Is it a case of over-hyped expectations? Or a true ’cause for claim’ from McDonald’s Snack Wrap lovers? Seems a significant number of the ‘millions’ who wanted McD’s Snack Wrap back aren’t so sure any more…
The ‘New’ McDonald’s Snack Wrap…
I guess it was bound to happen, sooner or later. After campaigning and petitioning for years, to get the iconic McD’s Snack Wrap back from oblivion, McD’s fans across North America have them.
Yes and no…
But some of the most adamant SW aficionados are complaining bitterly that what McD’s ‘brought back’ recently is not the same product it took away, lo’ those many years ago.
In fact they say it’s something else entirely. It’s not the same piece of Chicken, and they’re crying fowl.
“No. This isn’t the Snack Wrap. Those chicken strips suck. Bring back the Chicken Selects,” one commenter to McD’s Tik Tok account account said, flat out.
“I want the grilled chicken option back. The Grilled Chicken Ranch Snack Wrap was peak,” wrote another
Other hard-core fans took another, arguably more-mature tack. User @morganchompz quietly gave the Ranch Snack Wrap a ‘conservative’ 7/10 score – which I’m sure was, to say the least, disappointing to come McMarketers…
A mountain or a mole hill?
“I’ll take Chicken Strips for $2,000, Ken…” That’s how it all started. Just a few days after the re-début of log-lost Snack Wraps, fan were complaining bitterly that the ‘new recipe’ was just not the same as the old one. Specifically, the new Snack was built on the current-recipe Chicken Strip. While the for-mer Snack Wrap showcased the fan fave Chicken Select.
It’s the kind of left-field issue that you usually don’t hear about: Seems the Overall Wrap still tastes the same. But other aspects of the mouth feel, bite and so on scream ‘imposter!’. A McCrispy Strip is just not a ‘Select’. And as such, a Snack Wrap without a Select is not a ‘real’ Snack Wrap.
One of three responses…
Given that McD’s doesn’t use the legacy model Chicken Select in any of it’s other chicken menu items anymore, you can bet that one of three things will happen. McD’s marketing wizards will look at the sales, overall fan feedback and magnitude of the emotional pushback against the ‘new’ Snack Wrap.
1. They’ll find that the real pushback is minor compared to overall fan approval, and just push for-ward with already-planned additional flavours and refinements, hoping new – perhaps newstalgic – twists will overshadow old complaints.
2. They’ll have to admit that they made a mistake bringing back Snack wraps without real-deal ori-ginal components. And they’ll have to bow to fan complaints and try to tweak a new ‘Select McCrispy Strip’ they can offer in other ‘legacy menu’ items, too. There’s a strong potential tie-in to the current newstalgia trend here, again, too.
3. They’ll lean as hard as they can on the ‘newstalgia’ angle without ‘breaking’ it. Ride out into the arena on what amounts to an unknown – but dangerous-looking – bucking bronc, and use all their skill and strength to try to hold on for 8 precious ‘marketing’ seconds.
Like the pain of being kicked in the gut by a horse, this, too, shall pass…
One way or another, they’re up against something they haven’t had to deal with before: a major marketing decision that didn’t work as out as expected!
~ Maggie J.