The Fast and Processed Foods sectors are notorious for saying what they think people expect to hear and doing another. A recent story on XXL Fries provides a great example…
Latest ‘breakthrough’ in Fast Food Fries: XXL ‘Celebratory’ Size (rear, centre)…
When you ask physicians and nutritionists what’s the worst thing you aan choose off the universal Fast Food menu, the universal answer is, “Fries”. But the latest world’s latest, largest official fries order is something else, again…
Words 180 deg opposed to deeds
HOW big, did you say? Officially, ‘about the size of two regular XL fries’. But it looks like even more, served up in the official double-wide sleeve contrived for it’s limited appearance at Kuala Lampur, Malaysia’s, largest commercial square for International Fries Day…
Why the hubbub?
It was just one of those things that seemed to click. No particular rhyme or reason.
But when McDonald’s unveiled its classic menu to open its Malaysian chain, fans-in-waiting went wild. The word ‘viral’ hardly described the phenomenon adequately. And nothing’s changed since.
I’ll admit… When I first saw the thing in official photos, I imagined some sort of promotional nail pouch intended for a Bob Vilas’s tool belt crossover. But it’s a special creation celebrating Malaysians’ status as the world’s biggest McFry fans.
My take
I’ve long questioned the tendency of big business in general in general and the fast Food sector in particular, to say one thing and then turn right around and do another when it comes to Motherhood’ issues such as the healthfulness or sustainability of their products.
I think one of the biggest problems, across any large international organization, is keeping the cor-porate message clear and transparent. While keeping the popular, local position (wherever you happen to be operating) in line with the prevailing ‘global view’. Which is, what to say when the message from Head Office in Chicago clashes with the position assumed by the regional branch of the company, which you represent.
My questions for you:
Do you ‘coordinate’ with the global head office because that’s where official brand policy is sup-posedly set?
Do you side, as a practical matter, with the local organization because that’s where your personal bread is buttered?
Or do you say one thing while doing another, depending on what works best at each level?
The real-life issues are almost always more complicated than the examples just presented.
In Real Life, we all struggle daily with pressure to compromise. And, usually, somebody ends up angry or disappointed with us.
Only rarely do we see one side in an issue prevail as decisively as we see Malaysians unifying behind their love of fries. No matter how unhealthy or socially unacceptable that may be globally!
Muse on that…
~ Maggie J.