A Biography On The Brand Genious Behind Mcdonalds

McDonalds' is one of the worlds most recognized brands and that has not come with its share of controversy. Whether good marketing was the genius beyond his time setting up a shock wave of advertising campaigns, or are they insensitive to reality. The company came up from a fantastic brand right of the McDonald brothers, and is now a global behemoth. What is not a debate is that there is a sort of genius behind the McDonalds brand.

Who is the target customer? Why?

Teen boppers

Children

Everyone

Today the target has greatly expanded far beyond that of the teenage bopper (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/bopper), Jazz loving teens who would see the drive in restaurant as a cool place to hang out before or after a dance. There are those who think that the marketing is geared toward young because of the 'Happy Meal', which only began as early as 1979 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happy_Meal). It is a weak argument at best since McDonalds has over thirty types of sandwiches, and most don't appeal to children. But nevertheless, advocacy groups still want to fight and even take the toys out of the meal that makes so many children happy. Currently their target is everyone who likes fast, dependable, cheap service.

What are some of the controversies behind the brand?

Advertising to Kids

Supersizing

By the time that McDonalds has it initial public offering in 1965 (http://www.aboutmcdonalds.com/mcd/our_company/mcd_history.html), the company had already become a household name. McDonalds has always had a marketing campaign that included radio, television, and now the internet, but has always used personal branding through partnerships, charities, and local hiring blitzes' (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonald%27s_advertising). The idea behind McDonalds being bad for the economy only surfaced as it became a globalized organization operating more than 31,000 stores worldwide. In 2004, with the attention of "Supersize Me" (http://www.freedocumentaries.org/film.php?id=98), McDonalds came under fire for having supersized offerings. While McDonalds was not the only player, it was the central focus.

Why do all these attacks fail to make McDonalds the enemy?

Arguments too weak

America loves McDonalds

Poor research

McDonalds branding is more than a trademark that has been thrown up on buildings painted yellow, red, and white. To many McDonalds is a household staple, it is an American icon (http://thoughtpresslife.com/2007/02/01/mcdonalds-an-american-icon/index.html). The restaurant has become a part of the way people live. The fact that society has become obsessed with fast food has never directly been linked to obesity in any long thorough study. Besides, McDonalds has very healthy, award winning items on the menu also. There is no argument for destroying this brand, even with supersizes.