This piece of work is a market research into Mcdonalds and its current situation in terms of sales, problems and marketing issues.

1.0INTRODUCTION

McDonald is the world's leading food service retailer with more than 30,000 restaurants in 119 countries serving 46 million customers each day. Approximately 85 percent of McDonald's restaurants worldwide are owned and operated by independent, local businessmen and women.

In this report, we have looked at McDonald international operations in order to help us gain an insight into the forces facing the corporation.

2.0Marketing problems

Ronald McDonald

McDonalds

McDonalds

The management problems reveal that McDonald is facing declining sales in its major markets around the world, especially in its major European markets. In the last four years the brand has seen all forms of attack on it operations world-wide. Whilst the US market has showed in the first six months of this year some improvement due to aggressive proactive strategies of adopting health conscious menu to stabilise the decline in sales, same-store sales in Europe, the company's second-biggest market, fell 0.9 percent. (Copyright 2003, Reuters News Service).

Our aim therefore is to approach the management problems from a marketing research perspective. We have therefore defined the marketing research problems as seen below under objectives.

3.0Objectives

·To measure consumer perception and attitudes towards the brand.

·To find out the reasons for the declining sales. Whether it is an industry -wider phenomena or unique to McDonald only?

·To find out the growth potential of the premium segment of the new menu.

Methodology

Report is based on secondary data only from various sources.

4.0Macro-environment

In the wake of increased obesity amongst children in the UK, McDonalds have responded by reposition themselves as healthier products (Marketing Magazine, 06/02/03).

4.0.1Political factors

Health has become the top issue in recent years and especially in 2003 as government pressure groups and media focus their scrutiny on the food and drink industry. This is due to the increasing obesity and...