Next, There are hyperlinks on the main page that advertise how McDonalds has Chefs.
<---This cant be real!!
I really don't understand how a low budget fast food restaurant has chefs. Maybe the times have changed. Maybe McDonalds wants to get rid of their fat food name.
One link that I approved of was viewing how McDonalds makes their Iced Coffees for their McCafe. As a coffee fanatic, I drooled over pictures of coffee beans all the way to the topping of the whipped cream for the Mochas.
Overall, I feel that McDonalds has changed their ways. Advertising that they have Chefs on their website, investing and creating the McCafe, and moving to make new snack wrap options have all tried to appeal to the "health-aware" population. For those who are coming to the McDonalds website for information on their food will find great value. The addition of reading information on the website such as promotions on new food products, the food menus to decide what to order, nutrition guidelines to determine what to eat and what not to eat, and being able to search for McDonalds locations within 40 miles of you will help increase customer value and convenience for the customer.
I think this will be a great step for McDonalds since they are known for high fat foods and get a bad reputation for making Americans overweight. By introducing healthier foods and lower calorie meals it will attract more consumers since more and more people are watching their weight. With the introduction of the new chefs it makes McDonalds look more like a gourmet dinner which will also attract more consumers.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your skepticism... It's hard to connect the idea of this fast food leader with culinary excellence.
ReplyDeleteBelieve it or not, McD's DOES have chefs. I've seen them at their "Hamburger University" facility at the McDonald's corporate headquarters in Oak Brook, Illinois. This place houses test kitchens and labs.
But you're absolutely right -- McDonald's sees the writing on the wall. They are going to have to change both their menu and more importantly, their image to compete in the future. Your assessment cut right to the chase. Well done!
While I understand the reasoning behind McDonald's new campaign to be perceived as more trendy and health conscious, somehow the idea of healthy fast food seems like an oxymoron to me.
ReplyDeleteAlso they are starting to look like Arby's in the overall aesthetics. Don't ask me to quantify that statement, it's just one of those feelings. They almost seem to be losing their McDonald's identity.
Really when people around the world think of McDonald's, who should they be picturing, Ronald McDonald or Chef Dan? If I were more ambitious (or bored) I think I'd start a grassroots protest campaign to bring back Grimace and parole the Hamburglar.
I agree with your comment about chefs, really? They may have a few corporate chefs that help develop their menus and new products; however, I would argue that the average cook at McDonalds is a chef.
ReplyDeleteI think it is an attempt to re-brand themselves as a healthier type of fast food chain. Over the past years I have noticed that McDonalds has done a lot to recover from bad publicity over their menus in regards to how healthy their foods are. Now they are trying to portray a new image with chefs and even have redone the insides of their restaurants in an attempt to make it feel more intimate and like a sit down restaurant. From a marketing basis I would congratulate them on how far they have actually came with their image/branding.