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Friday, July 28, 2006

McDonald's turn around?

Good news for not quite everyone's favourite fast food outlet! I'm intrigued to know what is happening to their brand - it seems that they're engaged in a very interesting experiment…If they really managed to lose some of their more negative and bit outdated associations and were to establish themselves as a more wholesome and modern food brand it would be no mean feat! Incidentally, in developing markets where they are competing with what the locals can see as hygienically a bit dubious indigeneous fast food outlets, McDo's have had a more positive and more premium image. See below for the brand extension 'McCafe' which I spotted in an upmarket Beijing shopping arcade yesterday. Highly dubious as to whether McDonald's could get away with this in the UK - but looks almost chic, doesn't it?!

1 Comments:

Blogger Nick said...

Actually they have something similar in The Strand branch by Charing Cross (London) and it does actually make for a nicer environment (although chic is probably overstating things a bit!)

But I also remember reading a few reports a while back that were pretty negative about actual sales of the new healthy lines. Can't find anything from Europe but here's something from the US:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/19/business/
19mcdonalds.html?ei=5088&en=8a226aceda62b0c8
&ex=1303099200&adxnnl=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=
rss&adxnnlx=1154080890-NPId+EaOoM6gcn8sQahwhA

Seems the healthy lines just aren't selling that well - but perhaps just the fact they're on the menu - along with the McCafe type outlet face-lift - has been enough to drive an upturn in regard for Ronald & co.

11:14 AM  

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