McDonalds has long understood
that strategy trumps tactics in a global retail marketplace clearly the Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) leader in the United States and the
World. Over the past 30+ years McDonalds has leveraged its consumer qualitative
and quantitative attributes with marvelous menu magic, building a better brand
for global success. While a majority of
QSR copy-cat companies continue to pontificate brand protectionism. What is it
they don’t understand? Here are some menu magic success clues:
In Germany you can find cold beer
in most McDonalds. Canada, have a
lobster dinner with the McLobster lobster roll. In fish-loving Norway, they
have the McLaks, a sandwich made of grilled salmon and dill sauce. In Hong
Kong, Rice Burgers, where the burgers
are in between, not burger buns, but two patties of glutinous rice.
Australians can is
the only McDonalds market in the world with lamb on its menu permanently. You can also order Vegemite with
your English muffin. Australian Happy
Meals serve something called the Pasta Zoo which is a vegetable and cheese ravioli in the
shape of zoo
animals, served with a side of "Zoo Goo," made of tomato
In Asia the shrimp
burger is called the "EBI Filet-O" in Japan. In Hong Kong, it's
formally titled the Shrimp Burger and comes on bread with lettuce and spicy
sauce. In addition you my Japan's own
shrimp tempura. These shrimp are encrusted in a light batter and dunk nicely
into tempura sauce.
In Malaysia you
can find a cup of porridge with bits of chicken, ginger, onion, shallots and chili
peppers.
“Porridge isn't
soup, but rather sodden rice. Malaysians buy their version from food carts or
hawker centers, where vendors sell just that dish. While the McDonald's adaptation
is heavy on the rice, the Malaysian version comes in generous layers, with the
soft rice boiled in chicken or seafood broth on the bottom and sauces, chopped
vegetables and shredded chicken added on top”.
Singaporean
McDonald's serve Shaka Shaka Chicken. You'll get a breaded, deep-fried chicken
patty in a wax-paper bag. You dump spicy powder into the bag, and as you
"shaka" it, the spices stick to the patty with the help of the frying
oil. If you're too lazy to leave the hotel, you can always order a chicken
sandwich online, add some jasmine tea and make it
come to you with a McDelivery.
In India there are no beef
burgers at McDonald's in India try the McVeggie -- a rice, bean and vegetable
patty that McDonald's treats predictably with breading -- or the McAloo Tikki
-- a potato-vegetable burger. Then there is the Maharaja Mac, which is a Big Mac made of lamb
or chicken meat.
In Egypt, but
across the Middle East. It serves the McArabia, two chicken or beef patties in
pita bread with lettuce, tomato, onion and tahini sauce. We see this more as a
transplanted hamburger than shawarma
or falafel.
Restaurant brand protectionism is not a success tactic nor is
it a strategy that works in 2012. McDonalds has proven the case menu
decentralization and country personalization is the spring board for success.
For international
corporate presentations, educational forums, or keynotes contact: Steven
Johnson Grocerant Guru at Tacoma, WA based www.FoodserviceSolutions.us His extensive experience as a multi-unit
restaurant operator, consultant, brand / product positioning expert and public
speaking will leave success clues for all. Facebook.com/Steven
Johnson, Linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant
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