1

Introduction
From humble beginnings of only three restaurants in 1955, McDonalds has grown to be a powerful multinational corporation with more than 31, restaurants in 119 countries!1 McDonalds employs more than 1!5 million people and ser"es more than #$ million customers per day!% McDonalds &orporation has long held the number one ran'ing in the fast food industry3 ()ee *ppendi+ 1,! *cross industries, McDonalds restaurants ran' in the top three *merican brands# ()ee *ppendi+ %,! -eing a ma.or corporate force does not come without its drawbac's! -y "irtue of its leadership position, McDonalds is also the global fast food industrys biggest target!5 /ne issue in particular0that of increasing obesity rates and health ris's caused by diets high in fat and sugar0has been critical for McDonalds! 1he corporation too' its first ma.or hit on this issue in the highly publici2ed 3Mc4ibel5 suit in 6ngland in the mid 199 s! 1hat court case came about as a result of protestors distributing pamphlets titled 37hats 7rong with McDonalds8 7hat 1hey Dont 7ant 9ou to :now5 that included numerous criticisms that McDonalds charged were libelous! *n unflattering documentary based on this case, entitled McLibel, was released in % 5$, ;n % 1, 6ric )chlosser published a scathing criticism of fast food in his New York Times bestseller boo', Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal. * fictionali2ed account of this boo' was released as a motion picture of the same name in <o"ember, % $=! )chlosser has also published a "ersion of Fast Food Nation, hew on This,! *ttac's on % when two *merican teenagers filed # designed specifically for 11> to 15>year>old children and entitled McDonalds nutrition and health impacts continued in %

a lawsuit against McDonalds calming that the corporation was responsible for their weight problems! -ut perhaps the most publici2ed and widely distributed charge of all came in % when Morgan )purloc' released a motion picture directly aimed at McDonalds, )uper )i2e Me, a documentary presenting 3one mans .ourney into the world of weight gain, health problems, and fast food!5? )purloc' more recently released a modified "ersion of the film geared specifically to children! 1his case study pro"ides the opportunity to assess the critical corporate communications function of issue management for McDonalds! More specifically, the case e+plores the companys strategic communication responses to more than 15 years of criticism from mainstream and marginal ad"ocacy and acti"ist groups for promoting obesity and health problems among the populace at large!

Question 01: Set out the main criticisms hat have been leveled at McDonalds in Europe. To What e tent are these criticisms li!el" to be replicated in #sia$ What di%%erences can be predicted$ #ns&er:
1here are many who are not so positi"e about the corporations approach and criticisms of McDonald@s ha"e been a common feature of the past three decades! <ow here has this been more e"ident than in 6urope, where McDonalds became the bAte noir of en"ironmentalists and social .ustice campaigners in the 19? s and 199 s! <ot only did the company gain the distinction of being the sub.ect of 6ngland@s longest e"er trial>the by now legendary Mc4ibel case>but anti globali2ation campaigners in France and elsewhere famously targeted the company with store occupations and assaults! More recently, nutritionists and healthy eating campaigners roundly critici2ed the company for its standard fare of high calorie burgers and fries that many saw as a ma.or cause of spiraling obesity rates, especially among young people! 7ith a loss of mar'et share to apparently healthier offerings, and go"ernments pushing for increasing regulation of fast food ad"ertising to children, McDonald@s reached a crisis that saw it attempt an ethical ma'eo"er in the mid>% s! ;n came healthy options, such as fresh salads and fruit, as well as sports campaigns for young people, and enhanced nutritional labeling! Meanwhile, with increasing affluence in *sia leading to a wa"e of diet>related problems similar to those in 6urope>such as escalating rates of obesity and diabetes in children and young adults> some started to Buestion whether the new directions McDonald@s was starting to ta'e in 6urope shouldn@t be replicated in ;ndia, &hina, and other de"eloping countries! ;n the same way e+tent these criticisms li'ely to be replicated in *sia . <o, there is no predicted in deference!

