SUMMARY
For Jack in the Box, the regional 1,600 unit fast food chain, the bar was raised high. 1999 had been a banner sales year, thanks to the successful introduction of their Assemble to Order program. For 2000, sales growth would not come easily: there were no new marketing initiatives or product introductions. The QSR category is quite mature, and Jack in the Box is nearly fully developed in its existing markets. The challenge for Jack in the Box was to try expanding to completely new markets in the South, where awareness was very low, and based primarily on negative imagery. It would require establishing positive awareness, positioning Jack in the Box as a mainstream fast food restaurant, introducing Jack as the CEO, and of course, meeting aggressive sales objectives for the first year. All objectives were exceeded by a wide margin. Jack's march South has been successful indeed.
