Charmian’s informative post on the strategies McDonalds have introduced recently in an attempt to generate more sales, including an option to customize burgers, allowed me to relate McDonalds current situation to class concepts.

While I do agree that McDonalds needs to find new value propositions to offer to their customers, the strategies they are implementing do not seem effective. The “Create Your Taste” option that allows consumers to customize burgers to their liking does seem “fresh” for McDonalds, but in terms of long-term success, I believe the longer line-ups and wait times associated with customization will deter customers. After all, a point-of-parity for fast food chains is the short wait times, and sacrificing a point-of-parity doesn’t seem like the most sustainable strategy.

Instead, I think McDonalds should try to flatten its organizational structure to emphasize its divisional structure (divided by geographical region), enabling more flexibility so the menu items can cater to local needs more, which will definitely aid international expansion. However, what’s of utmost importance and urgency is the core issue: quality improvement. I think any other strategy may help retain its already-decreasing market share, but this strategy is the only one that may result in a gain of new customers. Advertising campaigns will not provide a satisfactory incentive for non-consumers, who mostly do not eat McDonalds because of the company’s reputation of horrible quality. Improving the quality of its products will be the best, and perhaps, only strategy for McDonalds to improve its sales and enjoy long-term success.

I saw these on the McDonalds menu in China, and the success of it makes me think that McDonalds can emphasize this strategy.