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Burger King orders franchisee to remove controversial messaging
June 10, 2009
Last month, a blogger with the Memphis Flyer reported that several Burger King restaurants in the Memphis, Tenn., area had posted the message "Global warming is baloney" on their roadside signs.
Blogger Chris Davis followed up with Burger King Corp. and reported that the company said the franchisee, Memphis-based Mirabile Investment Corporation (MIC), was ordered to remove the messages.A Burger King spokesperson told Davis that the franchise agreement makes it clear that the reader board, the restaurant or any other advertising/promotional vehicles cannot be used promote any specific political and/or religious beliefs.
However, the Guardian then reported that MIC's marketing president, John McNelis, said that Burger King did not have the authority to tell the franchisee to remove the sign and that the franchisee has the right to put any message up at its restaurants because they are on private property.
Burger King, however, affirms the franchise agreement in the following statement provided by BKC spokesperson Denise Wilson:
"The statement that was posted on several restaurants' reader boards in the Memphis area and the view expressed by the franchisee on this issue does not reflect Burger King Corp.'s (BKC) opinion or view. The restaurants where these signs appeared are independently owned and operated and were not authorized to display this statement.
"BKC has guidelines for signage used by franchisees. These guidelines state that only approved marketing messages appear on reader boards and on in-store signage. In this case, unfortunately, those guidelines were not followed. We have asked the franchisee to remove the signage."
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