A&W Restaurants built its brand on the tradition of freshly made root beer delivered to customers’ cars. But over the last decade, the chain set aside that tradition to grow on the coattails of sister brands such as KFC and Taco Bell, as part of parent Yum! Brands’ multibranding strategy.
A&W’s 620 multibrand locations far outnumber its approximately 360 A&W franchised stores in the United States, although the company does have more than 260 standalones in nine other countries.
While the strategy worked to build A&W’s brand awareness and number of units, A&W realized many consumers were missing out on the essence of the brand, said Doug Heinrich, director of asset strategy for A&W.
“Most people when they look back on their memories of A&W, it somehow involved that summertime experience with a frosty root beer and a car hop service,” he said. “For the brand, it’s a key differentiator and a link to our rich heritage.”
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