Reality on a Stick

2 Comments so far (Add 1 more)

1. This is the kind of asshole corporate behaviour that Seth Godin likes to write about. Seth’s marketing attitude is that good behaviour (prompt apologies and generous, spontaneous compensation when mistakes are made, for example) actually costs companies very little in the long run and does wonders for their public image, so why don’t they do it more often?

   One has to wonder what McDonald’s is thinking: either they are really ignorant and arrogant and fail to realize how this kind of behaviour can only backfire in PR terms, or they DO realize this and they don’t care, either because they think playing ruthless is the royal road to yet more success, or because they have now reached that heady plateau where the general public is now seen as dumb consumers fit for either employing at below minimum wage or for simply ordering what to do.

   I wonder if this beats Monsanto’s treatment of the little guy (and if 1 guy and a discussion group of 24 isn’t “little” compared to Monsanto, I don’t know what is)?
   See here and here and here.
   Even tho many of their attacks have backfired legally and in PR terms (who’d a guessed, eh?), some people never learn.

   1. Marco Polo on March 23rd, 2007 at 10:54 am

2. Hi Marco: Thanks again for all of the links. I think McDonald’s is concerned with bad PR, but they see the McDerogatory Labels trend as being the ultimate in negative buzz, so they are willing to give a little to (possibly) gain a lot. And as for negative PR, the truth is that the only people who pay attention to this kind of news are people who already take issue with unfair megaconglomerate business practices. I doubt that McDonald’s sales are affected greatly by this story. Also, there is a disconnect between our view of fair employment terms and that of a large corporation like Wal-Mart or McDonald’s. In their eyes, as long as there are people applying for jobs, their positions are filling a demand. And as long as they are indeed paying minimum wage, they can’t see that they are doing anything wrong. Furthermore, corporate culture is conducive to underanalyzing succes, so you can see how the company responsible for making the Big Mac a household name would get into the habit of thinking that their business model is near flawless. Indeed, the McDonald’s franchise mentality has influenced the way that business is done in nearly every industry and in most countries around the world. Fast Food Nation is a fascinating book about how the U.S. fast food industry has reshaped the American diet, food industry, and economy, as well as business practices worlwide. Well worth the read.

   2. realityonastick on March 26th, 2007 at 12:40 am