What do you think of when you hear the words, “dollar menu”? McDonald’s probably. How about “value menu”? Nothing? Yeah, that’s a problem, admits Burger King, confessing the company needs to start working on reminding people it’s got low-priced food items just like the other guys.

McDonald’s already made the move to push its Dollar Menu last year and now the minds at Whopper HQ say it’s time Burger King does the same thing to get those customers in the doors.

“We need to be more aggressive on the value side,” said Steve Wiborg, the head of Burger King’s North America business, according to the Wall Street Journal. “What we’ve seen in the first few weeks of this year is that [other chains] have been a little more focused on value than in the past.”

It’s especially important as consumers keep trying to cut costs — after all, the more burger bang you can get for your buck, the more likely you are to come back.

Mickey D’s is putting the heat on competitors recently by adding new items to its Dollar Menu, like the Grilled Onion Cheddar burger that debuted last month. Wendy’s is also shilling its “Right Price, Right Size” menu.

In response, Burger King is adding the Whopper Jr. to its value menu for $1.29 this week temporarily. And the hope is, notes Wiborg, that once those customers are lured in by cheaper items, they’ll pony up the cash for higher-priced food.

It’s got some work to do, after losing the No. 2 burger chain spot to Wendy’s last year.

Burger King Joins the Battle of the Dollar Menu [Wall Street Journal]

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.