McDonald’s Coins Currency, and Craveability

Success does leave clues and franchise bucking the system is a clue that none of us should forget. It was 50 years ago that franchise Jim Delligatti invented the Big Mac at his grill in Uniontown, Pennsylvania; he just wanted to make his local customers happy.  However at the time McDonald’s corporate did not like Jim bucking the system. Today however they are celebrating 50 years of him winning a bet!  

Of course that was back in the day and fast food franchise systems were not as proactive as they are today according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®. One evening during the NRA Show in Chicago our Grocerant Guru® had a very memorable dinner with Jim at Eli’s Restaurant while dinning a steaks and cheesecake.  Jim recounted the importance of focusing on the customer and pushing McDonald’s the franchisor forward and together.  It was a great evening the lesson was is as valuable today as it was then.   

Jim Delligatti understood that consumers were dynamic not static and franchise companies must be dynamic as well to maintain customer relevance according to Johnson.  Once again McDonald’s is doing just that  To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Big Mac, McDonald’s today unveiled the MacCoin, a limited edition global currency* backed by the internationally iconic Big Mac that fans across the world can get their hands on starting August 2. Customers can share, collect and redeem for a free Big Mac at participating McDonald’s restaurants in more than 50 participating countries.

Think of this the Big Mac has become such a global icon that The Economist even used the price of the Big Mac to create the Big Mac Index, an economic tool that compares the purchasing power of different international currencies year after year. This global connectivity of the Big Mac inspired the creation of the MacCoin.

More than 6.2 million MacCoins will be distributed globally in more than 50 countries while supplies last. MacCoins will be McDonalds new electricity driving top line sales and bottom line profits with edifying the brand with customer relevance fortifying the ‘halo’ consumers place on the Big Mac.

What is the new electricity that is driving your top line sales and bottom line profits?  Are your customer counts growing?  According to Johnson, “Brand relevance is in part driven with innovation in new food products in combination with new avenues of distribution all of which are the platform for the new electricity.”

Johnson stated “that in my minds-eye the new electricity must be very efficient for the supply and includes such things as fresh foods, urban clothing, grocerant consultants, coins /currency, autonomous delivery, cashier-less retail, cash-less payments, digital hand held marketing. This program has all of that.

Foodservice retailers to survive the next generation of retail must embrace the artificial intelligence revolution while simultaneously embracing fresh food that is portable, fresh, with differentiation that is familiar not different.  That will require brands to embrace new fresh food partnerships more now than ever before according to Johnson.

Are you trapped doing what you have always done and doing it the same way?  Where is your new electricity?  Interested in learning how www.FoodserviceSolutions.us can edify your retail food brand while creating a platform for consumer convenient meal participation, differentiation and individualization?  Email us at: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or visit:  www.FoodserviceSolutions.us for more information.