May 23, 2013

McDonald's

Cracking the NFL

Now that football teams across the country are facing off in the NFL’s 2012 season, which kicked off last week, many quick serves are beginning a gridiron contest of their own.

Marketing and advertising efforts designed around the NFL are an increasingly hot commodity in the...

Addition by Subtraction
September 2012

Stella has a really nice sub sandwich franchise in a strip mall in a medium-sized city. There’s a lot of parking and foot traffic. She serves hot and cold subs, chips, drinks, and cookies. The subs are great.

Starbucks Holds $87.4M in Impact Media Value

Starbucks is the top quick-service restaurant brand with $87.4 million of Impact Media Value according to General Sentiment’s Q2 2012 QSR MediaMatch report.

McDonald’s ($39.4 million), Taco Bell ($38.7 million), Burger King ($37.4 million), and Chipotle ($29.5 million) round...

Beverages Spur Growth for McDonald's in Q2

During McDonald’s second-quarter earnings call, CEO Don Thompson told investors the quick serve is growing market share through innovative beverage products. Despite the lackluster global consumer marketplace, he said beverage sales continue to be a “key contributor to growth....

Let the Games Begin
July 2012

Visually, the five interlocking rings that have become synonymous with the Olympic Games are fairly simple, but they deliver an iconic message. They speak to thrilling competition, achievement at the highest level, and the pride and patriotism of nations. The rings have come to be one of the...

How to Make Sure the Price is Right
July 2012

With economic and climate pressures forcing commodity costs upward, many quick-serve C-suites are facing the grim task of raising menu prices. But with fears that such increases could impact sales and customer loyalty, executives are left to figure out how to best introduce these higher prices...

No Fizz, No Problem
July 2012

There’s nothing quite as revitalizing as a cold drink on a hot summer afternoon. These days, however, restaurant guests are looking for more than just refreshment from their cold beverages. They are seeking fewer calories, healthful options, or, perhaps, a jolt of energy.

Cold...

Bacon Sundae Boosts BK's Quality Perception

Burger King's new summer menu of barbecue offerings and a much-talked-about bacon sundae dessert, which debuted in the U.S. on June 14, initially seemed to have little impact on consumer perception.

But over the past two weeks, the chain has had a significant run up in its quality...

McDonald's Named Most Effective Brand

For the second year in a row, fast food giant McDonald's was named the most effective brand in the Effie Effectiveness Index, which was released today.

The brand was also ranked No. 4 in the most effective global advertisers segment.

Launched in 2011 by Effie Worldwide and Warc...

McDonald’s Selects HME as Supplier of the Year

McDonald’s selected HM Electronics, Inc. (HME) as its 2011 Equipment Supplier of the Year. The award is presented annually to the equipment supplier that makes the most significant impact on, and contribution to, McDonald’s business over the previous year.

...
National Pork Board Disappointed by McDonald’s

The president of the National Pork Board said Thursday he is disappointed in the announcement earlier in the day by McDonald’s Corp. that sets a 10-year timeline for sourcing all of its pork from farms that do not use individual stalls to house pregnant pigs.

McDonald’s...

HSUS Applauds McDonald's Gestation Crate Elimination

The Humane Society of the United States prefers a shorter time frame but still welcomes news from McDonald’s that the company has created a definite timetable to eliminate gestation crate confinement of breeding pigs from its pork supply chain.

The 10-year timeline announcement came...

The Fruit Solution
June 2012

Walking into some quick-service restaurants these days can make you feel like you’ve just wandered into the produce section at Whole Foods. A colorful cornucopia of fresh fruit—from deep-yellow mangos and light-green apples to purple pomegranates and ruby-red strawberries—is...

Subway Leads Industry in Familiarity, Product Quality

When it comes to familiarity, product quality, and intent to purchase, consumers rank Subway higher than any other quick-service brand, according to a new study.

Dairy Queen, Wendy’s, Five Guys, and Chick-fil-A round out the top five of the Harris Poll EquiTrend Study, which...

The Push for Humane
June 2012

With more consumers interested in knowing where their food comes from, a growing number of quick-service companies are either pressuring their suppliers to improve the humane treatment of animals or switching food suppliers altogether. Cage-free eggs, gestation crate–free pigs, and free-...

The Evolution of Quick Service
June 2012

Ladies and gentlemen, I love the written word. I devour books. But with the exception of Charles Dickens, I never read the same book twice. Too many books, too little time.

McDonald’s “Love Story” Wins Effie Marketing Award

The 2012 North American Effie Effectiveness Index rankings were revealed May 23 at the 44th annual Effie Awards Gala. Winning an Effie Award has become a global symbol of achievement since 1968, as Effie Worldwide honors marketing ideas that work.

DDB Chicago and McDonald's won a Gold...

McDonald’s Partners with Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series

Competitor Group, Inc., the leading media and event resource in the active lifestyle industry, today announced a partnership with McDonald’s USA as the official quick-service restaurant sponsor of five upcoming events in the popular Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series.

The...

Where America Works
May 2012

A half-century ago, there seemed to be considerable truth in the phrase, “As General Motors goes, so does the nation.” That sentiment reflected the general idea that the auto industry, and the manufacturing related to it, was a key sign of America’s economic health.

The Pink Slime Dilemma

One month after the “pink slime” controversy initially made waves across the U.S., a new report shows that consumers are still concerned about the contents of the meat they eat at quick serves.

The controversy, ignited after an ABC News report detailed the use of the additive...