Burger King "Superfans" inhale thousands of Whoppers

And just 3 veggie burgers per month

So said Burger King CEO Greg Brenneman when asked about store sales during an NBC Today segment with Lester Holt last Friday. Holt called it “the revenge of the cheeseburgers,” as he described the failure of the health food movement in the fast food industry. Reacting to a question about getting flack from special interest groups who are demanding QSR’s take some responsibility for obese Americans, Brenneman dismissed people that objected to his new high calorie, high fat menu as “nutrition nuts,” bold talk from a man who runs marathons as a hobby.

Almost buried among his shameless product plugs, though, was a basic marketing truth that he had the courage to face when he took over the faltering chain: Success only comes when you cater to your core customer. He spoke of Burger King’s superfans - 18% of the people who walk through their doors who are responsible for half their sales. It’s a target market of young, active men who eat big and shun salads as something for “ladies who lunch.”

What people choose to eat isn’t Burger Kings’ responsibility, Brenneman claimed. He acknowledged the need to have limited-interest items such as their recently introduced veggie burger and “healthy” salads, but he said the real point behind their menu overhaul was giving their Superfans choices. He wants them to have big time, high volume options like their 760 calorie Enormous Omelet Sandwich or the 1060 calorie Original DOUBLE WHOPPER®, a two-fisted, double-mouthful he called his favorite sandwich. The trim Brenneman, a man who looks like he’s never eaten an entire Whopper at one sitting, probably owed that silly comment to his marketing team.