When Marketing Doesn't Match
Whitney Teal Mendoza
Founder, Podcast Host, Social Marketing + Communications Specialist
Wendy's just launched a new menu item: the Frosty Cream Cold Brew.
Frosty AND coffee? Yes, please!
Naturally, I found myself in the drive-thru today, waiting for my treat with excitement. But it's not quite what I expected.
The Frosty was first available at Wendy's in 1969 - longer than I've been on Earth. And while I wasn't around to be in line for this first taste, I know what a Frosty is.
So when you call something a "Frosty Cream Cold Brew" - I'm expecting a drink that tastes like coffee with a Frosty consistency.
That is not what the Frosty Cream Cold Brew is. When searching the web to find out more details about this new iced coffee drink Wendy's is trying to pass for a Frosty, I found more misleading headlines (and one that got it 50% right):
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A description from the article above: Last year, Wendy's?became the first fast-food burger chain to offer cold brew on its menu. This summer, the chain is taking it one step further by combining the cold brew?with the iconic flavors of its signature Frosty Cream plus your choice of vanilla, chocolate, or caramel (a brand new flavor!) syrup.
So what's the big deal? In my opinion, the marketing doesn't match the merchandise.
I don't care that you can barely see a few specks of ice sticking up from the cup in the promotional images. The word "Frosty" is used in the product name - so I expect a Frosty. And given the fact the Wendy's sells 300 million Frostys each year, I'd bet there are a few others in that group expecting a coffee tasting Frosty when they place their "Frosty Cream Cold Brew" order this week.
Ultimately, the beverage proved to be flavorful. Wendy's steeps the coffee for twelve hours which offers a more smooth taste (compared to the bitterness of most other cold brews), yet it failed to live up to its given name.
Founder, Podcast Host, Social Marketing + Communications Specialist
11 个月It's here! The Pumpkin Spice Frosty has landed at Wendy's and they are redeemed. It is a traditional Frosty, and it does taste like Pumpkin Spice. Of course, you can order their?Pumpkin Spice Frosty Cream Cold Brew (which will still contain the "classic vanilla Frosty mix") - but I think you know which one I opted for.
Group Strategy Director at LUCKIE | Consumer Psychologist & Advertising Expert Solving Demand-Side Problems for Billion Dollar Brands
1 年I think it's setting the customer up for failure. Wendy's is forgetting the principles of category entry points-- if you're selling coffee, your customer is really only buying when they want COFFEE. If you're hawking something as coffee-adjacent and it's not, well... not good for CSAT scores.
Manager, Professional Services at Kyruus Health
1 年The release states “Frosty Cream” cold brew so immediately I realized it was the cream used in a Frosty with their cold brew. I find the marketing was correct for this. Not sure why you thought it was a frosty consistency, that would be a “Cold Brew Frosty”
I guide driven, entrepreneurial women on ways to ditch money overwhelm and achieve financial security.
1 年Well that's disappointing. I would have died for a frosty like cold brew.
Undergraduate Marketing Student at the University of Palermo
1 年One of the main reasons why i used to enjoy going to Wendy's more than Mcdonald's as a child was to indulge myself with a chocolate frosty and although i understand their need to expand the brand horizontally and add flavors to stay trendy and hip with younger consumers, i also think this is a missed opportunity to market themselves in ways the grimace milkshake brought Mcdonald's back to the forefront of the fast food industry, they could've marketed themselves in a "Frappuccino" sort of way, but instead it fell flat since they, as you said, added an already established product name to introduce yet another product which is their flavored cold brews, and while it is flavorful, it lacks the almost ice cream like consistency of the frosty that's reminiscent of Dairy Queen, childhood and Brain freeze!