The Apprentice Generates Top Interest in Burger King Promo

Last week’s transformation of Burger King Corp’s Web site into an interactive burger-building challenge with ties to The Apprentice has generated more than 270,000 hits so far to the site, one of company’s the larger traffic generating promotions.

Of the more than 270,000 hits to its Web site since the promotion launched Jan. 21, Burger King reports the promotion, so far, has drawn 180,000 “unique visitors”—Web surfers who have never visited the site. And consumers are spending an average of 10 minutes on the site.

“We are really pleased with the numbers,” said Gillian Smith, Burger King Corp.’s senior director, Media & Global Collaboration. The number of Web site hits reflects “one of the larger numbers” the company has realized in a short period with a new promotion, she added.

“People really like things they can customize,” Smith said “They like control. That’s what the ‘Have It Your Way’ [motto] is all about.”

The QSR challenges consumers online to create a new sandwich and design a campaign to market the new product. Calvin Harris, head chef at Burger King Corp., leads participants through the task at BK.com with interactive messages. And not all messages are the same. Participants received customized feedback based on their “job performance,” Smith said.

The Web site invites consumers to enter a sweepstakes to win an American Airlines vacation package for two to any destination within the 48 contiguous states worth up to $4,000. The sweepstakes ends Feb. 7.

Burger King’s online challenge came on the heels of the launch of its new Western Angus Steak Burger. Consumers saw a preview of the new product featured on The Apprentice when two teams had to run a Burger King franchise during the launch of a new sandwich. Teams also had to devise a marketing stunt around the new sandwich and drive customer traffic to their franchise. The show’s street-smart team, “Networth” won the task.

Burger King was the first brand to debut on the show’s third season. The interactive component will remain online through February.

Kansas City-based VML, an interactive Web design firm, worked with the Burger King Corp. to develop the Apprentice-themed site. Online and in-store materials support the sweepstakes. American Airlines and Coca-Cola are sweepstakes sponsors