McDonald's Brand Heritage: Just Who Is Your Brand Anyway?

McDonald's Brand Heritage: Just Who Is Your Brand Anyway?

This week I have seen several commercials about McDonald's new Premium Salads. According to McDonald's website, "The campaign's new commercials were designed to introduce McDonald's three new versions of wholesome, high-quality salad entrée options and celebrate the multi-faceted lives of women today."

An interesting tack, to be sure. When I want a salad, McDonald's does not jump to mind. And it seems to be playing follow the leader; didn't fast-food chain Wendy's--among many others--come out with salads in the past year or so?

So why salads? Why is McDonald's, known worldwide for quality fast-food and an icon of Americana--the hamburger and fries--ignoring their roots in favor of pushing salad?

Jim Cantalupo, the Chairman and CEO, has stated, "The world has changed. Our customers have changed. We have to change, too. Growth comes from being better, not just expanding...We also are committed to becoming more relevant to the lives of today's consumers."

English: This is the picture of the original Ronal...

McDonalds

English: McDonalds' sign in Harlem.

Okay, valid points. But change is different than trying to be all things to all people, and in trying to subvert their bastion of success--the hamburger and fries--they may be making a crucial brand mistake.

On the company website it says that, "President and Chief Operating Officer Charlie Bell discussed McDonald's four business objectives: attracting more customers, getting existing customers to visit more often, building brand loyalty and increasing productivity to increase margins and profitability."

But this is out of order: brand loyalty should be first, and it is only natural to be so. If you have brand loyal customers, then you retain and increase share of existing customers, while attracting new ones. It is a simple case of making sure the cart is behind the horse, not the other way around!

All this brings me to the point...