The Homa Files

Punch line:  McDonald’s is standing by its clown … still another job ‘saved’ or created. But now, image consultants are dissing him.

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Excerpted from WSJ: No Pink Slip for Ronald McDonald, May 20, 2011

The 48-year-old, red-haired mascot has come under fire from health-care professionals and consumer groups who, in recent days, have asked the fast-food chain to retire Ronald McDonald.

But McDonald’s CEO says, “Ronald McDonald is going nowhere.”

“Ronald McDonald is an ambassador for McDonald’s, and he is an ambassador for good.”

There’s no doubt that Ronald McDonald is well known. He ranks fourth in consumer awareness out of 2,800 celebrities.

“Ronald is recognized by more than 99% of U.S. consumers. Of course, just because consumers know someone doesn’t mean they like them or trust them.”

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Some image consultants are beginning to question how relevant Ronald McDonald even is to kids anymore — and whether he has kept pace with McDonald’s own reinvention.

McDonald’s has modernized its image in recent years by remodeling restaurants … by selling frappes and fruit smoothies and by offering free wi-fi to customers.

“Mascots were heavily used in the mid part of the last century, but not so much anymore unless you’re an insurance company and you have a duck or a gecko or a caveman,”

“I’m not so sure Ronald is keeping up with where the brand is going. I question whether he’s still meaningful or a throwback to the last century.”

This entry was posted on May 20, 2011 at 6:15 am and is filed under Laughs, Mktg - Promotion. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.