The McDonalds Makeover: Response to “SWOT for McDonalds”

The reason Sam Ng’s blog post caught my attention is because it reminded me of a Mcdonalds coupon booklet I saw the other day. Instead of a cover page featuring golden fries and a thick juicy burger, this one had in bold letters: “FRESHLY GROUND FOR EVERY CUP”. This made me piece all the changes I’ve noticed recently:

-free coffee promos

-coupons do not feature meal deals, but instead “buy one, get one free [on] hot McCafe specialty beverages”

-renovation to McCafes

-new products on the menu

Its all so clear. McDonalds has finally responded to the rising demand for coffee, and market shift towards more health oriented food. By doing the above, McD’s is attempting to change their image of a fast-paced, cheap, simply furnished burger joint to a more upscale, quality, a “place-where-I-can-relax” image.

They have virtually dropped the name “McDonalds” in the new cafes as they want to be recognized as “McCafe” instead.

The key components of McDonalds were captured in this SWOT, however this analysis seems dated. It focuses on the situation of McDonalds a couple years ago when they introduced salads and premium burgers, and failed to mention the opportunities in the change in demand, or the establishment of the subsidiary McCafe.