McDonald's Refocuses on Fast Food

McDonald's Refocuses on Fast Food

Since 2012 McDonald's been steadily making changes to how it's customers perceive their brand. They put the calories of each item on their menu, introduced full sized chicken wraps, added more grilled burgers to the meal options, and even added oatmeal and fruit cups to their breakfast line up. The question is...why would a well known fast food chain like McDonald's try to "slim" down their image?

The answer is in the marketing. McDonald's, like many other prominent fast food chains, wanted to expand their target market from the everyday fast food lover to someone perhaps a little more health conscious. I also believe it was a social effort as well due to documentaries such as Food Inc. gaining major popularity and casting a dim light on the industrialized farm, which foods chains like McDonald's are highly connected to. Nevertheless, McDonald's began shifting their operation in order to reach their new audience and a major part of that was changing their product and how they promoted it. Commercials with kids eating apples instead of fries with their happy meals began to roll out and advertisements encouraging children to stay active were seen in nearly every McDonald's. However, McDonald's began losing customers and when they conducted a survey they found that they weren't losing customers to healthier options but instead to their other fast food competitors. 

The solution was simple. McDonald's needed to focus on their target market and become the best at facilitating their needs. That means McDonald's is accepting their fast food identity and along with that their product and the way they promote it. So say goodbye to chicken wraps and new grilled sandwiches and hello to more modern restaurants and triple big macs.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/mcdonalds-to-expand-mobile-delivery-as-it-plots-future-1488390702