There are many marketing techniques and target consumers. When I think about the ideal consumer I imagine an adult with a stable job who is able to decide and pay for what he wants. According to “Your Trusted Friend” by Eric Schlosser children are the McDonald’s restaurant target consumers. McDonalds being a big part of my childhood, I realize targeting children is a genius and effective idea.
To target children and lure them in, new marketing techniques would have to be used. No longer was McDonald's aiming for a family crowd. To accomplish this Ray Crock who was in charge of marketing brought in advertisement techniques and ads such as the all time famous Ronald McDonald's clown into the scene. McDonald’s also put into effect the market strategy known as “synergy.” Doing so McDonald’s was able to construct playgrounds inside their restaurant, which brought great success among children. Also, McDonald’s started selling toys; they included one in their happy meals. This attracted the attention of kids even more. From the moment you walk into a McDonald’s restaurant the first thing that catches your attention is a colorful display case that contains the toys that McDonald’s has available. This is followed by ads of they’re products that are on special hanging from the ceiling and on the windows. The reason why the restaurant is decorated this way to me is because this is the way that they plant their product into the customers’ brain. Its simple, the customers come, buy their meal and eat it all of this while they see the word McDonald’s everywhere; from the packaging of the food, to the cups, to the small packs of ketchup. No satisfied with this the customer is also exposed to the famous McDonald’s colors, yellow and red. It’s all strategically set to associate everything the customer sees, tastes, and smells to the brand McDonald’s.
Also, the idea to target kids as the ideal customers could not have come at a better time. America was in the middle of the baby boom which made the whole situation that much better. McDonald’s had colorful ads, fun characters, food wrapped like a present and toys. Kids were being bombarded from all angles. There was even research being conducted on “Juvenile Nagging Tactics.” The way children forced their parents to give them what they wanted, and McDonald’s was using the advertisement needed to utilize this behavior in kids to their advantage. The time I spent sitting in the restaurant was enough to witness the nagging tactics. Not content with already being in McDonald’s the kids would force their parents to buy them what ever they wanted, they wouldn’t listen to reason. The kids would cry, yell, get extremely quiet and sad, or be really nice to their parents and lovable; all nagging tactics.
As I sat in that McDonald’s and observed how people interacted I came across a particular family of 4 that had just walked into the restaurant. They all seemed to be in a bad mood, the parents were annoyed and the 2 kids who were around 5 and 11 years old were tired and sad. I followed them until they sat down and finally began to eat. This is when everything changed, the parents became more calm and relaxed and the kids had an expression of happiness and excitement. At this point the negative energy had turned to positive and I was now observing a happy family that was bonding. As I was looking at them I realized and felt the “fantasy element”. Perhaps not the one where the walls are created with apple pies and the tables with burgers, but the fantasy of a “perfect family” that only a prefect restaurant like McDonald’s can create. This is actually what McDonald’s has worked for. Their brand image, which is to be seen as a “trusted friend”, part of the family; and they have done a great job to achieve this.
The McDonald’s brand does not have a negative effect on me. The reason why I feel this way is that I myself was a victim of their genius marketing techniques. I grew up with McDonalds and the happy meal like many other children did, I was another just another target. I used to collect the toys that came in the happy meals and when ever my parents refused to bring me to McDonald’s I used the nagging tactics to obtain what I wanted. McDonald’s is part of my childhood and it was the host to many meaningful moments I spent with my family. Even though I no longer eat here, there as still occasions were McDonald’s brings my family together and we find ourselves either reminiscing about the good times we had here as kids or even having a meal here and bonding. No matter how people view the marketing strategies that McDonald’s employed to become what it is today I am going to remain loyal and stick by it. McDonald’s made my childhood that much better and in a way brought my family together not to mention my first job was in a McDonald’s! McDonalds, am lovin’ it.
To target children and lure them in, new marketing techniques would have to be used. No longer was McDonald's aiming for a family crowd. To accomplish this Ray Crock who was in charge of marketing brought in advertisement techniques and ads such as the all time famous Ronald McDonald's clown into the scene. McDonald’s also put into effect the market strategy known as “synergy.” Doing so McDonald’s was able to construct playgrounds inside their restaurant, which brought great success among children. Also, McDonald’s started selling toys; they included one in their happy meals. This attracted the attention of kids even more. From the moment you walk into a McDonald’s restaurant the first thing that catches your attention is a colorful display case that contains the toys that McDonald’s has available. This is followed by ads of they’re products that are on special hanging from the ceiling and on the windows. The reason why the restaurant is decorated this way to me is because this is the way that they plant their product into the customers’ brain. Its simple, the customers come, buy their meal and eat it all of this while they see the word McDonald’s everywhere; from the packaging of the food, to the cups, to the small packs of ketchup. No satisfied with this the customer is also exposed to the famous McDonald’s colors, yellow and red. It’s all strategically set to associate everything the customer sees, tastes, and smells to the brand McDonald’s.
Also, the idea to target kids as the ideal customers could not have come at a better time. America was in the middle of the baby boom which made the whole situation that much better. McDonald’s had colorful ads, fun characters, food wrapped like a present and toys. Kids were being bombarded from all angles. There was even research being conducted on “Juvenile Nagging Tactics.” The way children forced their parents to give them what they wanted, and McDonald’s was using the advertisement needed to utilize this behavior in kids to their advantage. The time I spent sitting in the restaurant was enough to witness the nagging tactics. Not content with already being in McDonald’s the kids would force their parents to buy them what ever they wanted, they wouldn’t listen to reason. The kids would cry, yell, get extremely quiet and sad, or be really nice to their parents and lovable; all nagging tactics.
As I sat in that McDonald’s and observed how people interacted I came across a particular family of 4 that had just walked into the restaurant. They all seemed to be in a bad mood, the parents were annoyed and the 2 kids who were around 5 and 11 years old were tired and sad. I followed them until they sat down and finally began to eat. This is when everything changed, the parents became more calm and relaxed and the kids had an expression of happiness and excitement. At this point the negative energy had turned to positive and I was now observing a happy family that was bonding. As I was looking at them I realized and felt the “fantasy element”. Perhaps not the one where the walls are created with apple pies and the tables with burgers, but the fantasy of a “perfect family” that only a prefect restaurant like McDonald’s can create. This is actually what McDonald’s has worked for. Their brand image, which is to be seen as a “trusted friend”, part of the family; and they have done a great job to achieve this.
The McDonald’s brand does not have a negative effect on me. The reason why I feel this way is that I myself was a victim of their genius marketing techniques. I grew up with McDonalds and the happy meal like many other children did, I was another just another target. I used to collect the toys that came in the happy meals and when ever my parents refused to bring me to McDonald’s I used the nagging tactics to obtain what I wanted. McDonald’s is part of my childhood and it was the host to many meaningful moments I spent with my family. Even though I no longer eat here, there as still occasions were McDonald’s brings my family together and we find ourselves either reminiscing about the good times we had here as kids or even having a meal here and bonding. No matter how people view the marketing strategies that McDonald’s employed to become what it is today I am going to remain loyal and stick by it. McDonald’s made my childhood that much better and in a way brought my family together not to mention my first job was in a McDonald’s! McDonalds, am lovin’ it.
That is such a good connection with your own expreience. McDonald's use a lot of marketing strategies to attract people to become their loyal customer, especally the kids. McDonald's also is a big part of children's life.
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