Ronald McDonald: Not Your Typical Genius

It only takes a glance at our diets and exercise habits to see that it is no wonder that obesity has become an American epidemic. Still, always ones quick to lay the blame on someone else, the American public put McDonald's under the microscope. Time and time again, McDonald's has shown us how they are the masters at turning a sticky situation into a larger profit margin. Never ones to ignore public outcry and social issues, most recently Mickey D's has managed to recreate their poor image among health enthusiasts.

After being the subject of much scrutiny by society at large, McDonald's began using trans fat-free vegetable oil to fry their food, underwent a complete menu overhaul- doing away with the super size option and adding healthy choices such as salads and fruit, and restructuring their ad campaign in order to promote healthier lifestyles and eating habits. Their most recent ads and even the product packaging depict people participating in sports or other forms of exercise. The salads have been around for a while (since the mid eighties), but were taken off then menu until recently most likely due to lack of demand. Even their new and improved website has two new sections: Sports and Food, nutrition, & fitness.

Not only has McDonald's managed to end their steadily declining sales, but they have actually experienced an 8.1% rise in sales worldwide in the month of August alone. Better yet, they have completely changed the general public opinion about themselves while keeping in tune with their long-time brand image. This is made even more astonishing by the fact that the company's reputation has been completely slain by a recent slew of books, movies, etc. such as "Super Size Me," "Fast Food Nation," and "Chew on This." Even more surprising is that McDonald's is now seen by many as a healthier fast food alternative while their main business is still driven by the sale of greasy burgers and fries. These changes by no means indicate that McDonald's actually IS healthier, they have just marketed themselves in a way to make people believe it. It just goes to show that Americans don't actually want to eat healthy, they just want to feel as if they are.

Overall, the golden arches have proven to be invincible to every crisis, even the ones that strike at the core of the company, and I think I would like to shake the hand of whoever is in charge of their PR department.

Find out more: McDonald's Weathers Public Criticism