Responding to an UnhappyFranchisee.Com Media Alert for Beautiful Brands International (BBI), QSR magazine has taken more than a dozen news stories offline.
It’s not clear at this time whether the stories are being reviewed and/or edited, or whether they have been removed permanently.
The media alert issued by UnhappyFranchisee.Com was prompted by our concern that numerous potentially incorrect and/or misleading claims regarding BBI had been submitted via press release to media outlets, which had then been published by respected business and restaurant industry publications.
David Rutkauskas, CEO of Beautiful Brands International, claims his representations to the press are accurate: BEAUTIFUL BRANDS’ David Rutkauskas Defends BBI’s PR Claims
Group Publisher Greg Sanders wrote to UnhappyFranchisee.Com:
Thank you for expressing your viewpoint.
It is the policy of QSR magazine to ensure the complete accuracy of all stories posted and not to post comments made off the record.
We are undergoing a review of stories posted to ensure these goals were met.
Best,
Greg Sanders
Group Publisher
Food News Media
QSR | FSR
We thank Greg Sanders for taking this matter seriously, and applaud QSR magazine for taking steps to ensure that its readers, who may be prospective franchisees or franchise services clients, receive accurate information on which to base their investment decisions.
It appears that QSR has taken more than a dozen BBI articles offline, including:
To Support Global Growth, BBI Opens Three New Offices April 29, 2011 – QSR
BBI Breaks Records in 2011, Preps for Big 2012 November 1, 2011 – QSR
Beautiful Brands Reports Record-Breaking Q1 June 6, 2012 (QSR)
FreshBerry Breaks Sales Records with Store Openings June 25, 2012 (QSR)
FreshBerry Launches its 20th Store in the Middle East November 30, 2012 (QSR)
BBI Reports Record 2012 January 4, 2013 (QSR)
FreshBerry’s Market Share in Middle East Now 53 Percent February 13, 2013 (QSR)
We believe that QSR and other publications that have recently investigated BBI claims (Tulsa World, Franchise Times) are sending a strong message to franchisors who provide questionable claims in their press materials: It might work short term, but it will likely come back to bite you in the end.
Also read:
BEAUTIFUL BRANDS INTERNATIONAL (BBI): Behind the Hype
BEAUTIFUL BRANDS Partner Program: Behind the Hype
ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH BEAUTIFUL BRANDS INTERNATIONAL (BBI)? SHARE A COMMENT BELOW.
tags: David Rutkauskas, Beautiful Brands International, BBI, Camille’s Sidewalk Cafe, Unhappy Franchisee, QSR, QSR magazine, Greg Sanders,
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