Okay McDonald's, can you back up your healthy lifestyle message?

McDonald's recently announced that it is extending its Olympic sponsorship through 2020, with an emphasis on the McDonald’s Champions of Play program which will promote "healthy eating and active play for kids", according to McDonald's EVP-Global Chief Brand Officer Kevin Newell. 

McDonald's has also signed on five-time U.S. Olympic medalist swimmer (and mom) Dara Torres as its global ambassador for the program.

I've defended McDonald's in the past when it was unfairly attacked by irresponsible groups and parents who lacked personal accountability.  But I've also been critical of the fast food chain for failing to recognize who it really is and what it represents to the consumer. 

The Champions of Play campaign presents McDonald's with another opportunity to be as transparent as possible with consumers while promoting a healthy lifestyle.  I'm not coming down on McDonald's for selling food that isn't generally accepted as "healthy", since I think that parents must always be held more accountable for the lifestyle choices they make for their children then McDonald's should ever be.  However, if McDonald's is going to attach its brand to a healthy lifestyle message, then it had better be prepared to back it up with healthier food options and a renewed level of transparency for its unhealthy offerings.

Champions of Play ambassadors, like Dara Torres, also better be able to defend their support of this campaign and explain how McDonald's food plays a role in a healthy lifestyle for kids.  Dara, please say you didn't accept this role simply for the big paycheck. 

While I applaud McDonald's for sponsoring athletic events for children, I don't think that's enough when you're promoting a healthy and active lifestyle while selling unhealthy food.  The product contradicts the message.  Based on what I've read, McDonald's doesn't seem to be making any changes to its menu, other than adding some British flavor to its London carte du jour during the 2012 Summer Olympics.

C'mon Ronald, don't let me down. You have to do better than that.

*The opinions shared on this blog are solely those of its author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Goodwill of Greater Washington, its employees, supporters or affiliates.

McDonald's takes a hard line on mascot bullying!

"Ronald McDonald is an ambassador to McDonald's and he is an ambassador for good. Ronald McDonald is going nowhere."

                             - McDonald's CEO, Jim Skinner

I've blogged about this before (see March 29, 2010 post), but given recent events, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to defend my pal Ronald McDonald once more.

Yet again, obesity watchdog groups have targeted the beloved fast food icon, because they mistakenly believe that a clown is to blame for our country's childhood obesity problem.  That's right ladies and gentlemen, the clown did it!

Dr. Andrew Weil and his other kookie allies who seem to believe that parents shouldn't be held accountable for what their children eat, have launched an aggressive campaign to oust the 43 year old smiling face of the burger franchise through lobbying and grass roots activism.

I'm glad that McDonald's is taking a very dismissive approach toward this misguided effort.  For some reason these activists simply refuse to acknowledge the real problem:  parents who allow their children to eat unhealthy food all day.  And the federal government seems to be in their camp by clamping down on how companies market to children. 

When did McDonald's become the authoritarian voice on what children eat?  I'm a parent, and so far no one from McDonald's, Wendy's or Burger King (whose mascot should be targeted because that king is friggin' creepy) has knocked on my door demanding I shove burgers and fries down my son's throat.  When I was a child, I couldn't wait to eat at McDonald's, but my parents were smart enough to allow me to enjoy fast food in moderation while encouraging an active lifestyle.  I'm very unclear as to when that responsibility shifted from the parents to Ronald McDonald.  I guess I'm just out of touch.

Seriously, child obesity is a growing problem.  No one is denying that.  However, advocates need to become more sensible and pragmatic by placing the blame where it belongs: squarely on the backs of ambivalent parents who simply refuse to hold themselves accountable.  After all, it's always easier to blame big business.  It's become such a popular sport.  But targeting a clown mascot? 

If this is just some sort of PR stunt to bring greater attention to the problem, then I think Dr. Weil and the clowns he surrounds himself with are doing their cause a disservice because this campaign risks damaging their credibility, which will ultimately hurt children even more.

