really does communicate exactly what it’s like to work there. It’s a brand that tells the real story of a place that’s made for long term careers, not just short term jobs. And it’s a brand that goes all out, focuses on individuality, and really pushes some boundaries in the people space.
It means Burger King’s people team are no longer facing that Double XXL Whopper sized challenge. Customers are discovering that careers at Burger King are just as mouthwatering as the burgers. And, in the client’s own words, “the Chatter team are super creative, fun, and engaging – they can quickly understand a business and influence decisions that have a huge impact. They’re my favourite meeting of the week!”
Now that’s keeping it real.
