Wendy\'s narrowed the vanillas to two varieties and brought more than 100 consum

Question

Wendy's narrowed the vanillas to two varieties and brought more than 100 consumer testers into stark white tasting booths at its head headquarters. The testers were told to take at least three bites of each sample before deciding which they preferred. They picked the sample with the stronger cotton candy flavoring. But a few said they didn't like the idea at all. "Vanilla is just not Wendy's," one tester wrote after sampling it. Since Wendy's launched the vanilla frosty in July, Frosty sales have increased 25% (Based on: Janet Adamy, "Why No.3 Wendy's finds Vanilla So Exciting," Wall Street Journal April 6, 2007.)

Explanation / Answer

Research showed that the Frosty is the No. 4 reason people go out of their way to visit Wendy's, behind the chain's square hamburgers, chicken offerings and salads. But some longtime employees bristled when Mr. Rowden suggested adding another flavor, he says, because Mr. Thomas hadn't wanted one. Mr. Rowden pressed ahead, convinced that an additional Frosty flavor could grow sales. The company polled consumers to ask which new flavors, including vanilla, cherry and strawberry, they liked best. Wendy's settled on vanilla -- Mr. Rowden's original favorite because it is the most popular flavor of ice cream -- and in late 2005 began creating it. With so much riding on tinkering with the signature dessert, picking the exact type of vanilla took months. Suppliers brought Wendy's 100 different varieties of vanilla flavoring. Wendy's food scientists were surprised by the variation within the flavors: some tasted like cotton candy, or had notes of bourbon, says Cynthia Ottavio, a Wendy's director of research and development. The worst had hints of smokiness or a slight taste of wet cardboard. Wendy's narrowed the vanillas to two varieties and brought more than 100 consumer testers into stark white tasting booths at headquarters. The testers were told to take at least three bites of each sample before deciding which they preferred. They picked the sample with a stronger cotton candy flavoring. But a few said they didn't like the idea at all. "Vanilla is just not Wendy's," one tester wrote after sampling it. Since Wendy's launched the vanilla Frosty in July, Frosty sales have increased 25%, Mr. Rowden says. Vanilla now accounts for about 40% of Frosty orders. A Wendy's spokesman said the company doesn't track whether that item is getting repeat purchases from customers but said vanilla Frosty sales have been consistent. After decades with one flavor (left), Frosty's now come in floats. The versatility of vanilla opened the door to other Frosty creations. The company has begun selling Frosty floats -- a Frosty mixed with soda -- to its menu. Ms. Ottavio's team has been experimenting with a Frosty with coffee flavoring and in February brought in suppliers to brainstorm new dessert ideas using it. Wendy's also is testing bottled beverages and plans to add a new branded coffee. It's also bolstering its salad line to appeal to women. Breakfast will be more difficult to pull off. Wendy's is serving buttermilk "Frescuit" sandwiches, French-toast sticks, hash-brown patties and other items at about 160 locations and hopes to have breakfast in more than half its North American locations by 2008. Wendy's has nearly 6,700 stores. Wendy's is the last major hamburger chain to enter the competitive breakfast business. The last time Wendy's tried, consumers griped that omelets took as long as 10 minutes to serve, and the chain dropped breakfast. Today, many Wendy's locations aren't positioned on the right side of the road to lure the most commuting breakfast eaters. But Mr. Rowden says new menu items are faster to prepare and easier to eat. Another challenge will be emphasizing Wendy's Super Value Menu, made up of items as cheap as 99 cents, to draw more cash-strapped customers without jeopardizing what the company sees as a strength, a reputation for higher-quality food.

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