Spicing Up Your Holiday Season

Image taken from Brandeating.com

Pumpkin Spice Latte

 

       McDonald's ran a test of a Pumpkin Spice Latte  in Alabama to create an expectation of possible buzz. McDonald's is in direct competition with Starbucks and Dunkin' with the introduction of the Pumpkin Spice Latte. Fortunately, McDonald's has an competitive advantage over both competitors because they are the CHEAPEST!!! McDonald's is able to maintain taste, quality, and brand esteem at lower price. Another advantage is busy MacDonald's consumers do not have to make MULTIPLE trips to different locations. Mom can have her Latte, Dad can have his burger and the kids are satisfied with their Happy Meal which includes a toy and they NEVER have to step foot out of the car. HANDS DOWN McDonald's will totally dominate pumpkin latte experience between it two competitors.  

*Article Link http://investorplace.com/2012/10/mcdonalds-reveals-holiday-menu/

 

_Gwendolyn Satchell

Tis' the Season To Enjoy McDonalds Warm Holiday Pies

Image taken from brandeating.com

The holidays season is fast approaching and McDonald's is looking to dominate its competition like always during this season. McDonald's is launching the release of a whole entire Holiday menu. This menu will include pies shakes and the Mcflurry.


Thier Sweet Holiday pie includes a baked sugar-cookie like pie crust with confetti sprinkles mixed in and a custard filling.




Image Taken from Justapinch.com

The Cheer Up Egg shakes include a blend of Egg nog syrup in a vanilla milkshake. YUMM!!!






McDonald's is aware that many people who are already health conscious and watching their wight are extremely sensitive during the Holiday season. In consideration of the health conscious consumer McDonald's has created a reduced-fat soft-serve ice cream with peppermint candy and mint syrup served only during this holiday season. GET YOUR SWEETS AND BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN YOUR FIGURE THIS SEASON #WINNING

Image taken from abcnews.go.com

The last two items to be included in the hopliday menu are:  Baked Pumpkin Pie and McCafe Pumpkin Shake. These items are exclusively sold at select McDonald's.  Many of the Greater Los Angles area locations will not sell this product as many Southern Californians are not as Pumpkin receptive as those individuals in other parts of the world. MCDONALDS KNOWS THIER CUSTOMERS BEST!

McDonald’s pie with a pumpkin filling

Image taken from Brandeatimg.com

Image taken from brandeating.com

Reduced-fat vanilla soft-serve ice cream with pumpkin syrup, whipped cream and a cherry






Hope you enjoy Americas favorite fast food restaurants specially created with the consumer in mind Holiday Menu Click here for more information on the new product sensations.

_Gwendolyn Satchell

How McDonald's Canada Makes their Fries

McDonald's Canada is revealing their methods of making the world's famous fries. The video shows the process "from the farm to all the way to the fryer." Along the way, Scott Gibson, manager of the company's supply chain, answers some of the customers' questions. The first question Gibson addresses is whether or not the potatoes used by the fast food restaurant are real. Angelo Levesque, a potato farmer, discusses how the potatoes are harvested and sorted at the farm. After that they are brought to McCain, the company's fries supplier, to be prepared before heading to restaurants. Mario Dupuis, production manager at McCain, explains that the fries are washed to remove the rocks and dirt and then put through a "peeling system." The fries are then washed in a textural solution to give it the "nice even coat we see in the restaurants." Ingredients are added to prevent the fries from greying or oxidizing. Afterwards, they are dried and fried for 45 to 60 seconds. Finally, they are frozen, packaged and shipped to restaurants. Once at the restaurants, the fries are deep-fried in 100 percent vegetable oil. They are salted with about 1 tablespoon of salt per four orders of medium fries. The fries are ready to serve at this point. The video goes though the process in detail. I find it quite entertaining and informative to watch. I am a loyal fan of McDonald's fries, so watching this video allows me to understand how they make the fries so tasty and addicting. I hope you guys enjoy watching.

Article link: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/lifestyle/2012/10/mcdonalds-canada-reveals-how-they-make-famous-fries/

- Hanli Tjahyono

The McJordan Barbecue Sauce

McJordan BBQ sauce has been around since 1992 and is finally being sold.

