The internet is well known to be one of the largest displays of freedom of speech; anyone can say nearly anything they want. But when McDonalds’s Corp. asked their twitter followers to express their “#McDStories”, they weren’t happy with the result. However, they weren’t just going to let the slander hurt their reputation. They started a marketing campaign entitled “Our food. Your Questions” last summer encouraging McDonald’s consumers to ask any question they like about the company. This may seem like a risky endeavour, but I believe the campaign will be worth it for McDonald’s to undertake.
By allowing the consumers to ask questions, they get a full view of even the worst concerns that people may have. But they don’t necessarily have to answer every single question; in fact, they probably won’t even come close to that. Just by answering a few select questions, they can create the illusion of being a corporation that is clear in its practices to the public eye. For example, they answered one question entitled “Why does your food look different in the advertising than what it is in the store?”. While they may have to admit to painting up the food on commercials, this is something that is done throughout all of the food industry, so it is an easy concession to make. By answering the right questions, McDonald’s can seem like an honest corporation without tarnishing its brand reputation.
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