Marketing Objectives: “It is accepted that fast-food marketing strategies should have a sound understanding of consumers’ perceptions of and preferences for fast-food outlets and how they differ across cultures/countries. This understanding can be helpful in targeting countries/cultures to promote fast food and improving or amending their restaurants’ perceptions so that customer demand can be increased. If countries/cultures differ widely in their perceptions of and preferences for a fast-food
Restaurant, promotional campaigns tailored to individual countries/cultures may be
called for.”( Ulgado,Lee 1997) McDonalds is in more than 100 countries as of now with around 20,000 outlets around the world. They have taken the approach of globalization where they provide same food everywhere. But there suppliers are local hence to countries like India, they do not serve beef burgers but a replacement to that which also suits the locals in that country. McDonalds has adapted this strategy very tactfully. “Recently, the notion that processed convenience foods are contributing to an obesity epidemic has led to litigation proceedings against McDonald’s. At the same time, a number of fast-food companies and food manufacturers have reviewed the fat and sugar contents of their product ranges, and reconsidered the size of the portions they offer”. (Schroder, McEachern; 2005) McDonalds is a fast food chain restaurant and none of these food chains are meant to be healthy but these days with the increasing child obesity and generally people suffering from this problem, one of selling point McDonalds could think about doing is start a complete healthy range of products. Due to the global expansion of fast food market which has also saturated the US market there was a high rise in the multi- national fast food corporations. Due to which a lot of attention is on such companies and their contribution to the public opinion (Breeze and Cairns, 2003). “As the product ranges of most UK fast-food outlets (e.g. McDonald’s, Burger King, KFC, Wimpy) are mainly centred on meat, this introduces a further issue associated with corporate social responsibility (CSR), namely, animal welfare. Many organisations (e.g. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)) target global fast-food retailers to draw attention to welfare issues surrounding animal production systems. Another socially relevant issue surrounding fast-food retailing is the littering of public spaces (Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, 2003). Powerful global companies provide an attractive focus for socio-political complaints and campaigns” (Schroder, McEachern; 2005) But to start with McDonalds should really look at promoting healthy food such as they should promote some salads. Everyone knows that McDonalds is all about burgers fries and coke, people need not know that anymore. McDonalds can completely stop promoting their burgers and fries and start promoting their new salads in a big way. All their advertisements should be about the new range of salads they will introduced and make a launching day so much special and public that people cant wait to get their hands on these salads from day one. This could be a great marketing strategy for them, as people these days are becoming too health conscious but there are not many fast food places who serve healthy food as well. McDonalds could also start a campaign nationwide and include their customers in it. This could be to support a cause in the form of charity where if the customers buy a certain meal, a certain amount would go to a charity. They could start awareness for global warming. Any company which supports a huge cause that the world is facing problems with such as global warming or obesity, people like to a support such cause and also everyone likes to be a part of a team as the idea of being team player is always fulfilling. There idea of happy meal with a toy is a big hit. Kids just go there to get those toys. They could start serving frozen yogurt for the kids with fresh berries and fruits and nuts with them. When a parent knows the child has an option of a healthy food which is also a junk food, parents will be more than willing to get their kids back to McDonalds. Unlike any other company McDonalds should really make it public of how they are taking measures in making sure that they are giving back to the world. This is something which none of the fast food chains have ever done, something really out of the box to think of, but again, taking into consideration to rise way above the competition, there has to be something very drastic and different which no other fast food company has ever tried.
No comments:
Post a Comment