Flying Geese

 

McDonalds introduced its popular Quarter Pounder in 1971, in response to customers who wanted a higher meat-to-bun ratio. The name refers to the weight of the raw burger patty, as cooking one loses about 25% in water and fat. In the early 1980’s, A&W responded with a 1/3-pound burger at exactly the same price. In blind taste tests, the newer, bigger burger was the clear winner. But somehow, people just weren’t buying it. A&W ordered more tests and focus groups to find out why. As it turned out, most Americans felt A&W was charging too much for too little beef. That’s right. More than half of the people they asked believed that 1/3 is LESS than 1/4. In 2007, McDonalds themselves offered an Angus Third-Pounder, and ran into the same roadblock. In 2015, it was the Sirloin Third-Pounder; same story. But somehow, the Quarter Pounder is still going strong.