Comments on: Innovation with your fries? http://www.adaptstrat.com/blog/index.php/innovation-with-your-fries We Help Managers Make a Difference Sat, 19 Nov 2011 21:26:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Bill Welter http://www.adaptstrat.com/blog/index.php/innovation-with-your-fries/comment-page-1#comment-290 Bill Welter Mon, 27 Apr 2009 14:04:02 +0000 http://www.adaptstrat.com/blog/?p=82#comment-290 Andrew, Thanks for sharing views from Australia. I agree, McD has done quite a bit to give people options. The difficulty for any company trying to modify their image is that it take time. However, their track record shows persistence. Cheers, Bill Andrew,
Thanks for sharing views from Australia. I agree, McD has done quite a bit to give people options. The difficulty for any company trying to modify their image is that it take time. However, their track record shows persistence.
Cheers, Bill

]]> By: Andrew http://www.adaptstrat.com/blog/index.php/innovation-with-your-fries/comment-page-1#comment-288 Andrew Mon, 27 Apr 2009 13:07:03 +0000 http://www.adaptstrat.com/blog/?p=82#comment-288 Bill One of the things which impressed me most about innovation with McDonalds, at least in my home country of Australia, was their shift toward healthier eating menu options. I don't know what they have done in other countries, but in Australia, McDonalds moved into operating a much broader range of options for the health conscious. What this meant is that consumers who wanted the convenience of fast food and reliable service no longer had to put up with average tasting junk which had virtually no nutritional value at all, and instead. Instead the company started catering to those who care about their health. I'm not sure about the figures, but since then, I know that McDonalds has no longer been seen as a stale old restaurant of junk food in my country. Bill

One of the things which impressed me most about innovation with McDonalds, at least in my home country of Australia, was their shift toward healthier eating menu options.

I don’t know what they have done in other countries, but in Australia, McDonalds moved into operating a much broader range of options for the health conscious. What this meant is that consumers who wanted the convenience of fast food and reliable service no longer had to put up with average tasting junk which had virtually no nutritional value at all, and instead. Instead the company started catering to those who care about their health.

I’m not sure about the figures, but since then, I know that McDonalds has no longer been seen as a stale old restaurant of junk food in my country.

]]> By: Bill Welter http://www.adaptstrat.com/blog/index.php/innovation-with-your-fries/comment-page-1#comment-282 Bill Welter Sun, 19 Apr 2009 18:45:06 +0000 http://www.adaptstrat.com/blog/?p=82#comment-282 Fred, thanks for the observation (and revision). I think you have a great point -- it really is all about the customer. Fred,
thanks for the observation (and revision). I think you have a great point — it really is all about the customer.

]]> By: Fred H Schlegel http://www.adaptstrat.com/blog/index.php/innovation-with-your-fries/comment-page-1#comment-280 Fred H Schlegel Thu, 16 Apr 2009 20:14:16 +0000 http://www.adaptstrat.com/blog/?p=82#comment-280 Umm, that last sentence should read: It may be that innovating outside the box consumer expectations have put them in is too difficult to maintain. <abbr><em>Fred H Schlegel’s last blog post..<a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/frogblog/yTub/~3/3jKqVJfbGHM/" rel="nofollow">Physics and Ideation: Ways To Unleash Creativity</a></abbr></em> Umm, that last sentence should read: It may be that innovating outside the box consumer expectations have put them in is too difficult to maintain.

Fred H Schlegel’s last blog post..Physics and Ideation: Ways To Unleash Creativity

]]> By: Fred H Schlegel http://www.adaptstrat.com/blog/index.php/innovation-with-your-fries/comment-page-1#comment-279 Fred H Schlegel Thu, 16 Apr 2009 20:06:59 +0000 http://www.adaptstrat.com/blog/?p=82#comment-279 McD's has done amazing things with supply chain and production management over the years. And I will admit one of my happiest days was when my children both gave up Happy Meals (and McD's for a good long time - the 101 Dalmatians promotion nearly killed us all) However, my understanding is that every time the place tries to emphasize health, sales go down. It may be that innovating outside what the box consumer expectations have put on them is too difficult to maintain. <abbr><em>Fred H Schlegel’s last blog post..<a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/frogblog/yTub/~3/3jKqVJfbGHM/" rel="nofollow">Physics and Ideation: Ways To Unleash Creativity</a></abbr></em> McD’s has done amazing things with supply chain and production management over the years. And I will admit one of my happiest days was when my children both gave up Happy Meals (and McD’s for a good long time – the 101 Dalmatians promotion nearly killed us all) However, my understanding is that every time the place tries to emphasize health, sales go down. It may be that innovating outside what the box consumer expectations have put on them is too difficult to maintain.

