McDonalds: would you like brand with that?
November 13, 2008 by Katherine Liew
Filed under Marketing
Say goodbye to those distinctive golden arches…and say hello to the new look of McDonalds in Japan.
Two new stores (Omotesando, Shibuya East) have now opened with only a ‘QUARTER POUNDER’ logo in red & black and two menu options: Quarter Pounder with cheese set, and Double Quarter Pounder with cheese set.
Is this the end of the McDonalds brand as we know it?
What will this do for the fast food giant’s international reputation?
Basically, McDonalds is creating a new brand – or rather, they have identified that one of their product lines has developed a brand identity of its own.
The Quarter Pounder is one of the most distinctive product lines after the Big Mac, gaining pop recognition from Pulp Fiction as well as the status as McDonalds’ burger with the highest fat content.
So why start selling the Quarter Pounder through its own store?
- Consumers immediately identify it with McDonalds, even without the ‘golden arches’
- The move will attract media attention (this a case in point!)
- Selling only one product means that they can do it quickly and well – recent menu diversification by McDonalds has complicated operations
- Creates a very strong brand identity – simple design and singular offerings make the burger the focus of attention
- The burger acquires more ‘cult’ status
What are the risks for McDonalds?
- Inconsistent branding may cause confusion
- Customers cannot be tempted by other products in-store, like snacks or desserts
- This approach may be easy to replicate
- Health groups may complain
Overall, I think this will be a good move, but perhaps not suitable for global roll-out. A brand with the recognition and global presence of McDonalds can benefit from shaking up the norms every now and then. In trend-conscious Japan, these stores will make a statement. However, a worldwide brand shift this large may erode some of their existing brand equity, especially in countries where they have been pursued over health issues.
Source: Quarter Pounder official website via Etre
the new branding is very suck. not appropriate, no class. i like the old branding.
A press release from McDonald’s (at least according to a few other blogs) says that this is just to create buzz marketing for the Quarter Pounder (not yet on menus at McDonald’s in Japan) as it’s introduced.
Dr. Tantillo’s just published a post on McDonald’s on his marketing blog, in which he praises McDonald’s for being so flexible and adapting to demand but prefaced this with: “The big things about McDonald’s cosmetic image (i.e., colors, designs, clown mascot) have never essentially changed. Neither has the basic serving and restaurant setup.”
Guess they are even more flexible though… Tantillo’s full post
Even though this is supposed to just be temporary/buzz marketing, I wonder if cultivating this sort of aesthetic wouldn’t make sense for them–a move to diversify their holdings (they own a significant portion of Chipotle, or did last I knew) and expand/diversify their customer base (Ex. their ‘unsnobby coffee’ campaign. Tantillo did a post on
Starbucks/Dunkin’ Donuts mentioning McDonald’s coffee, too.
It’s very slick of them I think. In Japan something that’s popularized by word of mouth or simple usually works out, it only at least initially. It’ll be interesting to see how to fairs though.