Search for content of interest

  • About
  • ServiceS
    • Branding
    • Innovation
    • Naming
    • Strategy
    • Research
    • Design
  • Work
  • Insights
  • News
  • LOCATIONS
    • Shanghai
    • Paris
    • New York
    • Singapore
    • Malaysia

CN FR
  • About
  • ServiceS
    • Branding
    • Innovation
    • Naming
    • Strategy
    • Research
    • Design
  • Work
  • Insights
  • News
  • LOCATIONS
    • Shanghai
    • Paris
    • New York
    • Singapore
    • Malaysia
CONTACT

EN

  • CN
  • FR

Home Insights Our Thinking Detail

EXPERTISE

  • Strategy

INDUSTRY

  • FMCG
Contact Us

Decoding McDonald’s Brand Strategy: A New Restaurant Image

Decoding McDonald’s Brand Strategy Evolution: A Global Transformation for the Times

Explore the strategic shift at McDonald’s as Senior Vice President Jim Carras emphasizes the need for change, declaring, “McDonald’s has to change with the times.” Uncover the overarching theme of LIM (Less is More), inspired by the European store redesigns. Beginning in 2008 with the debut of McDonald’s new fast food brand, McCafé, witness significant renovations in key Chinese cities (Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen) as part of McDonald’s brand strategy evolution.

According to French designer Philippe Avanzi, the newly designed spaces are trying to enhance customer experience and attract a younger crowd. It is a well-known fact that McDonald’s target consumers in China are 18-28 year olds (CBN Weekly, 11-02-2011). In order to reach out to them, McDonald’s has decided to change the original design of stores.

The first step in their design strategy was dropping the “clownish” red that for so many years has been the key element of McDonald’s interior and exterior decoration. This red has now been replaced with more subtle colors, such as light oranges and greens. Another change has been the upgrading of the chairs from industrial steel to wooden and more colorful stools. In some cases, leather chairs have been used. The space was also re-engineered. Dining areas have been divided into several different sections all with different functions to give customers the feeling that the restaurants are bigger than before. Also, all locations provide free Wi-Fi, an important factor to consider in terms of how “connected” new generations are.

The new design shows that the marketing strategy of the fast food giant is changing. According to Philippe Avanzi, it demonstrates the difference between a fast food restaurant and a fast service cuisine restaurant (CBN Weekly, 11-02-2011). The CEO of McDonald’s in China, Mr. Qishan Zeng, believes the new design will attract more customers and will encourage them to stay in the restaurant for longer periods of time. The aim is to use McCafé to attract customers that want to have coffee and rest in the afternoon, a time that is relatively slow for most restaurants. Also, McDonald’s has further developed its original tagline “I’m lovin’ it”, adding to it “make some spaces for happiness” (为快乐腾一点空间, [wèi kuài lè téng yì diǎn kōng jiān]). These changes could mean that McDonald’s is now promoting itself not only as a fast food restaurant, but also as a social space.

McDonald’s believe that the new design will help them win the battle against McCafé’s main competitor on the Chinese market, Starbucks.”The environment is a massive influence on how we behave,” says brand guru Philip Graves. “Change the environment, and you change how people perceive everything else.” (USA Today, 09-05-2011). For now McCafé can only be found inside McDonald’s restaurants in China.

However, now that McDonald’s has changed its strategy and adapted its products to China (people believe the coffee of McCafé tastes as good as other Cafés), how will Starbucks react?

From a brand positioning perspective, it will be even more interesting to see how consumers react to this shift in McDonald’s image from fast-paced to a more soothing and relaxing brand. Will consumers buy this? Only time will tell.

  • SHARE
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
BACK

Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest insights, tips, and trends in branding, naming and innovation.

Related Article




The Secret of Protecting Your Brand Name in China: the Do’s and Don’ts in Trademark Registration

Ensure the longevity of your brand name in China by mastering trademark registration—a pivotal step for both global giants like Apple and local favorites like Jia Duo Bao…

Brand Charity: When Charity Goes Viral, How Should Brands Handle It?

In recent weeks, the #ALSIceBucketChallenge has taken social media by storm, spearheaded by former Boston College baseball player Peter Frate. This viral challenge aims t…

B2B Branding: Maximizing Brand Pull

In our previous issue, we highlighted the advantages of B2B businesses expanding their reach to focus on end-users. Now, we delve into real-world case studies of B2B2C br…

Virtual Influencer: How to build its Business Image with Verbal Branding Strategy?

As the metaverse gains international attention, virtual influencers, often seen as gateways to this virtual realm, are taking the digital world by storm. Hyper-realistic …

When Individuality Becomes Deja-vu: Rethinking Communication Strategy for a Differentiating Fashion Brand Identity

the seo keyword is "fashion brand identity",you should contain it appropriately: Levi’s launched a new commercial for the summer, continuing its “活出趣” or “Live out the fu…

New Brand Naming Trends in the Beverage Industry: Playful & Fun Style!

In the Digital Age, Unveiling FMCG Brand Naming Trends In recent years, consumer behavior, language style, and even social attitude has all presented a kind of playful an…

Brand Strategy: Anta is Going Global

Anta Sports Products Limited, in collaboration with the Chinese Olympic Committee, orchestrated the Anta Award Clothing Release Ceremony for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games…

Brand Experience: Meituan Dianping – The Transactional Super App

Discover the transformative power of Meituan Dianping, where innovation and convenience converge to redefine the brand experience. Through its merger with Dianping in 201…

Ready to take your brand to new heights?

Let's start a conversation.
  • NEWSLETTER
  • CAREERS
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • Labbrand Group
  • Labbrand
  • Madjor
  • SpringPillar

* Will be used in accordance with our Privacy Policy

A Labbrand Group Company © 2005-2025 Labbrand All rights reserved

沪ICP备17001253号-3
  • Follow us:
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 

Contact us to get the latest insights, tips, and trends in branding, naming, and innovation.

* Will be used in accordance with our Privacy Policy

Cookie Notice

To improve your experience, we use cookies to provide social media features, offer you content that targets your particular interests, and analyse the performance of our advertising campaigns. By clicking on “Accept” you consent to all cookies. You also have the option to click “Reject” to limit the use of certain types of cookies. Please be aware that rejecting cookies may affect your website browsing experience and limit the use of some personalised features.

Accept Reject