McDonald’s Points the [Fat] Finger
McDonald’s has cast its vote for who’s to blame for the state of obese children — video games. Much like soda companies, McDonald’s UK CEO Steve Easterbrook says gaming habits are to blame. Obesity is a hot topic in Britain and on the heel of junk food ads being banned, everyone is quick to try and think their way out of a bad situation. Well, to be fair, Easterbrook does shoulder much of the blame.
Steve Easterbrook told The Times that the food and drinks industry shared responsibility for the issue with individuals and Government.
He also made a backhanded slap at government and [sub]urban sprawl:
“…there’s fewer green spaces and kids are sat home playing computer games on the TV when in the past they’d have been burning off energy outside.”
Check out the articles on MCV or The Times for more details. The tone is very strange, so you can truly interpret the quotes as you see fit.
Now, let me offer some advice from a marketing and branding point of view. Steve, my man, let me school you for a second. Never mention the word ‘obesity’. Don’t mention ‘exercise’ or ‘burning energy’. You’re walking right into the line of fire if you do. Everyone knows McDonald’s is terrible food and it is unhealthy, and that’s your challenge: make us believe that it is good food and not unhealthy. The results, are another story. Keep the message in the present, not on the possible side effects down the line. If you’re going to get your hands dirty with this issue, it should only be to demonstrate how McDonald’s is helping to correct the problem, not throwing around blame (even if you’re also sharing in it). I don’t need an MBA to know that!
This is yet another example of how companies are blaming their customers. Whether for day-to-day inconveniences or large-scale global epidemics, companies and brands need to respect their customers and take it upon themselves to correct the issues. Customers are too numerous, too disorganised and often, too stupid to be ‘educated’ en masse. Instead, create change through your employees; I hope you wouldn’t say the same about them.
But if you happen to be a gamer and are looking for something to eat other than McDonald’s, head over to twentyhood where I just posted some great snack food ideas for all-night gaming.
// a tale of Britain, brands & branding, video games
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// 10 January 2008, 02:03
I eat at McDonald’s though because it’s bad for me. I find it hard to blame companies for parents letting kids stuff their face with McDonald’s, where is the responsibility for the consumers bad choices when they know the food is unhealthy and yet continue to eat it?
// 10 January 2008, 09:18
I agree with that sentiment except for the fact that fast food companies spent millions upon millions getting children to crave and desire the food. They add chemicals to make it as great tasting as possible, and the combination of high-sugar, low-fiber literally makes it addicting (it’s a brain thing, I read in Scientific American). So their hands aren’t entirely clean.
I agree, the blame should be shared with families and food companies, but I dare say leave video games out of it — games are the new novels, not the new sports.