Some McDonald's Locations Don't Promote Hip-Hop Stars' New Meal
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Franchisees try their best to attract new and retain regular customers. They realize that nowadays influencers and celebrities have a big influence. McDonald's also includes celebrities in its promotional products. Such a promotion is well known, for example in 1992, the star that was on the McDonald's menu was the basketball star Michael Jordan.
Bad effect on the image
Some McDonald's restaurant owners in the US have raised concerns about the network's collaboration with celebrities, including rappers Cardi B and Offset. Some owners have claimed that multiple McDonald's locations have refused to promote Cardi B and Offset's current meal due to concerns about artist ties.
In messages sent to the US branch in recent weeks, several McDonald's franchisees said that the artists' lyrics and lifestyle were not in line with the company's brand. Some owners wrote that select celebrities could undermine McDonald's family-friendly image, and called on other franchisees to remove Cardi B and Offset meal-related advertisements and merchandise from their stores.
Famous Orders
McDonald's "Famous Orders" meals, which typically combine a handful of celebrity-curated menu items in promotional packaging, have been one of the burger chain's most successful marketing ventures in recent years, executives said. The introduction of meals in 2020 helped the company regain US sales lost at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic and take over the business from other burger chains.
According to McDonald's, celebrity-supported dining largely builds on the existing McDonald's menu, increasing sales without adding complexity to restaurants. They also helped the network increase online ordering and app downloads, which is one of the company's priorities, executives said.
Cardi B and Offset
In February, McDonald's introduced its first meal supported by a celebrity pair, with the chain promoting food packages selected by Cardi B and Offset with special packaging. The company announced a meal for sharing during the Super Bowl, promoting a cheeseburger with BBQ sauce and Coke for Cardi B and a quarter pound of cheese and Hi-C Orange Lavaburst for Offset. Plus large fries and apple pie.
Cardi B, the Grammy-winning rapper, has attracted controversy over the vulgar content of some of her lyrics and videos, most notably her 2020 hit "WAP", and she and Offset have collaborated on several songs. Following the announcement of the meal, some McDonald's operators in the US conveyed their concerns to the company.
Some operators questioned whether celebrity affiliations could conflict with the company's branding standards and franchisee policies.
It was impossible to determine how many of the more than 1,000 McDonald's franchise owners refused to promote the meal or agreed that celebrities did not fit the brand. McDonald's said on Tuesday that the chain had received widespread support and excitement from owners and employees of their restaurants for Cardi B and Offset's meal. The company said the couple's promotion was to focus on love and celebrating special moments.
Others just like McDonald's
Other restaurant chains have also signed deals with celebrities. Dunkin' ran a promotion in 2020 tied to TikTok star Charli D'Amelio, and Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. offered a bowl related to Canadian pop singer Shawn Mendes in 2021. Burger King will release tie-in meals with rapper Nelly and two other stars later in 2021.
McDonald's share price
McDonald's shares fell late last week, but rose slightly on Monday. Yesterday MCD fell again and closed at 263.91. Today, the stock rose to 264.40.
Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com
