Worksheet 2- Reasons for McDonald’s Popularity
Case Study McDonald’s
p. 1
Worksheet 2: Reasons for McDonald’s Popularity
Fast food was not invented by McDonald’s. Almost
every country has its original fast food: Britain’s fish
and chips, China’s noodles, Japan’s ‘train-station rice
box’, Turkey’s street-stall grilled meat with tomato and
onion, and Germany’s sausage and bread (which later
evolved into the popular American hotdog). What
makes McDonald’s stand out from the rest of the fast
food industry? Let us find the key to success of
McDonald’s, based on James L. Watson’s book on the subject.
Reference:
McDonald’s Legend of Success – a Cross-cultural Operation, by James Watson, 2001.
A. The Effectiveness of Ads
Watch McDonald’s TV ads.
1.
What do you think are the characteristics of McDonald’s ads?
Suggested answers:
Emphasis on warmth, happiness and fun
Constantly changing the content of its ads
No Western faces
Most ads go with nice songs and music
2.
What makes McDonald’s ads attractive to people?
Free answers from students
Case Study McDonald’s
Worksheet 2- Reasons for McDonald’s Popularity
p. 2
Standardized Procedures
McDonald’s has created a set of standardized procedures
from the composition of a hamburger to high-level
management training at the Hamburger University, a
training centre for McDonald’s management personnel set
up in 1961in Illinois, US. McDonald’s 600-page training
manual provides clear and detailed descriptions of the
production process, with pictures showing, for instance,
where the sauce should be spread on the bun, and
designating the thickness of every piece of pickle. McDonald’s has its own approved
suppliers for all the facilities of its restaurants, and both the exterior and interior
architectural designs are carefully planned.
3.
Have you eaten in any McDonald’s in other countries? Does the food taste the
same as in Hong Kong?
Free answers from students
The taste should be more or less the same as McDonald’s makes sure that they have
standardized products.
4.
What are the merits and demerits of product standardization?
Suggested answers
Merits: guaranteed quality; predictable food taste
Demerits: monotonous; boring
C. Familiarity
Familiarity is a major factor for McDonald’s success.
To many kids, the golden double arches do not just
represent food, but also home, a sense of closeness
Case Study McDonald’s
Worksheet 2- Reasons for McDonald’s Popularity
p. 3
and friendship. Young people grow up with McDonald’s, a place where they entertain
their friends and relatives. McDonald’s was named the ‘Official Food’ of the 1996
Atlanta Olympic Games not just because of enterprise sponsorship, but also because
sportsmen all over the world accept McDonald’s food.
5.
Apart from the food, are there anything you find familiar when you eat at
McDonald’s?
Suggested answers
The decoration (the tables and chairs, bins, napkins, straws), Ronald McDonald
(cartoon character), attendants’ uniform, etc.
Modifying the menu
McDonald’s trademark menu: hamburgers, chips and
soft drink, etc.- is already well-known to everybody.
However, McDonald’s also makes changes in order to
satisfy
consumer
needs.
Several
McDonald’s
American-style menus have appeared in many places.:
If you were a McDonald’s menu designer, what special
menu would you design for the following places? You may refer to the McDonald’s
websites in various countries for the existing menu.
India (Hint: no beef)
Free answers from students
Muslim countries
Free answers from students
(Hint: no pork)
Italy
Free answers from students
Japan
Free answers from students
Case Study McDonald’s
Norway (Hint: fish
Worksheet 2- Reasons for McDonald’s Popularity
p. 4
Free answers from students
lovers)
Germany
6.
Free answers from students
Does Hong Kong’s McDonald’s have a menu specifically designed for Hong
Kong people? Why?
Suggested answers
Yes, it does. McDonald’s often revises its menu to appeal to Hong Kong people’s
changing eating habits and their preference for novelty. For example, Hong Kong
style milk tea and rice meals during dinner hours have been added to the menu.
Case Study McDonald’s
7.
Worksheet 2- Reasons for McDonald’s Popularity
p. 5
If McDonald’s invites you to design a special menu for Hong Kong, what would
you propose? Use words or graphics to express your design.
Free answers from students
Case Study McDonald’s
Worksheet 2- Reasons for McDonald’s Popularity
p. 6
E. Other Reasons
Besides the reasons mentioned above, can you point out other reasons for McDonald’s
popularity?
Suggested answers
Assured quality of food (predictable quality; unlike meals in other restaurants which)
can vary in quantity and taste
Actively promote charity activities (e.g. Ronald McDonald House)
Shops with bright and spacious interior, air-conditioning, and comfortable seats
Shops located in convenient locations
Good service attitude; customers are welcome to stay for a long time
Others