Two newspieces in today’s Kauppalehti that caught my eye and got me thinking:
Kauppalehti: Hesburger’s turnout twice that of McDonald’s, more profitable too
Kauppalehti: PlayStation 2 game overall sales trump next gen consoles
The first one relates to me living in Helsinki. In Helsinki, there’s a general dislike towards Hesburger because of their campy advertising and I guess some people in Helsinki still haven’t forgiven them for buying Carrols, a Helsinki-based hamburger brand. But as the number show, Hesburger is reining supreme in the fast food world in Finland. It’s sales are mostly driven by the populace outside of Helsinki – especially through its partnership with gas stations. But you’d never guess it by walking in downtown Helsinki. There are more McDonald’s restaurants (which are generally more populated) and McDonald’s advertising is more prominent everywhere. But the numbers tell a different truth about the balance of power between the two brands.
The other one is a reminder to look beyond newness and hype. The next gen gaming consoles (Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii) get all the media attention, but the reality is that the “ancient” PS2 is still the top seller in Finland. Of course, given the choice I guess anybody would rather be the brand manager for PS3 than PS2, but unless you see the product’s life cycle all the way through, you’re not going be profitable.
Reality can be quite humbling sometimes.
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