The McChronicles snapped this image a couple of days ago. It depicts a countdown (days to go) to the Summer Olympics in China.
Olympics Fever is really heating up in China. The McChronicles wonders how the country will manage to keep a lid on the excitement for another year.You'll find this promotional piece on your tray should you dine at a Chinese McDonald's in the near future.
- Yao Ming (basketball) NBA fame
- Liu Xiang (hurdles) hot off a big win in Osaka two days ago
- Guo JingJing (diving) sexy sports star
The McChronicles has noted that McDonald's workers seem to be required to wear corporate shirts and hats, along with some non-descript, non-corporate-issue pants.
The McChronicles went on a breakfast jag last week and started consuming Egg McMuffins nearly every day.
Well, the name certainly doesn't roll off the tongue, now does it? But the concept is intriguing. The McChronicles just read this on the QSR Magazine website:"McDonald's customers have shown strong support for the new Angus Third Pounders that debuted in Southern California last March. Positive customer feedback has prompted McDonald's marketing co-ops in New York and Central Ohio to introduce the newest line of hamburgers to its customers. "
"Angus Third Pounders are made with 100-percent USDA-inspected Angus Beef, with red onions, sauteed mushrooms, iceberg lettuce and sliced red tomatoes, served on a bakery-style sesame seed roll. The hamburgers come in three varieties: Angus Deluxe, Angus Mushroom and Swiss, and Angus Bacon and Cheese, for a suggested retail price of $3.99 each."
McDonald's Moon Man spearheaded the company's "Mac Tonight" promtional campaign years ago in the USA when they were introducing the concept of late- and all-night McDonald's service.
There are ads on TV, on the video screens in-store, on the doors, and even on flyers. Here's one such flyer that depicts 30 of the many stores here in Shanhgai that offer 24-hour service. This makes tons of sense as this city seems to never sleep.
According to information The McChronicles recently received from the Word Of Mouth Marketing Association:McDonald's is currently working with Oddcast to create an avatar-based viral email campaign. At www.MySnackTime.com, users enter basic information about a friend or co-worker who they want to tell about the Chipotle BBQ snack wrap.
This generates an email, which leads recipients to a personalized,
snack-wrap-evangelizing avatar that knows just a little too much about them.
According to Oddcast, people who receive emails from friends are 60-65% more
likely to open them and are 30-35% more likely to pass the email along to yet
another person, making this effort one that is full of viral potential.Learn
more:http://www.womma.org/womnibus/010133.php
Here is an example of a long-outdated practice that is (sadly) still in effect today in some locations.
McDonald's is a proud partner of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China. With a year to go until the big event, McDonald's (in China) is really promoting the event.
Typically it is The McChronicles visiting various locales, commenting on this and that, but today the tables were turned. The McChronicles hosted a lunch in Upstate New York with two visitors from Mexico.The McChronicles: Have you ever experienced a "theme" McDonald's before?
2/year: No. In Mexico they are all the same.
The McChronicles: Please explain why you visit McDonald's so infrequently.
2/year: I prefer a local fast food restaurant that specializes in chicken sandwiches.
The McChronicles: Do you know that McDonald's offers several chicken sandwiches?
2/year: I do, but the Mexican restaurant serves very fresh chicken. I also think that McDonald's doesn't offer enough (sandwich) choices.
The McChronicles: What is your opinion of this McDonald's experience?
2/year: This store is untidy and needs to be picked up. It is messy. As for the design, I like their use of colors, the decorations. the theme.
1/week: I'd like to see some Mexican McDonald's adopt local themes. Some good ideas would be the ocean, the forest, Mariachi, Parícutin with sandwiches in molcajete packaging. Many people have children's parties in Mexico. These themes would help make the parties more special.
As you know, The McChronicles first discovered the double filet-o-fish in Singapore. Then fell in love with it back home. Since then we've been ordering it with abandon.
One big global story is the massive recall of lead paint-tainted toys from China. According to Ian Williams (on NBC Nightly News, tonight) 80% of the world's toys are made in China. Mattel, alone, is recalling over 10,000,000 toys.McDonald's Corp., one of the world's largest toy buyers, says the problem of lead paint is so widespread in China that the company has developed a system to monitor paint all the way through the supply chain back to the paint suppliers. The company requires its Chinese toy makers to agree to use only those suppliers.
"We never go on the open market, so we know exactly who we're dealing with," said Walt Riker, vice president of corporate communications.
McDonald's will launch its newest Olympic Games program, McDonald's Champion Kids, on Aug. 9, 2007 in Beijing.
The program will enable up to 300 kids from around the world to travel to the 2008 Olympic Games to share their stories and experiences with their local communities and hometown news outlets. Through this once-in-a-lifetime journey, the children will have the chance to see the Games, meet Olympic athletes, visit cultural sights, and interact with kids from across the globe.
The McChronicles: a blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.
Image: PR Newswire website (press release).
