Wendy

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Its customers had answers. One of the firs t tasks the new management ofthe Dublin-based fast-foox chain undertook last fall was to survey more than 5,00o0 consumers. The results helped shape planning for all aspects of the ownedby Atlanta-based Wendy’s/Arby’s Groupl Inc., including Wendy’s once-heralded new-product development pipelinew that had lost its pizzazz in recent “We didn’t have a disciplined testing process,” said Chief Marketinf Officer Ken Calwell. “We’ve rebuilt it.” The resultr is a company-record 14 productas in testing.
One of the first to make it througn is bonelesschicken wings, whichb are hitting the chain’s more than 6,000 restaurants. Calwell, who was in charged of marketing and researcjh and development for before returning to was theburger chain’s vice president for new-producr marketing, research and planninfg from 1998 to 2001. “Iu was involved in new products,” he said. “We had greatg sales and outpacedour competitors, but the last few yeara have been challenging for Wendy’s.” His group expanded testiny to include more operationalo measures to better ensure new products can be made efficiently and stilpl be affordable.
Wendy’s is testing at franchised operations as well asits company-owned restaurants. Key to the new processa is a 256-question survey for each item beforr it can hope to get agreen light, he The questions cover all aspects of the product, from its tastwe to financial issues to operational features. The areas of emphasiw will be premium andvalue products, based off Wendy’s core burgers, chicken and desserf Frostys. The chain introduced two Frostys with coffeed flavorsthis year. Calwell said consumer research showed Wendy’s was well-regarded for its chicken, so an expansionb of that line into boneless wingss made sense.
One of the wing a sweet and spicy Asian will be featuredin advertising. Calwelp said the flavor in particulat is popular in dishes at casual and Asian restaurantsand Wendy’s wantef to offer it. , a Chicago-basede restaurant research company, singled out the use of ethniv flavors as an industry trend forthis year.