McDonald's did a little research and found that consumers had misconceptions about the brand as well as some nagging questions about how the business was run. Instead of shying away from the scrutiny, McDonald's decided to push forward and go with a completely new concept in the fast food industry - transparency.
With the growth of social media and other forms of fast communication, McDonald's believed that these misconceptions were being spread around and could have the potential to hurt business now and into the future. The campaign for transparency began by looking to consumers and asking them what they wanted to know about the brand, the food and the way the business was run. People were encouraged to ask the tough questions and expect to get answers.
This step made huge waves in the marketing industry. It leaves a business open to serious scrutiny and provides lots of opportunities for missteps. However, McDonald's saw this as a risk that was needed to create more of a rapport between company and customer. The final goal was to give customers a reason to trust the brand as well as the advertising behind it. In essence, it gave individuals that love and hate the Big Mac a chance to go behind the scenes and take a closer look at everything.
It's tough to find critics when a company completely opens itself up in this manner. Customers loved the idea and asked tons of questions. They wanted to know everything from what the actual contents of the meat in the burgers consisted of to how many sesame seeds were on top of the buns. The Canadian public took advantage of this opportunity through a digital platform called, "Our Food - Your Questions."
McDonald's gained instant access to what was going on in customers' minds when it came to the fast food industry and more specifically, this particular brand. The concept takes market research to a whole new level. Instead of just guessing what people wanted, McDonald's actually heard it directly from the consumers, in this case, in Canada. As of today, the chain has answered more than 19,000 questions and still has the forum open for questions and comments. Anyone can take note of the questions and answers and share them with others through Facebook and Twitter, offering McDonald's even more of an opportunity to get the word out about the latest in transparency.
All of this hard work and effort has led to McDonald's being called the Marketer of the Year 2012 for Marketing.com. Because of this, now is the best time to look to McDonald's as a possible franchise in Canada to consider. With all of the consumer feedback, it is easy to know what people want and how to meet their expectations. The brand itself is working hard to take a customer oriented focus and lead the way when it comes to direct marketing.
When looking for a franchise in Canada, potential entrepreneurs have the ability to take advantage of this new campaign and become part of a company that is continuing to gain more of a positive public image and increases in sales.
