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CITY FACTS
POSTED: May 21, 2012 (Parks and Resorts) MEDIA USAGE
Posted: May 21, 2012
Wendy's based their position and slogan on “Old Fashioned hamburgers” and became an international chain of fast food restaurants building from one location in Columbus, Ohio.
Founded by Dave Thomas & John T. Schuessler on November 15, 1969, Wendy’s was named after one of Dave Thomas’ daughters. The story really focuses on the achievements of Dave Thomas. Dave was born in Atlantic City in 1932 and was an orphan. This shaped the way he viewed family, business and life.
In the mid-1950s, Thomas met Kentucky Fried Chicken founder Col. Harland Sanders and worked with him on many projects to make KFC more profitable and better known. Some of the things Thomas suggested to Sanders that were implemented were; KFC's signature chicken bucket (to keep the chicken crisp), reduce the number of items on the menu, focus on a signature dish, and introduce the trademark sign featuring a revolving red-striped bucket of chicken.
In the early 1960s, Thomas was sent to Columbus to help turn around four ailing KFC stores. By 1968 he had increased sales in the four fried chicken restaurants so much that he sold his share back to Sanders for more than $1.5 million. This was his seed money to open the first Wendy's about a year later.
The first Wendy’s franchise was sold in 1972. Wendy’s went public in 1976 and that same year they opened their 500th store. Two years later in 1978 the 1,000th Wendy’s opened. In 1979, Wendy’s celebrated its 10th year in business and also opened its 1,500th restaurant.
The new salad bar was introduced in 1981 and that same year Wendy’s joined the NYSE.
In 1985 they passed the 3,000th mark and moved into the global phase. In 1992, the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption started and became the main philanthropic cause at Wendy’s.
In 1993, Dave Thomas earned his GED and in 1994 Wendy’s turned 25. In 1997, the 5,000th Wendy’s opened. Dave became the face and the spokesperson for Wendy’s featured in many humorous TV and Radio commercials.
In 2002, Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy’s, passed away, presenting not only an emotional loss for the chain, but also a marketing dilemma.
Wendy’s marched on. In 2003, Wendy’s started to accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express to add convenience for more customers. In 2004 Wendy’s celebrated their 35th anniversary.
In July 2005, new healthier yogurt and granola mixes were added to the menu as a part of their healthier image. In 2008, the company announced a merger with Triarc, the parent company of Arby's. As of 2010, they had 6,650 stores.
According to public records, in 2010 Wendy’s produced revenues of $2.43 billion with a net income of $17.91 million. They have 42,800 employees. This success is all pretty amazing for a small hamburger shop created by a hard-working high school drop-out.
In Cable advertising Wendy’s ran 370,926 spots in the last 12 months. They ran the most in August at 51,171 ads.
On the Radio, Wendy’s ran slightly more spots than they did on Cable. In the last 12 months they ran 375,599 ads with September having 49,507 spots and May clearing 48,913.
On Broadcast TV, Wendy’s ran 230,543 spots in the last 12 months with the most being run in March 2012 at 33,604 ads.
Universal vs. Disney
Universal Studios Theme Parks and Resorts is part of the theme park division of NBCUniversal, which is now part of Comcast. The division has its headquarters in Orlando, Florida.
The first Universal theme park opened in Hollywood and was attached to the soundstages at the heart of Universal’s movie empire. What once began as a simple backstage tour through the Universal lot in 1962 grew into a full-fledged theme park. It was the success of that venture that inspired Universal to eventually invest $250 million in 1990 to launch an east coast version of its theme park in Orlando.
By 1996, Universal saw a need for expansion to challenge the growth of its rival theme park, Walt Disney World. This expansion included the opening of the Islands of Adventure theme park, the hotel resort Portofino Bay, and an entertainment district called CityWalk. By 2000, The Hard Rock Hotel was added and two years later The Royal Pacific Hotel opened to the public.
The latest and greatest development for the Universal Studios Theme Park family was the opening of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter on June 18, 2010. With the help of Harry Potter, Universal Orlando had a 20% increase in attendance that year.
It's Universal's 100th anniversary this year and they have added such attractions as the Despicable Me Minion Mayhem 3-D ride, the Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man® in HIGH-DEF 3-D plus a special Universal's Cinematic Spectacular–100 Years of Movie Memories.
The parent company Comcast produced revenues of $55.84 billion with a net income of $4.16 billion in 2011, which represented 47.2% in growth. They have 126,000 employees.
Walt Disney Parks and Resorts is a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company that conceives, builds, and manages the company’s theme parks and resorts as well as other family-oriented leisure enterprises.
The Walt Disney Company got its start in 1923 in Kansas City, Missouri after Walt Disney created the short film, Alice’s Wonderland. On October 16 of that year, Walt and brother Roy Disney, moved to Los Angeles and set up the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio. In 1928, Disney introduced the world to its icon, Mickey Mouse.
The Parks and Resorts division of the company traces back to 1952, when Walt Disney created and built Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California. Later in 1971, Walt Disney Attractions was founded in conjunction with the opening of the Magic Kingdom at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.
The first of the Disney theme parks, Disneyland, grew to include Disney California Adventure Park, Downtown Disney, Disneyland Hotel, Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, and Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel. This is one of the major attractions in Southern California.
The Walt Disney World Resort located in Lake Buena Vista, Florida is the largest, most visited vacation resort in the world. It is the home of the famed Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Disney World also features Disney’s Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon water parks. There are more than 20 hotels featured including Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa and Disney’s Contemporary Resort.
Other locations include Tokyo Disney Resort, Disneyland Resort Paris and the Hong Kong Disneyland. Parks and Resorts also include Disney Cruise Line, eight Disney Vacation Club Resorts, and Adventures by Disney.
Disney Theme Parks host more than 100 million guests every year. The parent company reported $40.89 billion in revenues in 2011 with a net income of $4.81 billion, which presented a 7.4% growth in sales. They have 156,000 employees.
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