According to a story in this week's QSR Magazine:"Kids don't just ask for food from McDonald's," said Thomas Robinson, MD, director of the Center for Healthy Weight at Packard Children's and associate professor of pediatrics and of medicine at the School of Medicine. "They actually believe that the chicken nugget they think is from McDonald's tastes better than an identical, unbranded nugget."
... researchers studied the taste preferences of 63 children between the ages of 3 and 5 who were enrolled in six Head Start centers in San Mateo County, Calif. The children sampled five foods: chicken nuggets, a hamburger, french fries, baby carrots and milk. The chicken nuggets, hamburger and french fries were all from McDonald's; the carrots and milk were purchased from a grocery store. Robinson and his colleagues chose to specifically study McDonald's because the company is the largest fast-food advertiser in the United States and most study subjects would likely be familiar with the brand.
Each food sample was divided into two identical portions, one wrapped in a McDonald's wrapper or placed in a McDonald's bag, and the other in similar wrapping without the McDonald's logo. The children were randomly asked to taste first one and then the other of the five identical, differently packaged, pairs of food samples and indicate whether they tasted the same or which they thought tasted better. With four out of the five foods — chicken nuggets, fries, carrots and milk — significantly more children pegged the McDonald's product as tastier, despite the fact that the foods were exactly the same.
The McChronicles: a blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.
Image: QSR logo from qsrmagazine.com.
The McChronicles: a blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.
Q: How long have you been a fast food aficionado?
Maven: From the first moment I got my hands on a Taco Bell Taco Supreme in my teen years. Boy, I just loved the sour cream in those things. These days, I've definitely upgraded my tastes. I go for Fresh-Mex whenever I can.
Q: What is your first fast food memory?
Maven: Not sure if this is a "first" memory. But, this one has stuck with me forever. I remember hurling profusely after eating a 99-cent Double Bacon Cheeseburger at Jack in the Box -- forcing me to swear off that chain for years. I later asked my friend, Brian, a former Jack in the Box cook: "What happened to me?" He replied: "Nance, it was the mayo."
Q: What comments do you dread most when people become aware that you are a FAST FOOD MAVEN?
Maven: Aren't you worried you're going to get fat? (That's mostly from women, though.)
Q: "Maven" is a Yiddish term. Is there Jewish fast food?
Maven: Sorry. This Hispanic gal from sunny Southern California is unaware of most Yiddish lexicon. Interesting, though. I picked the "Maven" because I want people to know that I'm a trusted expert on this topic.
Q: As a FAST FOODIE, where do you fit in the OC Register pecking order?
Maven: I love fast food because it's convenient. And, it's not as bad to eat as some might think. My 7-year-old daughter loves Del Taco bean and cheese burritos, and McDonald's Happy Meals. I have no problem giving her those in moderation.
I love getting a load of El Pollo Loco chicken at the drive through that will feed my family over the course of three days.
Fast food is unavoidable in our fast paced world. I get paid to cover the industry. How sweet is that?
Q: You go to restaurant conferences. Is that purely for your blogging or do you have another connection?
Maven: I hit conferences because it helps me meet sources on my beat. I cover the Southern California food industry, which includes writing about fast food, as well as sit-down restaurants, food manufacturing and grocery stores.
Q: Any plans to expand your blog's scope beyond the OC?
Maven: Of course.
Southern California is the birthplace of America’s most enterprising
industry: Fast food. Yet, fast food -- culture, news, trends -- goes
beyond this region. Obviously I have to cover my bases here in Southern
California. That's my job. But don't be surprised if you see me writing
about Five Guys when I go to Virginia next month. (FYI: I'm told this
burger joint rivals my Irvine-based In-N-Out Burger. So bring it on.)
McChronicles note: Our In-N-Out Burger t-shirt is one of our most prized possessions - and a reminder of an awesome fast food road trip on the US west coast.I hope to engage people in conversation about trends. Just because I write about Angus burgers coming to McDonald's in Orange and Los Angeles counties, doesn't mean someone from Upstate New York wouldn't be interested in that. It could mean, one day, you get Angus burgers, right?
Q: Any advice for The McChronicles?
Maven: I love it. Keep up the good hustle. And, keep McDonald's on its toes.
The McChronicles recently posted on something intriguing going down in Singapore, the DOUBLE FILET-O-FISH. Turns out it isn't all that unusual.
"Big Mac: Inside The McDonald's Empire" will premiere on Wednesday, July 25th at 9PM and 12AM ET. The show repeats on the following dates:
* Monday, July 30th at 9PM and 12AM ET
* Sunday, August 5th at 10PM and 1AM ET
* Tuesday, August 7th at 9PM and 12AM ET
* Tuesday, August 28th at 9PM and 12AM ET
* Sunday, September 2nd at 10PM and 1AM ET
China is understandably proud of the Olympics which are coming soon. One of the hottest sports in these games will be basketball, thanks in no small part to the popularity of Yao Ming.
