Can you imagine a world without the Big Mac?
First, let me say that although I have been known to dabble in the occasional Egg McMuffin, I do not have a fast-food addiction. From a branding perspective, however, I’ve been following McDonald’s for years. Did you know that McDonald’s began as a family run business in 1940 or that approximately 90% of the over 14,000 McDonald’s-brand restaurants in the U.S. are owned by independent franchisees and their families? The franchise quickly built up into the world’s leading quick-service restaurant brand, appealing to all of us who eat on the go!
So out of respect for one of the world’s largest brands, please pay close attention as McDonald’s has hit a bit of a rough patch.
As I’m sure you’ve heard (or, perhaps, tasted), the esteemed fast-food chain caught some social media flak last week from several customers claiming there was no mozzarella in its mozzarella sticks:
McDonald’s did their best to address consumers’ disappointment, releasing a statement that “the cheese melted out during the baking process in our kitchens and shouldn’t have been served.”
Now, poor Mickey Dees is under fire from yet another group of disgruntled customers – this time with a lawsuit. These McHaters with ‘starch-filled’ hearts are seeking $5 million in damages from McDonald’s because of the chain’s claim that the sticks are filled with “100 percent real cheese.” According to the suit, McDonald’s cheese sticks are injected with a (delicious) substance that is composed in part of starch, a violation of the federal standards of identity for “mozzarella” cheese.
A quick rebuttal from the McDonald’s corporate PR team refuted these claims stating they have not engaged in deceptive practices. In fact, not only is McDonald’s making 100 percent real cheese mozzarella sticks, they’re using low fat cheese! And, did I mention it only costs $1?
So, perhaps we cut McDonald’s a break on this one. Yes, they may have blundered some orders, but bottom line: when you are serving approximately 69 million people each day, you’re bound to make a few mistakes.
If you come upon the shocking realization that there is no cheese in your mozzarella cheese sticks, or a similar (or dissimilar) crisis, shoot us an email at resteasy@devinepartners.com to learn more about our expertise in issues management.
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