Preface
McDonald's is an American fast-food company, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California. Then, they rechristened their business as a hamburger stand and later turned the company into a franchise. Although McDonald's is best known for its hamburgers and fries, they also provide feature chicken products. By now, McDonald's is the world's largest restaurant chain by revenue, serving over 69 million customers daily in over 100 countries. The company has worked toward several CSR goals since 2016, such as purchasing sustainable beef and plans to completely eliminate foam packaging by the end of 2021. McDonald's also trying to reverse the unhealthiness image of its brand. In response to changing consumer tastes and a negative backlash because of the unhealthiness of their food, the company has added to its menu salads, fish, and fruit.
McDonald's Has Pledged To Make Its Packaging and Restaurants More Earth-Friendly
The McDonald's Corporation revenues come from the rent, royalties, and fees paid by the franchisees, as well as sales in company-operated restaurants. Now, McDonald's has pledged to make its packaging and restaurants more Earth-friendly. By 2025, McDonald's plans to use renewable, recyclable, or certified materials in all of its packaging, and it will put recycling bins in its restaurants. By 2021, about half of McDonald's packaging comes from renewable, recycled, or certified materials. Only 10% of stores currently offer recycling bins for customer use.
COVID-19 Pandemic
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, McDonald's closed most seating and all play areas in its United States restaurants. It transferred to the drive-thru and curbside orders at locations and online food ordering delivery services. The re-opening of McDonald's restaurants for the drive-thru in the United Kingdom generated significant queues of traffic throughout the country. Hygiene and Safety are important drivers of the brand trust for McDonald's customers as well as its employees throughout the supply chain. During the pandemic, McDonald’s Global Food Safety provided guidance to markets, suppliers, and audit firms regarding a risk-based approach to conducting food safety audits. The advice focused on conducting audits during times of restricted movement or lockdown situations in countries or regions where suppliers operate.
So, What Is Its Strategy?
McDonald's developed a new Global Food Safety Structure. Through the new structure, it has dedicated resources in the areas of global food safety risk management and food safety standard deployment and training. McDonald’s made a promise in its report to make sure its policies and procedures are upheld throughout the supply chain. McDonald's also announced ongoing programs to educate employees about safe food and provide regular food safety training for restaurant operators and staff. From the inside to the outside, the staff will have the confidence to provide higher quality food.
Collaborating With Stakeholders
McDonald's has a Food Safety Advisory Council and meets annually to listen to the progress and to offer guidance on areas for improvement and current industry best practices.
Putting Into Practice
Annual third-party food safety verification audits are conducted with our suppliers, distribution centers, and restaurant locations. Performance measure indicators are published and reviewed to ensure the best results.
Charity Activities Sponsored by McDonald's
McHappy Day
McHappy Day is an annual event at McDonald's, during which a percentage of the day's sales go to charity. It is the signature fundraising event for Ronald McDonald House Charities. In 2007, it was celebrated in 17 countries. According to the Australian McHappy Day website, McHappy Day raised $20.4 million in 2009. The goal for 2010 was $20.8 million.
McDonald's Monopoly donation & McRefugee
In 1995, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital received an anonymous letter postmarked in Dallas, Texas, containing a $1 million winning McDonald's Monopoly game piece. McDonald's officials came to the hospital, accompanied by a representative from the accounting firm Arthur Andersen, who examined the card under a jeweler's eyepiece and verified it as a winner. In addition, McRefugees are poor people in Hong Kong, Japan, and China who use McDonald's 24-hour restaurants as temporary hostels.
The Sustainable Development Goals
McDonald's is trying to support the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, a global agenda to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. Particularly, the Goal 2: Zero Hunger.
Sourcing Food, Quality Ingredients in Responsible Ways
McDonald's is trying to create a future of quality, secure and sustainable food because how the food is produced and where it comes from matter to its customers, communities, and the environment. McDonald's is investing in strong partnerships with its suppliers and farmers around the world to offer balanced, wholesome options.
What Impressed Me About Its Dedication to Corporate Social Responsibility?
Create alliances is a good way to creating an effective green marketing strategy. McDonald's has collaborated with sustainable business partners, such as those from its source ingredients or other materials. In addition, as a fast-food franchise giant, providing safe food is its top priority and a responsibility that should take seriously. All of its customers expect it to maintain food safety standards and protocols. So, what McDonald's is doing, is to integrate it into every aspect of its operations. From food sourcing and menu development to packaging, distribution and logistics, and the daily running of our restaurants.
Another idea that impressed me is Digitizing Food Safety. McDonald's looking for new opportunities to harness technology to improve efficiency. Since 2017, McDonald's has launched an interactive global food safety website to connect its stakeholders all over the world to learn more about hygiene and safety. This Digital Food Safety system will be implemented in all markets by the end of 2022 and will make it easier and faster for its restaurant employees and managers to follow procedures and demonstrate compliance.
In What Ways McDonald's Could Do More of Green Marketing Strategies?
To summarize, the keys to creating an effective green marketing strategy is to understand the market and the underlying values and beliefs of your consumers and other key stakeholders, make sure that the products and services balance the needs of meeting consumer’s desires for quality, convenience, and affordability with sustainability goals, be specific and simple to spell out exactly what makes your product or service is environmentally friendly, and be honest, do not overstate your green credentials in any way. The biggest challenge for McDonald's is to earn the trust since it has been commonly known as an unhealthy food provider. However, Trust Must Be Earned. During the trust-earning period, "do not overstate its green credentials in any way" is the top priority. Moreover, "mind the details" is like "mind the gap" for McDonald's.
Reference
Our purpose & impact - mcdonald's. (n.d.). Retrieved October 11, 2021, from https://corporate.mcdonalds.com/corpmcd/our-purpose-and-impact.html.
Wikimedia Foundation. (2021, October 9). McDonald's. Wikipedia. Retrieved October 11, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonald%27s.
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