Mort Bank, a man who used to own McDonald's restaurants in North Dakota, sold a 20-year-old container of McJordan barbecue sauce through eBay. He saved the gallon jug of sauce after selling his McDonald's restaurants. He told The Bismarck Tribune that it was in his basement and that he would look at it occasionally. It sold for $9,995 Monday night to a buyer from Chicago. According to Bank, "Michael Jordan was the first burger that was actually named after an individual, and it had cheese, bacon, barbecue sauce, and a couple other menu items." Who ever bought the barbecue sauce must have been a Bulls fan or a Michael Jordan fan. It probably won't be a good idea to open the jug and put it on some ribs or hamburger and eat it. He would most likely get sick. I wonder what it would taste like when it was made in 1992. I don't remember seeing an advertisement on the McJordan sauce during that year. It was quite an idea to combine arguably the best basketball player in the world with a McDonald's barbecue sauce.

Article link: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-400_162-57534525/former-mcdonalds-restaurant-owner-sells-20-year-old-mcjordan-barbecue-sauce-for-$10000/

- Hanli Tjahyono

Angry Birds / McDonalds... legit?

McDonald's in China team up with Rovio for an Angry Birds themed location.  This allows customers to play special games while in the restaurant.  They have also hooked up with TBWA/Shanghai and TBWA Gamelab who have created special modes and free power-ups on their iOS devices.  

Customers are given the opportunity to vote on a city to have an actual slingshot outside of that McDonald's.  Talk about giving back to the people!!!  They have been doing an amazing job getting the customers involved in decisions which helps market the company.  I think it help because... If someone asks for you opinion, you are put in a position where you believe they care what you think and are interested in what you have to say.  Whether or not you care its still nice to keep people involved.  You'll be willing to go to McDonald's before jack in the box because they wanted your opinion.

Ricky Madrigal

MKT450

TEAM GRH  

Video Link: http://adage.com/article/creativity-pick-of-the-day/mcdonald-s-china-partners-angry-birds-special-edition-gameplay/237906/

*** sub titles are shown for people like myself who do not understand the language ***

McDonald sues Milan for evection...

McDonald's sues Milan over eviction from Galleria

McDonald's has sued the city of Milan for 24 million Euros in damages over being kicked out of a tourist-packed shopping arcade, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, after the U.S. fast food chain had rented the space for 20 years.

Its pretty obvious that McDonald's has been successful at that location and its a shame they were evicted because they want a second "PRADA" store to replace that location.  Having someone rent a place for 20 years is pretty concrete and should have some sort of law protecting them.  Nevertheless, they're renting.  

McDonald's went out with a bang, as they served 5,000 free burgers, fries and drinks from NOON - 4PM earlier today.  There's no better way to leave, but with a bang.  Its unfortunate, but McDonald's made the best of it.

-Ricky Madrigal

MKT450

TEAM GRH

McDonalds Goes Green with McRecycle®

Image taken from georgetown.tas.gov.au

          McDonald's recognizes that being a good global citizen means helping to maintain the earth that we all live on. McDonald's understands that the earth with not always be plentiful and bountiful. For this McDonald’s has made efforts to increase awareness of recycling in order to help sustain Earth. Their efforts reach from the supply chain to their restaurants.

 

 

         In the early 90's, McDonald’s Austria developed and began implementing McRecycle®. McRecycle® is a waste-management concept that focuses on the input and the output of materials. Currently, packaging represents the largest group of materials made from renewable and recyclable resources. McDonald's strategic plan first includes avoiding and reducing as much waste  as possible. the next part of the plan is to simply recycle everything that is left over.


         In order for the plan to take action materials used for packaging were processed and stripped of non-essential elements. Next, specially trained employees are to guarantee correct waste separation. this occurs inside of each restaurant. The waste is then compressed and finally collected by a recycling company.


Image taken from junkmailgemsblog.blogspot.com


 

                                                  
        As a result 95 percent of the restaurant’s waste from the kitchen and from the dining room is being recycled. Only 5 percent goes to a landfill or the incinerator. Food waste is collected and composted. All used cooking oil is recycled into bio fuel for the company’s trucks. And there you have it America McDonald's is not wasting anything.





         Lastly here's a comic to laugh about and remind you to Go Green and Recycle if major corporations can at least attempt to adapt this initiative so can we! 

*Article Link- http://bestpractices.mcdonalds.com/sections/1-best-of-green
-Gwendolyn Satchell