From Kazakhstan with Love
this is Burger King
1
Unlocking a New Market for Burger King
In 2016, Alassio Capital (Burger King Kazakhstan) enlisted BAM to scope, research, and develop a strategic student marketing campaign, marking its first-ever entry into the student sector. With 26 existing Burger King locations across the country, it recognised the potential of the youth market but needed a comprehensive strategy to engage this untapped audience.
2
Understanding the Market
Although BAM is a UK-based agency with decades of student marketing expertise, our ability to decode youth behaviour across global markets set the foundation for this ambitious project. Our market analysis began nationally, researching Kazakhstan’s culture, education system, and university infrastructure. We then mapped university locations to Burger King’s existing units, allowing us to pinpoint key student hubs with high potential for engagement.
To truly understand the Kazakhstan student, we conducted quantitative surveys and qualitative focus groups, uncovering essential insights into their lifestyle, spending habits, and attitudes toward fast food. We explored competitor positioning, student brand perceptions, and motivators to purchase, giving Burger King the intelligence needed to build long-term connections with this audience.
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Turning Insights into a Data-Driven Strategy
With this research, BAM formulated a 12-month student marketing strategy that Alassio Capital could implement in-house. Our bespoke recommendations focused on:
- Engagement tactics to build strong brand awareness among students.
- Key messaging that resonated with Kazakhstan’s youth, tailored to student food habits and preferences.
- Competitor benchmarking to position Burger King as the go-to fast food brand for students.
- Innovative marketing activations designed to create an authentic connection between students and the brand.
4
Groundbreaking Initiatives & Long-Term Success
BAM’s insights led to the creation of Kazakhstan’s first-ever Student Brand Ambassador programme, empowering students to promote Burger King in an organic, peer-led way—a game-changing initiative for the country’s marketing landscape. Over 24 months, we acted as sole marketing consultants for Alassio Capital, refining strategies, spotting new trends, and helping to build a lasting student engagement model.
From comprehensive research to cutting-edge youth marketing activations, BAM played a pivotal role in helping Burger King establish a dominant presence within Kazakhstan’s student market. This proves that a deep understanding of local youth culture is the key to global brand success.
