I use a trick with co-workers when we’re trying to decide where to eat for lunch and no one has any ideas. I recommend McDonald’s. An interesting thing happens. Everyone unanimously agrees that we can’t possibly go to McDonald’s, and better lunch suggestions emerge. Magic!Medium writer Jon Bell • Offering a brilliant suggestion on how to get people to make a decision on something. If it’s not obvious yet, the secret here isn’t the McDonald’s part. “There’s no defined process for all creative work, but I’ve come to believe that all creative endeavors share one thing: the second step is easier than the first,” he continues. This man is clearly a genius. (ht @Ricktagious)
We want our markets to be super innovative and disruptive. When you are are not disruptive … you don’t reinvent the game.KFC International’s chief marketing officer, Christophe Poirier • Discussing the company’s success pitching such weird products as the Double Down. While the product was a hit in the U.S. initially, in recent years it’s had much more success in the international market, with online buzz creating a massive success worldwide. The success of the product has given the parent company, Yum Brands, a bit of a free pass for trying out crazy ideas at its international outlets, including Pizza Hut and Taco Bell.
We’re hearing reports that the @BurgerKing twitter account got hacked, but we’re not seeing any problems over this way. Are you?
EDIT: The Wendys’ social media person weighed in:
And to answer your question, the account has finally been suspended. Took long enough.
EDIT: And McDonald’s has responded, offering condolences to their competition.
No word on whether Long John Silver’s will offer their input.
Fast food profits soar, while fast-food wages stay the same: Here’s your depressing graphic of the day, via Bloomberg.
Ever wonder why a McDonald’s hamburger doesn’t look as good at the restaurant as it does in the promotional products they shoot? Here’s a friendly Canadian McDonald’s marketing exec, Hope Bagozzi, to answer your question. (thanks Ad Age)
Yeah, and so did Philip Morris, Countrywide Financial, etc. I don’t have a dog in this fight, but it’s nonsensical to argue that “we’re simply giving the customer what he wants” is an airtight defense.
See, here’s the thing: Neither Bloomberg nor McDonald’s are completely right on this issue. Clearly there’s a fight going on regarding the overall health of our society, and in some quarters, it’s simply being lost. Bloomberg is right to focus on the problem, but really, the target here is not so much the consumer but the corporation. If you limited the amount of corn syrup one could get from an average meal at Mickey D’s, rather than the portion size, you’d get much further.
Bloomberg has done good things on this issue in general — his anti-trans-fat push was successful, and having restaurants list calorie counts on their menus is something they should simply do without being asked. But, unlike smoking, this feels like an issue that may need to be handled at a level above the consumer, at the manufacturing level.
And to everyone, a suggestion: Stop drinking soda for a week or two. Switch to water. Then go back to it. You’ll notice something weird happen — you’ll find it much stronger than it was a week before. That’s because it was always that strong, but you had gotten used to it. Keep that in mind.
This is a warning that there is a systemic problem, not just at one barn or one location.Former FDA food safety chief David Acheson • Discussing the situation at Sparboe Farms, the main producer of McDonald’s eggs — well, until now. See, thanks in large part to an undercover video shot by animal rights organization Mercy for Animals (which will air on ABC News’ “20/20” and “World News Tonight” Friday night), the company dropped the egg supplier. According to the company, “the behavior on tape is disturbing and completely unacceptable.” If you have the stomach for it, you can see the video over here, but it’s not for the faint of heart. It’s as bad as you’d expect, considering the buildup. source (via • follow)
There is video of this on YouTube. We’re linking it instead of posting it, because it’s that violent and difficult to watch. Here’s what happened: Two customers got unruly after a McDonald’s employee wouldn’t give them their food until he could check the $50 bill they handed over. The customers started slapping him, and then jumped over the counter to confront him. What these unruly customers didn’t know is that the employee, Rayon McIntosh, recently got out of jail for manslaughter, and the incident set him off. He got a hold of a metal pole and started beating them savagely. One of the customers suffered a broken arm and fractured skull. The result? Both the customers and McIntosh got charged, in McIntosh’s case with felony assault. The chain and franchise owner have both come out against McIntosh’s actions, but the video itself seems to support a reasonable cause for self-defense, even if McIntosh’s own reaction was too heavy-handed (to put it lightly). Watch the video and see what you think. source
Employment: Defending jobs | The Economist
Looking for a job? These are the world’s top ten employers. Welcome to the new global economy.
So, to put this another way: Pick your poison — communism, socialism, military, Big Macs or iPhones. (Hon Hai is better known as Foxconn, the company that builds many of Apple’s products.) It’s fascinating to see this in perspective.
I can’t add much to what’s already been (and will be) ...
One of the perks of being an early employee...
Over the last 90 days, the Digg...
#FMMDI (at 30 Rockefeller Plaza)
Thanks. I guess my thoughts are as follows:
1. I think...
Woman buys wooden iPad from scammers: Protip: If a couple of dudes come up to you in a McDonald’s parking lot in Spartanburg, S.C. and offer to sell you an iPad, it’s probably not an iPad. Kudos to them on the replica icons, though. That took some extra attention to detail. They’re still total jerks, though.
Today in proof that our economy’s recovery isn’t nearly as good as it looks.
If the right people are elected, we will be able to continue with raises and benefits at or above our present levels. If others are elected, we will not.A message distributed with paychecks at a Canton, Ohio McDonald’s • Telling employees to vote for the GOP – or else. The dude who sent out the note with the paychecks was called out for it, for good reason, but he gave one of those non-apology apologies which are in vogue nowadays. ”Distributing this communication was an error of judgment on my part,” said a statement from franchisee Paul Siegfried. “Please know it was never my intention to offend anyone. For those that I have offended, I sincerely apologize.” Protip: Don’t disenfranchise voters by threatening to cut (or limit) their benefits. It’ll bite you in the ass. source (via)
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