McDonald’s Floundering: Making Desperate Last Move

Fact checked

People Turn The Tables on McDonald’s

It has been well reported in the press lately that McDonalds is tanking.  A sort of tipping point has occurred and the people who believe the fast food chain’s food is unhealthy are also taking the extra step that has McDonald’s terrified:  they not only believe how unhealthy McDonald’s food is (thinking about something is one thing), but they aren’t actually going to McDonald’s anymore (action is another, and in this case, it’s hurting the bottom line for McDonald’s).

McDonald’s Think Their PR Campaign Is Successful, People See RIGHT Through It

Of course, even though there are plenty of reports to show that the McDonald’s Corp. is taking massive hits financially, they have tried to create a positive PR spin on the situation with videos showing how their food is made (like this gem below), slick PR campaigns to try to re-convince you that their food isn’t bad for you, and a number of other PR tactics that the general public can see right through.  As we wrote earlier this year: their transparency campaign is completely failing.

McDonald's

 

 

McDonald’s Even Hired Pseudo Cable TV Celebrity Grant Imihara of “Myth Busters” Fame To Convince You

Screen Shot 2014-12-11 at 11.18.23 AM

Grant Imihara was hired by the McDonald’s Corp. to make all of this unbelievably strange PR videos.  American’s might know him as one of about 7 sidekicks on the popular US Cable TV show “Myth Busters” (he would have about 5 minutes of airtime or less per episode.), which seems more like luck on McDonald’s side than a “smart move” because he “busts myths” for a living.

As reported in an article on SFIST.com called “Former Mythbuster Grant Imahara Sells Out To McDonald’s In Beef PR Video[s]” [3], most real celebrities wouldn’t touch this campaign with a ten foot pole.

ARVE Error: need id and provider

And then these very same videos (the one above discussing how they make their “wonderful, world famous” “chicken” McNuggets shows images like THIS (seriously..)

Screen Shot 2014-12-11 at 11.17.58 AM

Grant Imihara’s body language in the video – especially his facial expressions – sometimes look like someone has a gun to his back when he talks about the “great food” he’s “investigating” at McDonald’s. (See Image Below)

Screen Shot 2014-12-11 at 11.18.47 AM

McDonald’s Has Been Exposed And Is Desperately Hitting a Broken Panic Button

Ridiculous-McDonalds-Nutritionist-Claims-Chains-Fast-Food-is-Healthy

The truth seems to be that McDonald’s is panicking – big time.  Many know about Pink Slime and the other AWFUL “ingredients” used in McDonald’s products (if you don’t, read our articles “GROSS: 14 Fast Food & Restaurant Employees Confess The One Item You Should Never Order” and “Report: McDonald’s Wishes You Never Knew About These Things“).

fast-food

So in their panic, McDonald’s has announced numerous changes over the past few months, and today comes yet another one: McDonald’s is cutting a bunch of items off it’s menu.

McDonald’s Announces It’s Ripping Things From Menu

55444085

In an article for The International Business Times written by Meagan Clark called “McDonald’s To Slim Down Menu In Attempt To Speed Service, Boost Sales” [1], she writes:

McDonald’s will slim down its U.S. menus in January by chopping off eight food products and some “extra value” meals, the company’s U.S. president, Mike Andres, said Wednesday. The move is aimed at speeding up service and boosting sales as the burger chain struggles to attract millennials and young families, two key growing customer groups.

Speeding Up Service or A Desperate Race To Speed Up Sales Figures?

Clowning_Around_Cartoon_only-1024x769

Andres did not say which items would be removed from the menu. The number of extra value meals will fall from 16 to 11.

McDonald’s U.S. same-store sales have not risen since October 2013. On Monday, the fast-food chain reported that U.S. sales fell 4.6 percent last month. Over the July-to-September quarter, U.S. sales fell 3.3 percent.  McDonald’s has even had to close all stores in certain countries, including Bolivia.

LiveLeak-dot-com-1fc_1404026628-BoliviaclosesallMcDonaldsRestaurantsandb_1404026636.jpg.resized

YourNewsWire recently wrote a piece on how Russia is threatening to close EVERY McDonald’s in the country.

Rising Food Prices Bad For McDonald’s, Bad For Remaining Customers

The Original McDonald's Menu

And while McDonald’s has been campaigning to convince customers it sells real, good-quality beef, ground beef prices have soared 23 percent over the past year, according to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The cost has nearly doubled over the past five years while McDonald’s “dollar menu” has shifted to “dollar menu and more.”

So What Is McDonald’s Taking Off It’s Menu?  It Might Surprise You.

Screen Shot 2014-12-11 at 11.06.40 AM

Although the company isn’t publicly announcing what items are being removed, an article in Yahoo! Finance titled “Here’s What McDonald’s Could Be Cutting From The Menu Next Month” [2], they say: “The company hasn’t said which items will be axed, but it is performing tests of simplified menus in several markets that could provide a clue, Reuters reports.

Quarter Pounder with Cheese

dqp

The pared-down menus offer one Quarter Pounder with Cheese, down from four on the regular menu.

Premium Chicken Sandwich

4078766651_514511b15f

The pared-down menu also has one Premium Chicken sandwich instead of three.

Multiple  Snack Wraps

Angus-Wraps-from-McDonalds

The pared-down menu will offer only one snack wrap versus three.

Extra Value Meals

mcdonalds1

This one is surprising, since it’s one of McDonald’s more popular items, but according to Yahoo! Finance they are planning to cut a lot of items off of this menu.

So, that’s what we know so far about McDonald’s and their somewhat helpless situation.  What do you think?  Will McDonald’s stock continue to fall and will the American icon eventually, finally close shop?  Or do you think McDonalds will overcome what many are calling an impossible task – let us know what you think in the comment section below!

processed-food-7

 

 

SOURCES

[1] http://www.ibtimes.com/mcdonalds-slim-down-menu-attempt-speed-service-boost-sales-1747636

[2] http://finance.yahoo.com/news/heres-mcdonalds-could-cutting-menu-173917120.html

[3] McDonald’s and The Myth Buster

1 Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.