Fast food giant McDonald’s plans new marketing campaign to counter criticism

McDonald’s is reportedly set to roll out a new marketing campaign to combat a new attack on the fast food giant, which comes in the form of a new film and a book.

Eric Schlosser’s movie Fast Food Nation, based on the best-selling book, which exposed many of the unsavoury practices used by the world’s largest fast food retailer, and his new book, Chew on This: Everything You Don’t Want to Know About Fast Food, aimed at putting children off fast food, are to be released later on this year.

They both pose a similar threat to the fast food empire as box office hit Super Size Me, which was released in 2003. The film, which picked up numerous awards as well as an Oscar nomination for best documentary, led to McDonald’s removing its super size meal options from its menu.

A spokesperson for McDonald’s UK said: “We know about Mr Schlosser's new film and book and are pleased that he shares our focus on good food and good jobs. We are looking forward to an objective and fair discussion about the things that our customers and employees care about.”

McDonald’s is likely to respond to the threats by intensifying moves it has already made. The company recently refocused its offering by launching its "Eat smart, be active" campaign, which includes healthier meal options such as salads and deli sandwiches.

McDonald’s also recently launched a new website dedicated to its Ronald McDonald mascot as part of a drive to associate the character with fun and activity. The campaign shows him practising snowboard jumps along with health and exercise tips from a personal trainer.

But the shift to include healthier foods on its menu hasn’t paid off for McDonald's as it closed 25 restaurants in the UK during the first three months of this year, which cost the company at least £23 million in cancelling leases and other charges.

By Kerstin Kühn

This article originally appeared on mad.co.uk, the website which delivers business insight to professionals in marketing, media, new media, advertising and design. To subscribe to mad.co.uk and receive full access to their database of articles on these industries, click here.

Source: mad.co.uk

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