Burger King and the New BK Crown Get it Right

Much of business ethics deals with the way in which organizations conduct business and interact with their various stakeholder groups. Not much is said about what I like to call "product ethics" -- the ethical implications of products themselves, apart from the ways in which they are produced, transported or sold. Burger King's new BK Crown program serves as a shining example of solid product ethics.

Burger King's new kids' meal, named the BK Crown, breaks all the rules of fast-food children's menus. For decades fast-food chains have contributed to shockingly high rates of childhood obesity and health-related issues in children who are fed fast-food poison throughout their developmental years. Rather than pumping as many calories and as much sugar as they can into children, Burger King will now serve healthy meals consisting of chicken products, fruit and white milk (as Jamie Oliver does a fist-pump) -- all part of a truly balanced diet. Not content to stop at excellent nutrition, a BK Crown meal includes brain-stimulating games and puzzles, and the opportunity to choose which of three ways Burger King will donate to charitable causes.

Let's not miss the deep implications of this product package. Left to themselves, American children will invariably choose the most unhealthy foods and the least educational activities possible, and will act out of purely selfish motives most of the time. This kids' meal introduces children to the possibility of eating healthy, having fun while learning and giving thought to needy causes around the world. This is product ethics at its finest. I bought a few Whoppers this week (which I have not done in many years) simply to show my gratitude for a fast-food company that is genuinely trying to make a positive difference in American society.

In what ways do your products and services truly serve ethical or progressive purposes?

Further Reading:
BK Crown 
USA Today: Burger King Ups the Ante in the Fight for Kid Customers

Race to the Top Provides Business Opportunities

President Obama announced his commitment to a new federal initiative, based on an existing competitive grant program, to raise the bar in U.S. public schools. Race to the Top provides all states an opportunity to submit proposals for radically changing the way public education works in the country.

I can't help but wonder if private sector cooperation might not be an integral part of some of the forthcoming Race to the Top proposals. We have seen the U.S. government turn to private contractors, with great success, in a range of industries, including military services, infrastructure projects and correctional institutions. Time after time we've seen private industry drastically improve services that the government can't ever seem to get right.

The state of Florida was one of several top picks for 2009's Race to the Top grant. Their proposal included, among other things, a commitment to tie teacher compensation and incentives directly to student performance and to place great emphasis on revitalizing the lowest 5% of schools by performance each year. Both of these tactics will seem familiar to private sector entrepreneurs.

As states race to the top to keep the next generation of U.S. citizens on pace with international public school graduates, how can your business benefit from new opportunities? What services can we in the private sector offer to public education to modernize the grade school and high school educational experience? Those who can answer these questions are poised to reap significant profits while doing good for society.

Check out these links for more information:

Entrepreneur: Wired for the Future
Bloomberg Businessweek: Obama School Reform Plan Relies on Big Business
Wall Street Journal: Obama's 'Race to the Top'
Florida Department of Education: Florida's Race to the Top Application for Initial Funding


“I've always found that the speed of the boss is the speed of the team.” - Lee Iococca