McD's Burger of Tomorrow? - © 2014 McDonald's Restaurants

McDonald’s Tests Big Changes to Stay Relevant

Back almost a year ago, we told you that McDonald’s – in an attempt to stop the erosion of its market share by new, emerging chains – was considering making major changes to its menu: Letting customers ‘Build Your Own’ burgers! Now, it appears they are testing this novel approach…

Burger Builder Terminal - © 2014 trendhunter.comAre you ready to try building your own McD’s Burger using a wall-
or pedestal-mounted
touch screen like this?

Word was that McDonald’s was having increasing difficulty competing with hip new chains like Five Guys and Chipotle’s, where diners build their own Burritos to order. If you were wondering… Yah, the McWrap was an attempt to appeal to customers looking for something like that: millennials and more-upscale types.

A recent study published in The Business Insider reveals that children (of all people!), millennials and the trendy young set (under 25) are looking for fresher, more nutritious food and are willing to spend a little more for it than they would for their traditional McD’s repast. They are also looking for ‘different’ things to eat and ‘different’ dining experiences.

Now, McD’s is test-marketing a new service scheme that lets you select the ingredients you want on your burger from a list including new items such as Guacamole and Tortilla Chips, in the order you want them stacked, on a selection of patty/bun configurations.

At the same time, the burger giant is pairing down its menu, probably getting rid of a significant number of individual items, in favour of the new Build Your Own burger strategy. Did you notice that the McD’s menu ballooned by more than 70 per cent over the past few years, as the company flailed around, looking for new and different products to keep existing patrons and attract new ones? Bet you noticed that most of the new items didn’t stick around long…

The bottom line?

Scientists and Thinkers agree on just about one ting in this world: We cannot survive, let alone thrive, by staying the same. Humans (and their social and commercial creations) must continually adapt to changes in their environment to prosper. McD’s may finally be getting on the ‘adaptation’ bandwagon for real. And not a moment too soon!

LATE BREAKING NEWS!

McDonald’s has reportedly trademarked the name ‘McBrunch’. The move is seen as preparation for the new campaign to appeal to a more up-scale crowd as well as end the universal animosity toward McD’s current policy of cutting off ‘Breakfast’ at 10:30 in most areas. We’ll keep you posted!

~ Maggie J.