The problem starts in the home. Maybe the activism should start there as well.

I wonder why McDonald's won't accept who it is.

Have you read about this? Carl's Jr. is testing a new foot long cheeseburger. And if you want anything healthy on it like lettuce or tomato...it costs you extra! Now that is a heart attack on a plate. As much as I'd like to chow down on one of these, I don't think my arteries could take it.

However, Carl's Jr. is a fast food restaurant chain that knows who it is. They sell comfort food that everyone loves and they're not ashamed of who they are. No one is under the impression that a foot long cheeseburger is going to be good for you. But if you love cheeseburgers, you'll probably want to give it a try.

I find it interesting that McDonald's keeps trying to add healthy options to its menu as if a salad in a soda cup is going to get people to think of them when they're considering a healthy lunch. Why bother? You are who you are! Accept it, own it and try to maximize your share of the market by being known as the best fast food restaurant chain in America. People who are watching their waists aren't going to eat at McDonalds anyway. But perhaps that's just me. Why try to be all things to all people and dilute your message?

What I also find interesting is the strange turnaround at Subway, who for years, owned the healthy fast food moniker. However, today they sell pizza, cookies, breads baked in cheese, and several other "less than healthy" options.

Why the change? Perhaps the healthy option message wasn't drawing customers and they needed to target true fast food eaters, who are more concerned with taste and cost than they are with a healthy lifestyle.

I've always been confused by seemingly successful businesses who try to extend their brands into product lines that don't seem to have any synergy with their core brand identities. I'm all about experimentation, but sometimes the experiments just don't seem well thought out.

I'm glad that there are no Carl Jr.'s around the DC area, or I'd be inclined to try one of these. Thank God for small favors.

Enjoy!

They’ve Got Ronald McDonald in their Crosshairs! – Where will it end?

OK, now they have crossed the line!

I believe that activism has its place. I believe that watchdog organizations and ombudsmen who spend their time trying to improve the quality of life for consumers and taxpayers by holding corporations and the government accountable for their actions are a valuable asset to our country.

But when these organizations begin spending valuable time and resources trying to mess with a beloved American icon that has made children happy for decades, I have to draw the line and ask “why?”

According to a recent article in the Chicago Tribune, (http://tinyurl.com/ygxlby9), the same group that successfully led the effort to eliminate the Joe Camel character is now targeting Ronald McDonald for “retirement”.

The article states that “Corporate Accountability International, which has waged campaigns against bottled water companies and tobacco companies, said it plans to present the results of a survey Wednesday showing that most Americans agree.”

I’m sorry, but I don’t think you need to be a research expert to question the validity of such a survey. I’d really like to see the survey design and the research methodology that were used in this study.

Ronald McDonald is as much a part of Americana as baseball and apple pie. He represents the McDonald’s experience just as Mickey Mouse represents the Disney experience. As many of you probably did, I grew up eating at McDonalds when my parents allowed. Raise your hand if you believe Ronald McDonald made you obese? As far as I know, they sell burgers and fries at Disney World too. Will Mickey be CAI’s next target?

I have a suggestion for CAI and those who support this effort to attack one of the world’s most identifiable and lovable icons: Step back and refocus. Present the data that shows how healthy or unhealthy McDonald’s food is. I fully support those messages. But Ronald McDonald doesn’t get in front of the camera and tell kids that McDonald’s burgers and fries are healthy. Ronald doesn’t tell kids to eat his food three times a day. Where is the personal accountability in all of this? McDonald’s provides customers with the fat and caloric content of all of its meals and provides several low fat options as well. From my perspective, I think they’re doing their part. How about focusing your efforts on the parents who take their kids to McDonald’s every day, rather than on a clown who promotes having fun while you’re there (who by the way, also promotes child safety, literacy, healthy eating and the importance of an active lifestyle)?

While I’m all in favor of activism when properly targeted, I think this effort is a bit misguided.