Erin Reeve

4/27/2011

McDonalds’ Response to Supersize Me

What McDonalds represent and how this is deconstructed

Introduction

In Chicago, papers swarmed about the news of McDonalds’ illegitimacy claims after the

release of Supersize Me. McDonalds’ headquarters, which are located in Chicago, were

constantly alerted by the newspapers of the public’s disapproval of them. In response,

McDonalds’ vice president, Ken Barun, sent a letter to The Chicago Tribune after a reporter shed

McDonalds’ beef in a negative light. Barun’s letter, however, only caused the Chicago media

outlets to talk more about the issue. Even months after the case, McDonalds was unable to

escape the claims that Supersize Me depicted.

McDonalds: Defined

McDonalds is a non-profit corporation that serves 58 million people in 119 different

countries every day. In the general public’s wave of concern for the obesity issue in America,

McDonalds has experienced a lot of controversy. In a thirty-day documentary entitled Supersize

Me, Morgan Spurlock shows how McDonalds harms the environment, a person’s general health

and well-being and the health of animals. When the film was released, however, McDonalds

focused on one thing: how the film depicted McDonalds as the cause of America’s obesity. As a

business, McDonalds has to tend to the prominent issues that the concerns its customers and the

general public. McDonalds, however, forgot to realize this until it was too late. McDonalds lost

two-thirds of its profits in 2005, after Supersize Me’s release in 2004. Its profits dropped from 96

million to 36 million in one year. McDonalds faced one of its biggest illegitimacy crises when

Supersize Me was released in January of 2004.

Strategies for Maintaining Image

McDonalds’ strategies to create a positive image are important to understand before

discussing McDonalds’ role in the Supersize Me crisis. McDonalds’ image and product

consistency play a huge role in its continued success. McDonalds attains customer loyalty by

increasing the public’s familiarity with their products and image. To maintain this loyalty,

McDonalds has to create a constant image. The success of McDonalds’ logo is evident in its

world-wide popularity. McDonalds’ big, golden arches are recognized all across the globe. In

fact, a 2010 study by Intrabrand states that McDonalds’ golden arches are the sixth most

recognizable symbol in the world. Customers recognize McDonalds’ product consistency in the

taste and quality of the food, as well. At each location, the menu, atmosphere, taste and quality

are consistent. These familiarization techniques lure customers, even when they are out of town

—or the country. To maintain this consistent image within franchises, McDonalds closely

regulating franchise owners’ business practices. Potential franchise owners must agree to

complete extensive operations training. To maintain consistency, the training is uniform at every

franchise location. After they finish training, the new franchise owners must follow the “No

absenteeism” rule to decrease mistakes in operations and flaws in image and consistency.

Due to these strategies, McDonalds has maintained a relatively consistent, positive image

since it’s opening in the 1940’s. The corporation’s response to threatening events helped them to

maintain their legitimacy. In 1997, for example, McDonalds’ legitimacy was questioned when it

was accused of putting worms in their hamburgers. Despite the rumor being unproved,

McDonalds experienced a thirty percent decline in its regular business. Since McDonalds had

been successful in maintaining their consistent and familiar image in the past, their downfall led

to this large decrease in customers, despite the rumor’s legitimacy. Their customers, however,

choose other fast food locations in fear of eating worms. For the time being, customers that

believed in the rumor saw McDonalds’ once consistent and familiar image as untruthful. Some

customers were fearful because they had trusted a corporation that now seemed unreliable.

Why Supersize Me Became a Crisis

In the past, McDonalds seized the rumor before it turned into a crisis by planning ahead.

McDonalds’ failure to plan in advance and respond appropriately to the two cases prior to

Supersize Me allowed the movie to become one of McDonalds’ biggest legitimacy crises.The

PETA and the “McLibel” court cases acted as McDonalds’ warning signs before the Supersize

Me crisis. McDonalds, however, did not believe that either of the two issues could lead to a

legitimacy problem as big as Supersize Me. McDonalds, therefore, did not respond to the issues

promptly or correctly. By ignoring these signs and warnings and not taking these two issues

seriously, McDonalds left the public to assume that the corporation was lazy or admitting guilt in

these two issues. McDonalds’ lack of response to PETA’s claims about not meeting welfare

standards made McDonalds look lazy and unsympathetic. McDonalds, also, refused to respond

appropriately to the “McLibel” court case, even though it had been highlighted by the media for

seven years. Although McDonalds was diligently handled issues in the past, they were not

protecting their image when they needed to the most.

Customer Satisfaction

Prior to the crisis, McDonalds ensured customer satisfaction by spending a large amount

of money each year to conduct market research for customer feedback. McDonalds’ uses this

feedback to change many aspects of its corporation to maintain customer satisfaction.

