Burger King in global shake-up

Burger King is considering a shake-up of its international marketing operations following the appointment of global chief marketing officer and executive vice-president Chris Clouser.

Clouser, who started at the Diageo-owned fast food chain this week, has overall responsibility for creating and implementing international marketing strategies including research, new products, pricing, promotions, sponsorship, corporate communications and community relations.

A restructure of the company’s management, overseen by Burger King’s recently appointed chief executive John Dasburg, has already led to the departure of Mikel Durham, head of Burger King’s North American division.

The division has been scrapped as Dasburg builds a more “functional”, rather than geographical, management structure.

The restructure will result in more centralised marketing operations, which could lead to ads being brought to the UK from the US.

McCann-Erickson recently won Burger King’s US account from Lowe Lintas, but Lowe still handles creative work for the UK.

A spokesman for Burger King in the US says: “It is too early to say what will happen to [Burger King’s] ad agencies.

“But Clouser will be looking at the global marketing structure and it is likely marketing directors in other countries will have more contact with the US than before.”

Clouser’s most recent position was chief executive and executive board member of Minnesota Twins Major League Baseball Club.

He was also senior vice-president of advertising at Northwest Airlines when Dasburg was chief executive of the airline.