McDonald’s, What Does It Mean to You? McDonald’s Corporation has held a prominent position in the fast-food market for much of its existence. A person would be hard pressed to find consumers who would not readily recognize the famous golden arches, as the company has expanded its market globally. However, as global consumer tastes shift to a more heath-conscious public which cares less about “super sizing” and more about “slenderizing” the popular burger chain has been experiencing a drop in sales. McDonald’s strategy for its globalization plan has included the concept of localizing their product (to a degree) for an international market; for example, local managers in British versions of the restaurant are able to make their own decisions that pertain to adapting to the current market.
A difficult challenge for the corporation’s marketing team is how to reposition this wildly successful brand in a stagnant British market. McDonald’s, which has operated in London successfully for thirty years, has recently become aware of dropping sales which have been attributed to the country’s growing health concerns. The plan the British marketing team has developed includes sending the famous “golden arches” on hiatus while a new campaign will attempt to reposition the fast-food chain as a healthy choice for consumers. The theory is interesting, due to McDonald’s strong consumer perception associated with its brand the only way the British marketing team could envision changing their position in the international market is to do away with the brand entirely, at least for a while. It is possible that without the trademark arches McDonald’s might be able to offer the British market the perception they desire, one full of fresh salads and fruit-cup sides. However, McDonald’s bears such a strong name that even without the arches consumers could refuse to buy into the new look, after all, the company has been active in this market for at least thirty years at this point.
McDonald’s does have an advantage though. When they chose to globalize their company the corporation opted to localize their international chains after hitting a few roadblocks involving differing tastes in different locations. Although dropping the familiar brand in the United States may produce disastrous results, the company is left with room to experiment in their international markets. What works abroad may not work so well at home. This marketing strategy is tailored specifically for the British market, to the culture and the local consumer’s tastes and attitudes about the product. These types of customization will most likely help McDonald’s understand their global implications as well as their local consumer needs.
Not only will it enable them to challenge their brand loyalty and perception with less risk than a standardized system, but it will also allow the company to develop a marketing reference guide should the same problem face another one of its chains in the United States or anywhere else for that matter. In conclusion, McDonald’s, although a large and successful company domestically, has run into problems with its international marketing. Hopefully the company’s attention to local changes in the market and global brand perception will enable it to respond quickly and effectively to its consumers. Customization in a global market has proved successful for the company in the past, now the world will see if the popular brand associated with high-fat content fast-food can really shed its former skin and take a new place in the customer’s mind..