Ch 16- Integrating Marketing Communications

Promotional strategy sums up all the promotion elements in one: advertising, public relations, personal selling and sales promotion. McDonalds focuses on advertising to their target market by focusing on the overall marketing objectives. McDonalds uses mass communication to communicate with their audience. That is ideally the most efficient way for McDonalds to reach their large audience. By providing us with commercials and outside advertising we are fully aware of McDonalds and the message they are sending. The internet has made a huge impact on the marketing environment. You could simply search McDonalds and their website will come up with everything you need to know about McDonalds including their menu. They show the exact dates of when something new came to the menu. They even have a separate menu for the new MCcafe. 

Blogs have been a huge impact as well. “Noncorporate blogs are independent and not associated with the marketing efforts of particular brand or company.” For example there is a blog called mcchronicles.blogspot.com and it is simply about McDonalds  and not associated with them. “Mcchronicles” simply speaks about McDonalds  as a whole and their experience. Also other followers can comment on the blog. I just followed “mcchronicles” and it is quite interesting. I learned some things I never knew about McDonalds and it caught me by surprise. They also have a lot of their own personalized stories that are fun to read. I recommend looking into it and seeing how well it sums up McDonalds.

SECRET MENU!

Click on this link to find out some secret sandwiches that you could order at Mcdonalds.

 http://www.npr.org/blogs/waitwait/2010/05/10/126672420/sandwich-monday-the-mcdonald-s-secret-menu?sc=fb&cc=fp

Also check out the noncorporate blog: http://mcchronicles.blogspot.com/

Ch 10- Product Concepts

Product items, lines, and mixes are very essential when companies are trying to make a sale. It is unlikely that a company will sell one thing.  When McDonalds first opened they sold only burgers and fries. Their product line now is infinite. They sell anything from burgers to ice cream to coffee. Their new product line McCafe which is mainly coffee now sells smoothies as well. McCafes coffee line includes: McCafé Mocha, McCafé Caramel Mocha, McCafé latte, McCafé cappuchino, McCafé hot chocolate, McCafé iced mocha, McCafé iced caramel mocha, McCafé iced latte, McCafé mocha frappe, McCafé caramel frappe,  McCafé Wild Berry Smoothie,  and McCafé strawberry banana Smoothie.The product mix consists of coffees, iced coffees, frappes, cappuccino, and smoothies.  The product line depth for McCafe drinks totals 12 products.  Once you go to a McCafe they also have a whole pastry section available to go along with your coffee beverage.

 McDonalds and McCafe is also a global brand. They have restaurants all over the globe and they adapt to different cultures and local taste. Such as in the Dominican Republic they will sell platano chips with their burgers. Consumers like being familiar with their brands and once they see McDonalds they think of their trademark which could be a catchy phrase. McDonald’s uses the phrase “I’m lovin’ it” after every commercial or advertising. Consumers become more familiar with the trademark and it keeps them coming back because they know McDonalds is unique and different from other companies.



I also came across a couple of videos. Even though this would've been better to post during the global chapter I still found it interesting. The first video is a commercial from Germany which shows how they prefer Mccafe over other restaurants.

The second video shows a man actually recording his visit to a Mccafe in a train station in berlin, Germany. He shows the comfortable setting of the café and gives us a taste of his experience.

McCafé Motor Coach

I came across this website called tourmccafe. I had absolutely no idea McDonalds had used this technique to promote their new product line which is the Mccafe real fruit smoothies. This would be considered sampling which allows the consumer to try a product for free. Even though this event has passed I believe it definitely was a huge impact on trying to promote their new product.

“The tour will run from August through October 2010. For maximized national outreach, the tour encompasses nine primary markets and along the way makes “friendly drive-by” stops in 25 seconday markets throughout the East, Midwest, and South regions.  Developed exclusively for 2010 AACM McCafe program, the customized McCafe branded motor coach serves as the key vehicle for national smoothie sampling activities. The motor coach features a sleek interior lounge that is equipped to provide consumers with full McCafe brand experience."

 click on the link below to view the website:

 http://tourwithmccafe.com/index.html

Ch 18- Sales Promotion and Personal Selling

Sales promotion is a short term incentive that motivates consumers or members of the distribution channel to purchase a good or service immediately, either by lowering the price of by adding value. McDonalds and Mccafe are continuously trying to lower the price of a product instead of raising the price. They constantly use coupons or premiums to promote their product. A premium is an extra item offered to the consumer; usually In exchange for some proof that the promoted product has been purchased. McDonalds uses a premium when they sell happy meals which its tarket market is children and include a free toy with it. They also promote the toys according to new movies. For example if Toy Story 2 came out in theaters then they will also feature Toy Story toys in their Happy meals. Premiums can also include a two-for-the-price-of-one bonus pack. Since lent began McDonalds recently started the filet-o-fish premium where it is 2 for $3. They usually sell one for that price.

Mcdonalds uses traditional selling and advertising and sales promotion is more important than personal selling.  Mcdonalds sells a good or service at a low price and has many customers. Consumers know what they will expect when they enter a McDonalds restaurant because they are aware of it due to their advertising on televisions and billboards. They are also global so almost everywhere you go you will see a McDonalds. They try to build a relationship with their customers and by doing so they give us more and more reasons as to why we should go back to their restaurant. Another sales promotion McDonalds uses is giving their customers free products called and this strategy is also considered a game called a monopoly. The more and more pieces you get to the puzzle is a higher chance you have of winning a greater prize. McDonalds gives customers the opportunity to win prizes, money or anything on the menu. Whenever you buy fries or a soda you get a coupon attached to it and when you tear it out you win a prize.  

While launching a premium coffee line smack in the middle of a recession may seem counterintuitive, the debut of McCafe helped drive McDonald's second quarter sales. The chain announced a comparable U.S. sales increase of 3.5 percent and a 4.8 percent spike globally. CEO Jim Skinner, in a statement, gave credit to the chain's "balanced focus" on favorites like the Big Mac, beverage value offerings and the McCafe launch. "This is the weakest the restaurant in 28 years," said NPD restaurant industry analyst Bonnie Riggs. "McDonald's is one of the few that is faring well. They have a lot of marketing initiatives. It's not just the value menu. They are introducing a lot of new products.
  -Kenneth Hein

McDONALD’S CONTRIBUTES TO DISASTER RELIEF EFFORTS IN JAPAN

McDONALD’S CONTRIBUTES TO DISASTER RELIEF EFFORTS IN JAPAN

OAK BROOK, Ill. – McDonald’s Corporation today announced that it will contribute to the Japan disaster relief efforts with a donation of $2 million USD. The funds will channeled through the International Federation of the Red Cross.

“The devastation in Japan has stunned and saddened the global community, and we’re reaching out to help with this contribution,” said Jim Skinner, McDonald’s Chief Executive Officer. “We send our best to everyone affected by this disaster, including our employees and our customers.”

McDonald’s has 3,302 restaurants in Japan. As of this date, the vast majority of the restaurants are open; fewer than 300 remain closed due to damage or staffing issues.