Oh no! Tim Hortons plummets in ranking of Canadian brands

Murphy

Executive Branch Member
Apr 12, 2013
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Is the drop in ranking the result of the troubles with minimum wages in Ontario last year, or does it indicate that people are getting bored with the brand? I don't think blaming Ontario's changing wages is an accurate assessment of the problem. There are nine other provinces and three territories.
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Double double trouble? Tim Hortons plummets in ranking of Canadian brands
Coffee chain falls to 50th from 4th on annual ranking of brand reputation
- Pete Evans · CBC News

A public spat with some of its franchisees and outrage over its response to minimum wage hikes seems to have made a dent in Canadians' much-publicized love for Tim Hortons this year, as the iconic coffee and doughnut chain has plummeted on an annual ranking of brands by market research firm Leger.

Every year, Leger tabulates information on the reputations of various brands that operate in Canada, and tabulates what consumers think of them. This year, between Dec. 19 and Jan. 29, the company surveyed approximately 2,100 English- and French-speaking Canadians, aged 18 or older, for their views on 241 different brands that operate across the country.

One of the biggest surprises in the ranking was the changing fortunes of Tim Hortons. The chain was ranked fourth overall in 2016, but for this year's ranking it plunged all the way to 50th.

The company openly squabbled with some of its franchisees for much of 2017 over cutbacks and other cost increases, something which has clearly started to influence its customer loyalty.

But another major factor seems to have been the story first reported by CBC News that some owners were cutting back on employee hours and other benefits in response to hikes in the minimum wage.

"Tim Hortons, a perennial top five brand that we've previously believed impervious to issue, has fallen mightily in the court of public opinion," said Rick Murray, managing partner and chief digital strategist with public relations firm National, which also worked on the ranking.

Double double trouble? Tim Hortons plummets in ranking of Canadian brands | CBC News
 

Murphy

Executive Branch Member
Apr 12, 2013
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Yes. Ontario's minimum wage story would have made an impact, but was the story so big in the rest of the country that it would change people's minds about drinking Timmys coffee? It seems a bit of a stretch. Stranger things have happened, I suppose.
 

captain morgan

Hall of Fame Member
Mar 28, 2009
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Yes. Ontario's minimum wage story would have made an impact, but was the story so big in the rest of the country that it would change people's minds about drinking Timmys coffee? It seems a bit of a stretch. Stranger things have happened, I suppose.

It's a really tough question to answer, however, considering that the discord that happened with a couple of franchises was very short lived, I'd shy away from declaring that as the cause.

That said, it would be interesting to see the information relative to the survey(s) that were done.
 

petros

The Central Scrutinizer
Nov 21, 2008
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What used to be 2mins to get a coffee has turned into 10mins waiting for others who ordered tiny overpriced sandwiches.
 

Murphy

Executive Branch Member
Apr 12, 2013
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But sadly, Ronald isn't there anymore to hand out java...

 

Murphy

Executive Branch Member
Apr 12, 2013
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Ontario
I think they need to figure out a way to serve people more efficiently. Having more staff isn't the answer. Automate part of the process. Bring back the express lane. Coffee and donut only. Cash only.
 

petros

The Central Scrutinizer
Nov 21, 2008
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They screwed up a perfectly fine business model by removing their best feature. Convenience.

I think they need to figure out a way to serve people more efficiently. Having more staff isn't the answer. Automate part of the process. Bring back the express lane. Coffee and donut only. Cash only.

Get rid of the sandwiches.
 

Murphy

Executive Branch Member
Apr 12, 2013
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That might be a good thing. I don't know what the margins are on their line of sandwiches.
 

Curious Cdn

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Feb 22, 2015
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Yes. Ontario's minimum wage story would have made an impact, but was the story so big in the rest of the country that it would change people's minds about drinking Timmys coffee? It seems a bit of a stretch. Stranger things have happened, I suppose.

Tim Horton's got caught in a journalistic "gotcha" moment with the story of franchisees taking away other benefits from minimum wage workers who just got a mandated raise. (I don't doubt the truth of the story). Tim's problem is that they did absolutely zero to manage the story. It's as if they thought that Tim's message would resonate with all Canadians and that treating poor people shabbily is their RIGHT and that the rest of us will agree with them .(must be deluded alt-right types).

Tim's should sack their whole marketing department for their failure to contain the damage and gain back control of their message.
 

taxslave

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 25, 2008
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They screwed up a perfectly fine business model by removing their best feature. Convenience.



Get rid of the sandwiches.

Get the original coffee back from rotten ronnies. Make donuts in the store again instead of half cooked frozen ones. Use food that is fit for human consumption.

Tim Horton's got caught in a journalistic "gotcha" moment with the story of franchisees taking away other benefits from minimum wage workers who just got a mandated raise. (I don't doubt the truth of the story). Tim's problem is that they did absolutely zero to manage the story. It's as if they thought that Tim's message would resonate with all Canadians and that treating poor people shabbily is their RIGHT and that the rest of us will agree with them .(must be deluded alt-right types).

Tim's should sack their whole marketing department for their failure to contain the damage and gain back control of their message.

SInce the stores are franchises they didn't view it as a corporate problem. WHich it isn't but they neglected to think of the optics.
 

Curious Cdn

Hall of Fame Member
Feb 22, 2015
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Get the original coffee back from rotten ronnies. Make donuts in the store again instead of half cooked frozen ones. Use food that is fit for human consumption.



SInce the stores are franchises they didn't view it as a corporate problem. WHich it isn't but they neglected to think of the optics.

That is true. The response from corporate was non-existent but nobody likes a bully and this one carried the Tim Horton's name. I remember a previous time when Tim's got into trouble with the public. When our troops went to Khandahar, there was a popular movement to get Tim's to set up shop at KAF. Their response was to the effect: "A Tim Horton's outlet in Afghanistan does not fit our current marketing plan". I sure hope that that bone brain ended his career frying up Timbits in Tuktoyaktuk. They fixed it eventually. I doubt that the KAF Tim's ever made them a nickel but it made them look like heroes. That Tim's was very popular with the whole coalition, apparently. Good job that time Tim's. Missed the boat this time.
 
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