Fred H Schlegel’s last blog post..Physics and Ideation: Ways To Unleash Creativity

]]> By: Brad Shorr http://www.adaptstrat.com/blog/index.php/innovation-with-your-fries/comment-page-1#comment-278 Brad Shorr Thu, 16 Apr 2009 12:02:34 +0000 http://www.adaptstrat.com/blog/?p=82#comment-278 Hi Bill, I've heard your argument before and it raises an interesting chicken and egg question. Do you think people shun the McLean and apple chips because McDonalds did such a good job of conditioning us to crave the hamburgers and fries? I don't know the answer, but it does seem that in some cultures people choose a healthier diet. Your point about social responsibility is extremely important, and a question with perhaps more relevance in the financial, tobacco, and drug industries. I think corporations, whatever their products or services, should be socially conscious, and not just for moral reasons. My fear is, if corporations abandon that responsibility, the government will step in and tell us what to eat and where to bank, etc. Do you see us going in that direction already? <abbr><em>Brad Shorr’s last blog post..<a href="http://www.wordsellinc.com/blog/social-media/banks-should-stop-tv-advertising-and-use-social-media/" rel="nofollow">Banks Should Stop TV Advertising and Use Social Media</a></abbr></em> Hi Bill, I’ve heard your argument before and it raises an interesting chicken and egg question. Do you think people shun the McLean and apple chips because McDonalds did such a good job of conditioning us to crave the hamburgers and fries? I don’t know the answer, but it does seem that in some cultures people choose a healthier diet. Your point about social responsibility is extremely important, and a question with perhaps more relevance in the financial, tobacco, and drug industries. I think corporations, whatever their products or services, should be socially conscious, and not just for moral reasons. My fear is, if corporations abandon that responsibility, the government will step in and tell us what to eat and where to bank, etc. Do you see us going in that direction already?

Brad Shorr’s last blog post..Banks Should Stop TV Advertising and Use Social Media

]]> By: Bill Welter http://www.adaptstrat.com/blog/index.php/innovation-with-your-fries/comment-page-1#comment-277 Bill Welter Wed, 15 Apr 2009 00:35:55 +0000 http://www.adaptstrat.com/blog/?p=82#comment-277 Brad, While I appreciate your rant (may I use that phrase?) I have to gently disagree. Yes, we feed our kids fries, but we could also feed them the apple chips that McD provides. The choice is ours. The question is "Whose responsibility is it?" Think back a number of years when McD had the "McLean" on its menu board -- it was as healthy as you could get and still have a burger. The problem was that nobody would buy it. McD gave us exactly what we said we needed -- only that we were kidding ourselves. And that raises another interesting question about the responsibility of business. Hmmmm, thoughts for another blogpost. Brad,
While I appreciate your rant (may I use that phrase?) I have to gently disagree. Yes, we feed our kids fries, but we could also feed them the apple chips that McD provides. The choice is ours. The question is “Whose responsibility is it?”
Think back a number of years when McD had the “McLean” on its menu board — it was as healthy as you could get and still have a burger. The problem was that nobody would buy it. McD gave us exactly what we said we needed — only that we were kidding ourselves. And that raises another interesting question about the responsibility of business. Hmmmm, thoughts for another blogpost.

]]> By: Brad Shorr http://www.adaptstrat.com/blog/index.php/innovation-with-your-fries/comment-page-1#comment-276 Brad Shorr Tue, 14 Apr 2009 12:12:21 +0000 http://www.adaptstrat.com/blog/?p=82#comment-276 Hi Bill, While I seem to agree with you 99.9% of the time, I would not hold up McDonalds as a model. Their products are nutritionally horrendous, and, to paraphrase Barry Goldwater, operational excellence in the pursuit of selling bad merchandise is no virtue. :) One thing McDonalds does very well is market to children. To me, this has always seemed very wrong; a highly effective campaign to create junk food addicts. Sadly, many other companies in food, fashion, and entertainment do the same thing. I'm not a nutrition "nut" by any means, but for some reason McDonalds marketing methods have always struck me as somehow wrong. Sorry for taking your post way off track, but someday I do hope you talk about the relationship between strategy and purpose. Do companies have a moral responsibility to their customers and to society? Who decides and defines what that responsibility is? <abbr><em>Brad Shorr’s last blog post..<a href="http://www.wordsellinc.com/blog/blogs/blog-strategy/business-blog-as-base-of-operations-for-online-marketing/" rel="nofollow">Business Blog as Base of Operations for Online Marketing</a></abbr></em> Hi Bill, While I seem to agree with you 99.9% of the time, I would not hold up McDonalds as a model. Their products are nutritionally horrendous, and, to paraphrase Barry Goldwater, operational excellence in the pursuit of selling bad merchandise is no virtue. :)

One thing McDonalds does very well is market to children. To me, this has always seemed very wrong; a highly effective campaign to create junk food addicts. Sadly, many other companies in food, fashion, and entertainment do the same thing.

I’m not a nutrition “nut” by any means, but for some reason McDonalds marketing methods have always struck me as somehow wrong.

Sorry for taking your post way off track, but someday I do hope you talk about the relationship between strategy and purpose. Do companies have a moral responsibility to their customers and to society? Who decides and defines what that responsibility is?

Brad Shorr’s last blog post..Business Blog as Base of Operations for Online Marketing

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