Heated rivalries are everywhere, and not just between fictional hockey players. There is no shortage of noted brand duels in American culture. Some, like Apple and Microsoft, Nike and Adidas, or Coke and Pepsi, have been going on for decades, while others, like Uber and Lyft or Poppi and Olipop, are newer to the game. Recently, fast-food brands were quick to engage in a game of us-versus-them when McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski posted a video to LinkedIn of himself taking a not-so-big and now much-memed bite of the brand’s new Big Arch burger. Competitors Burger King and Wendy’s were quick to respond with their own executive taste-test videos, creating a viral burger-wars moment that ultimately led to a boost in visibility for McDonald’s and its rivals. “It’s all a win,” Mike Ford, CEO of audience management platform Skydeo, told us. “No one was talking about McDonald’s or the Big Arch before this.” After the viral moment, McDonald’s reported a sales boost for the Big Arch, and for Burger King, the buzz around its brand and president led into the release of a new brutally honest campaign as part of a bigger effort to establish a new tone of voice, CMO Joel Yashinsky told us. “I think that plays a factor in terms of whether you get engaged with and battle it out with your competitors in a social and public fashion,” Yashinsky said. “We want to be seen as a brand that’s fun.” While a little competition can be mutually beneficial, it can also come with risks. We spoke with experts about when and how to engage in brand rivalries without tarnishing reputations—or giving too much attention to the other side. Continue reading here.—KH | 
