Study: Food in McDonald's wrapper tastes better to kids

Allen Yeh · 08-07-2007, 05:57 AM

http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/diet.....ap/index.html

While not completely shocked, this does bother me a little bit, it makes me think of Supersize Me when Morgan Spurlock said something like he'd have to start slapping his kid everytime he drove by a fast food place in order to have them have a negative connotation for it.

Mike ODonnell · 08-07-2007, 06:35 AM

Mmmmmmm.....Double Cheeseburgers....<Drooollllllll>

Big Mac....best hangover food...ever....

There's a reason they have fun loving clowns and characters as their mascots and a playground at every location....

Scott Kustes · 08-07-2007, 11:55 AM

Saw this. Disappointing, but not surprising. This is yet one more reason to turn off the TV and hang out with your kids.

Brad Hirakawa · 08-07-2007, 04:32 PM

For a while I suspected it was fishy (McFishy that is) that McD's offered birthday parties to families dirt cheap. Get all those youngsters into an enclosed space, add a clown, games, lots of sugar combined with the smell of well aged/used cooking oil. Recipe for addiction. Brilliant.

I still salivate a la Pavlov when smell that odor.

Brad

Ken Urakawa · 08-07-2007, 04:50 PM

And all the smart parents will be wrapping their veggies sticks in McD's paper.

I wonder if it has to be used, so it has the smell...

Troy Archie · 08-09-2007, 09:30 AM

Perhaps it's MSG or maybe they inject nicotine into their food. That's at least some of the theories for a coffee chain we have here in Canada...

Paul Findley · 08-09-2007, 10:12 AM

Fast Food Nation was a good read that explained a lot about the marketing engine behind McDonalds. Their goal is to develop a taste for their food in the young to provide for future business. IMO this is the worse element of their corporate strategy, on the flip side, they are providing "us" exactly what "we" want, so can you blame them?

Allen Yeh · 08-09-2007, 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul Findley

Fast Food Nation was a good read that explained a lot about the marketing engine behind McDonalds. Their goal is to develop a taste for their food in the young to provide for future business. IMO this is the worse element of their corporate strategy, on the flip side, they are providing "us" exactly what "we" want, so can you blame them?

On one hand, I see what you are saying on the other in my naive view that sometimes companies should have some type of moral compass. But then that brings us to a big debate about morality.

I wish that somewhere in their past, the top guy at the time would have said, "No, we aren't going to proceed in that direction, it's one thing to have kids have fun it's another thing to intentionally try to lure children."

Mike ODonnell · 08-09-2007, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul Findley

Fast Food Nation was a good read that explained a lot about the marketing engine behind McDonalds. Their goal is to develop a taste for their food in the young to provide for future business. IMO this is the worse element of their corporate strategy, on the flip side, they are providing "us" exactly what "we" want, so can you blame them?

The world is run by economy...nations are stable only because of it...which means profits...which means more sales....which means all marketing....only when health food is "in" do people actually focus on the quality of their product...but it's always "quantity" first. McDonalds is just one of many corps with probably 1 person on staff for quality control, and 400 for marketing....

Scott Kustes · 08-09-2007, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Allen Yeh

On one hand, I see what you are saying on the other in my naive view that sometimes companies should have some type of moral compass. But then that brings us to a big debate about morality.

Corporate morality in a capitalistic society such as ours boils down to "what is good for the shareholders." To do anything but what is good for the shareholders is a breach of corporate duty. Many companies are adopting the "green attitude" or the "don't advertise to children" avenue, but these things have one goal...positive press = better feelings from the community = more sales = more for the shareholders.

Notice that no company adopts these measures silently. It never comes to light that, lo and behold, GE has been contributing millions of dollars to charity/clean energy/whatever and no one knew. Nope, it's always trumpeted in the media: "Our new goal is to source 25% of our energy from clean fuel sources. *big grin and wink*" Then everyone says "Golly gee, that big corporation sure is friendly to the environment/community. We should support them." Companies don't (and shouldn't) do anything that doesn't bring money to the shareholders...that's the American way, love it or hate it.

Basically, a company will do what the community views as moral if it will result in no loss of profit. If it does, you can bet they'll keep looking for a different cause to get that positive press AND an earnings boost.

In the meantime, McDonald's is merely providing that which we ask for. If parents quit purchasing it for their kids (and when talking about 3-5 year olds, it better be the parents in control of the diet), McDonald's will quit selling it. Personal responsibility trumps corporate morality.