McDonalds Brand Essay -- Fast Food Empire, Hi-Fat, Hi-Sugar

Much like a smile, the â€Å"Golden Arches† can be understood in any language. The McDonalds brand is the most well-known, internationally embraced fast food empire. McDonalds operates over 31,000 franchises throughout the world, with the United States leading the way with a whopping 13,381outlets as of May 2009 [1]. McDonalds has the fast food market cornered, offering an increasing variety of food of beverages, marketed to people of all ages to eat at any time of the day. However, being a corporate giant has its issues. McDonalds has faced a lot of criticism for its high-fat, high-sugar, potentially addictive menu. While the corporation is not likely to outright admit responsible for its actions, McDonalds has seen some changes to address some of the issues. Despite the flaws in the public elements of the brand, McDonalds has established an almost recession-proof economic base [2]. Some of the benefits of the McDonalds brand are pretty obvious. The golden arches and the mascot Ronald McDonald have some the best recognition worldwide. This stems from the benefit of having global operations and the availability of culturally diverse foods that are provided based on the location of the restaurant [3]. McDonalds also utilizes installations in prime locations such as theme parks, airports, superstores and even in hospitals. The business is ranked number one in Fortune Magazine's 2008 list of most admired food service companies [4]. McDonalds is also associated with cheap prices, good tasting food and fast service. McDonalds also maintains a strong community oriented vibe with its Ronald McDonald Houses which provide charitable services to families with sick children requiring extended hospital stays (www.rmhc.org). McDonalds also sponso... ...y are creating "cradle to grave" marketing, entice children as young as one year old with special meals, toys and playgrounds then children grow up eating McDonalds which continues into adulthood. [4] They have also been sued multiple times for having "unhealthy" food, allegedly with addictive additives, contributing to the obesity epidemic in America. McDonalds is a strong company that has been around a long time and is ingrained into the memories of many people. They have indisputably strong brand recognition and loyalty. However, it may be time for McDonalds to undergo a makeover, especially in the areas of quality and their link to health concerns. It is pretty clear that McDonalds isn’t going bankrupt anytime soon. McDonalds has the ability to do good things for the world if they exchange some of their money saving ways more socially responsible practices.