Thursday Life (TL): How did you land this job?

Sabrena McDonald (SM): This is my second stint as part of Burger King’s marketing management team. I landed my previous position as Brand Manager-Promotions and PR after I finished my MBA and wanted to apply my passion and skills for marketing to something I loved. Plus I was a serious Burger King fan. I decided to be bold and called the company and requested to speak with the CEO. When I got him on the line I introduced myself and said I think I would be perfect for the job of brand manager – the post had not yet existed nor had it been advertised. He told me to e-mail my resume and he passed it on to HR. The post was then advertised some days later. After two sets of gruelling interviews along with other short-listed candidates I got the call that the job was mine.

I landed my current job as sales and marketing Manager based on my performance as promotions and PR brand manager

TL: How long have you been in this job?

SM: I have been with Restaurant Associates Limited and Restaurant Associates Cajun Limited (franchisees of Burger King and Popeye’s) for a total of three years and five months.

TL: What’s great about your job?

SM: I get to create while being strategic from a business point of view. That way both sides of my passions are always engaged. I also love that no two days or two hours are the same. Working in the quick-service restaurant industry presents daily opportunities to delight the customer with new products and promotions and good customer service. It also keeps me on my toes with being responsive to market changes and competition.

TL: What attracts consumers to your brand/brands?

SM: Consumers love the fact that Burger King and Popeye’s offer them the best range of and best- tasting products.

At Burger King you can enjoy the Whopper (King of Burgers), chicken sandwiches, salads, milkshakes, fish sandwiches, breakfast meals, kids’ meals, fish sandwiches and many other options. Customers also love the fact that Burger King is committed to nation development evidenced by our continuous support of educational, arts and sports initiatives. Our own scholarship programme is 15 years old and has donated approximately $30 million in scholarships and grants.

TL: Where can consumers find out more about your brand?

Our Facebook page (Facebook.com/burgerkingjamaica) offers frequent updates on what’s new with the brand in terms of promotions and sponsorships. However, consumers can look out for exciting news over the next few months in our stores and online as we get ready to kick off our 30th anniversary celebrations. We are happy to have been part of the Jamaican fabric since 1984, when we opened our first store in Ocho Rios.

TL: Tell us something we might not know about your brand.

SM: Burger King is the corporate pioneer of road racing in Jamaica. Long before 5Ks became fashionable, Burger King sponsored the world famous Reggae Marathon and started our own Road Race Grand Prix series that facilitated many high school distance runners’ development.

TL: Do you have any additional news you wish to share with your customers?

SM: Burger King’s tagline “Taste Rules Your Way” is something we live by. After being hit with increased input costs in 2014 and increasing prices in December 2014, we made sure that we kept our word to find the best way to offer the best prices to our customers and reduced prices on April 15, 2015, so that customers can continue to enjoy their favourite BK meals, their way, as often as they want.

Win! Win! Win!

Answer this easy question:

Where was… (Please see today’s printed newspaper for question)

The first SIX Thursday Life readers to send the correct answer by e-mail to marketingpromotion@jamaicaobserver.com by 12:00 noon today, Thursday, April 16, 2015, will each win a goodie bag with, meal vouchers, two watches, and assorted branded items.

Please include your name, occupation and contact number.

Prizes will be presented at the Jamaica Observer head office, 40-42 1/2 Beechwood Avenue, Kingston 5. A valid form of government identification must be presented in order to collect the prize. Persons must be 18 years and older to enter.

AUTHORISED UNDER SECTION 58 OF THE BETTING, GAMING & LOTTERIES ACT.

The Jamaica Observer reserves the right to use winners’ images in any advertising or promotional activity without compensation.

Employees of Jamaica Observer, ATL, ATL Automotive, Island Routes, Sandals, Beaches or Grand Pineapple Resorts and their families, ie parents, spouse, siblings and children are NOT eligible to enter.