McDonalds continuously changes its menu items to meet customer demands. In response to

America’s recent obesity issues, McDonalds added healthier items to its menu and eliminated

unhealthy choices, like the “McPizza”. Customers are, therefore, “co-producers” of many

products and services that McDonalds provides. When the Supersize Me crisis arose, however,

McDonalds was unprepared to respond, because they relied on the customer loyalty and its brand

name that it had built over years of good service. McDonalds, therefore, only responded to

Supersize Me after it was released and when it was too late to save it from turning into a crisis. In

recognizing the success of past strategies, McDonalds got rid of the “Supersize Me” option and

added healthy adult happy meals that included a water bottle, a salad and a pedometer to meet

public demands. This response, however, was too late. Due to McDonalds’ lack of timely and

appropriate response, McDonalds continues to be a target of blame for America’s obesity.

On the contrary, McDonalds Australia seized the issue before it became a crisis. In

comparing both McDonalds’ responses; a corporation’s response is highlighted as the main

factor in seizing or creating a crisis. McDonalds Australia did not experience the same level of

severity in the crisis as the USA did. McDonalds Australia lessened Supersize Me’s effect with

their quick response and showing their concern for the public’s nutrition prior to the film’s

release. After seeing Supersize Me at the Sundance film festival earlier that year, McDonalds

Australia was able to plan for the movie’s release in Australia in June of 2004. Ten days after the

film was released, McDonalds Australia responded by airing three television ad campaigns; one

for the theatre, and two for television. McDonalds Australia, also, lessened Supersize Me’s effect

by promoting healthy options before the film was released. In fact, McDonalds Australia

McDonalds Australia spokesperson, Kristene Mullen, felt that Super Size Me was outlandish,

considering their efforts to adhere to the public’s concerns about their nutrition. In 2003, a year

before the film was released, McDonalds Australia created a SaladPlus menu, nutrition labels

and low-fat breakfast options.

McDonalds London gained legitimacy through its support for Supersize Me.McDonalds

London showed its supposed support for the film with an advertisement that told the public to

see the film and focus on one aspect: if you “eat too much and do too little”, it is “bad for you”.

McDonalds spokesperson, Amanda Pierce, stated that the ad was created because the public was

interested in learning about the company’s feelings about the film. Again, by portraying that

McDonalds’ actions were for their customers, they were able to maintain their positive image.

Also, by promoting the film, McDonalds was able to curve the blame from the corporation and

place the responsibility on the individual. McDonalds, also, used the ad to suggest that they were

helping to prevent the problem. The ad stated that they had new, healthier items that individuals

could choose.

McDonalds Response: Large Corporations Ties

After the crisis, McDonalds’ advertising campaign was endorsed by the Secertary of

Agriculture. Agriculture, although it is constructed like a large corporation, is victimized in the

modern world (Agriculture, 154). Due to the general public’s recent interest in protecting the

environment (Agriculture, 154) and eating healthy, organic foods, primarily in their raw forms,

the Department of Agriculture has the ability to achieve and maintain a benevolent image that

the general public trusts and believes in. The general public believes this image and also

positions the Department of Agriculture as the weak victim against their uncalled for competition

by America’s movement towards mass production within the food industry. The general public

perceives agriculture as a hardworking, industry that is competing against “evil” mass

production. The general public fails to remember, however, that agriculture plays a role in mass

production, which feeds into the fast food industry. Therefore, the Department of Agriculture’s

endorsement positively boosted McDonalds image, despite both corporations’ ties to the obesity

crisis.

Large Corporation Ties (Two Press Releases)

McDonalds, also, responds to the crisis with two other large corporations through two

different press releases to target different audiences. Each different press release was supported

by a large corporation that McDonalds had past ties with.

The American Council on Health and Science usually focuses on advocating against

smoking cigarettes. It does not usually target the nutrition and exercise aspects of health. In fact,

it “takes a generally apologetic stance regarding virtually every other health and environmental

hazard”. The ACHS, however, issued a press release in support of McDonalds to show how fast

food was not the only cause of obesity. Although the ACHS quit disclosing information about its

donors in 1991, McDonalds was previously one of its largest ones.

Tech Central Station distributed a press release on their front page entitled “The Truth

about the Film” (in reference to Supersize Me). Although TCS claimed that they commit to

telling guests “the facts and science-based information on obesity and nutrition”, TCS is also

funded in part by McDonalds.

How We Regained our Love for McDonalds

Today, McDonalds is making better profits than it ever has. Since Supersize Me,

McDonalds has attempted to recover its image in many ways. Most recently, McDonalds is

attempting to create an image of sustainability. In 2007, McDonalds stated that their coffee was

Rainforest Alliance certified and approved. McDonalds is, also, attempting to make their

restaurants appear more eco-friendly. In some locations, the traditional buildings are being traded

in for log-cabin themes, including green roofs and trimmings.