The McChronicles snapped this photo in Singapore - not sure which store (we hate it when we lose track). Either way ... Double Filet-O-Fish??? That's right.
The McChronicles: A blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.
1967 was a very special year in America. In fact, it has become known as The Summer of Love.
On the 40th anniversary of The Summer of Love we checked back in only to find the store dirty and peppered with homeless/street people. After dropping in, we decided to NOT eat there. Those who know The McChronicles realize that this is rare, indeed.
*indoors, on the US east coast.
We've all heard of a McDonald's Drive-Thru. But have you heard of a McDonald's Skate-Thru?
Say it ain't so!
QSR Magazine recently published an excellent article regarding the role of the customers' #1 point of contact, the front-line cashier.From a customer point of view, in a quick-service operation, and most fast-casual operations, the customer spends more time with the cashier than with any other employee. However, cashiers are often the least trained.
The cashier is the face of your brand. They are the salesperson of your brand. They determine line speed and sales and play a critical role in customer service and order accuracy. Before you put someone on the register, tempted as you might be to throw them into the position, train them on the following:Read the article here.
- The menu
- Customer Service
- Food Delivery Method
- Selling Skills
- The POS (cash register/computer)
So , there we were, waiting in the world's longest queue at the San Ysidro US/Mexico border crossing. After a loooong week of fun in the sun we were tired ... and hungry. Especially since we knew there was a McDonald's somewhere in the vicinity.
Next time you're caught in traffic, consider MAKING THINGS happen. It can be well worth it.
So, the whole nutrition thing was heavy on our mind as we entered a McDonald's this week.
Well, we walked up to a McDonald's counter and asked for nutritional information (pre-order, in time for a good decision) and wondered what would happen. Within three seconds we had a tray liner laid out in front of us, with a smile. Shockingly fast, easy, and friendly.All the data could be managed from one central database back at HQ. The customers would receive info and service, in-store, prior to purchase, in a manner unheard of in the industry. And the industry would have a new level of customer service to point to.
Sound wild? Heck no, many of you already know that The McChronicles is simply describing something that already exists. Most all of this is readily available on the McDonald's website - in the food, nutrition, and wellness section of the USA version.
The question is, why doesn't McDonald's get out in front of this issue? They already do something similar with music videos.
The McChronicles suggests that McDonald's test market this nutrition kisok and see how it goes. We bet it would be highly-valued, and that it would serve as an example to the rest of the industry.
The McChronicles: a blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.
Image: McDonald's website screen grab.
In October 2005 The McChronicles rattled about within the Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International airport, looking for a McDonald's. Problem was, there wasn't one. So we filed a complaint.
The McChronicles recently received a message that contained this intriguing observation:"We lived in New York City for four years with our young kids. It's very hard to find places to play in the winter for kids because everyone's apartments are very, very small, and there are great indoor playgrounds, but they cost about $15 per person, so taking one kid is $30 (yes, you have to pay for parents).
There's a great indoor playground at the 92nd St. Y (surely the most upscale Y in the country -- more competitive to get into preschool there than to get into Harvard for college. Really.) Okay. So, anyway, the indoor playground is great.
We just moved to Madison, WI. And since people don't have nearly the amount of money in Madison as in NYC, there are not nearly the amenities. One thing that has shocked us, though, is that McDonald's has basically the same playground that the 92nd St Y does but in Madison it's free. When we tell our NYC friends that we hang out at McDonald's all the time, they think we've lost our minds."
The AP's Stephanie Hoo (business writer) contacted The McChronicles and requested an interview. Flattered, we accepted.
A Hamburger Today recently spoke with The McChronicles for their GRILLED interview series.
Old Forge, NY is the home of an unusual McDonald's. "Why?" you ask. "Design? Service? Menu?"
Do you know of any other seasonal McDonald's? If so, let us know.
According to a recent report at MSNBC.com:Starbucks may be the world’s largest coffee shop chain in the world, but what they serve isn’t as good as what McDonald’s brews, Consumer Reports says.In the March issue, the magazine called the fast food giant’s Premium Roast “cheapest and best.” The coffee also beat out new offerings from Burger King and Dunkin’ Donuts.
What's your opinion of McDonald's coffee?
From mediabuyerplanner:Japanese mobile phone operator NTT DoCoMo is teaming up with McDonald's to offer electronic payments and special promotions for mobile users, reports BBC News (via MarketingVox).
The deal could also provide invaluable information about customer behavior, Jupiter Research's Julie Ask said.
"It gives both McDonald's and DoCoMo the opportunity to track consumers and their eating habits. Cash is more likely to be used in small transactions. Electronic payments will allow user behaviour to be tracked and used for marketing purposes," Ask said in her blog.
McDonald's is just another retailer that is offering mobile phone payment in Japan. DoCoMo has set up service which allows around 3 million customers to use their handsets as credit cards.
Awesome!
The McChronicles: a blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.
Image: ufl website.
