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For the final assignment I would like to look at the McDonald's franchise, and what I will call "McDonalds culture". McDonalds culture includes their advertising and marketing, and the way their menus and style adapts to fit the demographic it is targeting. I always find it mind-boggling the way they are able to find a way to incorporate their restaurant in any city, with any architecture and it seems to fit seamlessly: I think they are incredibly marketing-savvy.
Their ability to successfully advertise themselves serves as a way to distract the consumer from how terrible the food actually is. I would like to try to use some evidence from the documentary Supersize Me, either in my paper, the presentation, or both. I think the some of the strongest evidence for this case will also come from the nutritional information for some of the popular products, to show a contrast between the glamourized burger and its actual nutritional content. I'm definitely interested in putting a public health spin on the paper, but I'm a bit worried its sidetracking from the rhetorical analysis. Any suggestions would be appreciated!
I'd like to use both advertisements and photographs to support my case, and I think photographs will work really well here, because they function both as ads and as a contextual placement for the restaurant in its surroundings. Data and nutritional facts will also speak really strongly, especially alongside images to show what McDonalds culture contributes to society.
You should also take into consideraton how their menu also changes to suit different demographics.
ReplyDeletei.e. Chinese New Year menus with horoscpoes available only in China. Halal menu items.
That beef items are not sold in India and so forth.
The comments above are spot on. The menus in Europe (Spain and Italy, specifically) are a bit different than in Canada and the States. The menus in these countries actually contain more healthy options--salads, traditional sandwiches and food from the region. This adds to your point about the company being marketing savvy, but it may take away from your point regarding the nutritional info. Other than that, this is a great place to start, and I have no doubt you'll find a lot of research on this topic.
ReplyDeleteMy primary concern is that this is a big topic, so be aware of that. You may need to limit your analysis to a few countries--think about where McDonalds' is growing the fastest, for example. How has the company adapted to that specific market?