• by August 8, 2008

I enjoyed the recent article about Subway bumping Wendy's out of the #3 position. However, the comments from Bob Passikoff about Subway's "choice" and Wendy's "menu variety" confused me. Specifically, how does one define the difference between choice and variety?

Thanks.

 

Robert Passikoff replies: Clearly, Mr. Horne has no understanding of the dynamics of the category, so he is confused. There are more complexity and nuances to consumer engagement and loyalty than just the overall category driver titles.

"Choice" is the label which describes a set of values that represent an action verb -- the ability to decide upon something. In this case it's you get a burger and YOU GET TO CHOOSE whether you want fries, a baked potato, or slaw with it. Whatever you pick it's still just $1.99 . . .  or something along those lines. But it's still a burger and a side.

"Variety" is designation for a category driver that's a noun -- the overall selection and assortment of food on offer where one can customize. Like formulas for sandwiches, salads and wraps served at Subway restaurants.

But all that said, it's still comes down to the issue that saying it, doing it, and doing it believably are three different things, no matter which copy points they wedge into communications or which attribute check-offs list brands rely upon to tell them "what the advertising said."

But one can argue semantics forever. Let's go to the balance sheet: Wendy's agreed to a $2.4 billion buyout from Arby's parent Triarc in April and reported net income of $19.9 million, compared with $29.2 million, a year earlier. Industry analysts noted Wendy's sales slide in recent months, in part from competition from a resurgent McDonald's, and from failings of its own, including what they called "off-the-mark advertising campaigns."