The opportunity to use the desktop as a consumer utility has so far eluded the top three burger brands: McDonald's, Burger King and Wendy's.

In this article:
Introduction
McDonald's Happymeal.com
Burger King Spider-Man 3
Wendy's Wendys.com

The top three Quick Service Restaurants (QSRs) have found themselves in a strategic quagmire online. McDonald's and Burger King continue to strive for ways to engage kids online with offerings at varied levels of co-branding, while Wendy's has stayed away entirely, only targeting adults.

Where the approaches differ, the problems remain. Whether it's trying to create a usable site for kids that is full of fun content, gaining valuable metrics within the parameters of the law, or simply having a website that provides value beyond the physical experience, all three of these brands struggle within the boundaries of the web.

Of course, these problems all fade away when the context changes to a branded desktop application (BDA). Without the confines of the web, these chains become simple examples of just how targeted, contextual and powerful an interactive offering can be.

Need to brush-up on exactly what BDAs are? You can always view this video overview, or look back at some previous articles.

Next: McDonald’s Happymeal.com