C&riticisms in 6urope8
unhealthiness ris' of customers health ad"ertising e+ploits children lac' of nutrition information

paying low wages ;n *sia8 less criticism

Question 0': Describe and evaluate the tactics used b" McDonalds in respondin( to their critics in Europe$ Will these &or!s to the same de(ree in #sia$ #ns&er :
1he McDonald@s corporation must ha"e thought that things couldn@t ha"e got any worse! *lthough the company was partly "indicated> by the .udge@s "erdict concerning the "eracity of some of the claims made by an obscure 4ondon acti"ist group in the late 19? s, the two unemployed campaigners that the huge company had spent millions of dollars ta'ing to court were ruled to ha"e pro"en se"eral of their claims! 1hese included accusations that the company 3 e+ploits children5 with its ad"ertisingD was 3culpably responsible5 for cruelty to animalsD 3strongly antipathetic5 to unionsD paid its wor'ers low wagesD falsely ad"ertised its food as nutritiousD and ris'ed the health of its most regular, long>term customers>hardly a positi"e message to be sending to its millions of customers and critics across the world! 1he trial attracted massi"e international publicity, and e"en spar'ed the publication of an acclaimed boo', a 1E program, a documentary film, and most damaging of all, the Mc)potlight website, which immediately made a wealth of information critical of McDonald@s, much of it used in the trial freely a"ailable to an international audience! More trouble was soon to come for the company from across the channel, when Fose -o"e and his radical farmers@ union, the &onfederation Gayson, made international headlines for his campaign to defend small, local producers and resist the march of the *merican multinational in France! McDonald@s continued to meet resistance within France and other parts of the world throughout the % s, due to an upsurge in anti>*merican feeling following the in"asion and occupation of ;raB! Howe"er, probably the biggest ethical challenge faced by McDonald@s in 6urope and other de"eloped countries concerned issues of health and nutrition! 7ith critics claiming that a diet of fast food had been a ma.or contribution to escalating rates of obesity! Made

by its critics were that the company had failed to pro"ide a balanced menu, that it pro"ided insufficient nutritional information and guidance, and that it acti"ely encouraged consumers (especially children, to ma'e unhealthy choices, for e+ample by promoting 3super si2e5 portions! 1he hauling o"er the coals of the company@s nutritional record continued with the bo+ office success of the film )uper si2e me across much of 6urope and the I) in the mid> % s! ;n the mo"ie, the filmma'er Morgan )purloc' e+periments with eating nothing but McDonald@s for a month and records the subseBuent effects on his health! Meanwhile, 6uropean go"ernments also started to tac'le the fast food industry in efforts to address health and nutrition issues! 1he I: go"ernment, for e+ample, initiated a &ommons Health &ommittee inBuiry into obesity that saw e+ecuti"es from McDonald@s and other food companies gi"ing e"idence! ;n France, meanwhile, the go"ernment introduced a ta+ on all food and drin' ad"ertising not bearing a health message!

Question ):Should McDonald*s o%%er health" alternatives to the same e tent in all the countries in &hich it operates+ or ,ust those &here it has been critici-ed in the past +or is it e pectin( %urther re(ulation$ What i% customers overseas do not &ant health" options$ #ns&er:
McDonalds offer some healthy alternati"es to o"ercome their criticisms! 1hese are 8 "egetables options *dditional produce side options and grilled chic'en choices for Happy Meals!<ew brea'fast choices, including an egg>white brea'fast sandwich on an 6nglish muffin! &hildrens 7ell>-eingJJMore seasonal fruit <utritionally -alanced Menu &hoices <utrition ;nformation and 6ducation

;f customers do not want healthy option then McDonalds can ta'e some steps!1hese are 8 McDonald should stop his product where it@s not doing well and ta'e correcti"e action and chec' his Buality! *"oid harmful items of a food!

Question .: /o& could McDonalds see! to avoid %uture criticism in the %uture $ 0an the compan" realisticall" present itsel% as an ethical corporation$ #ns&er:
1he most important thing that McDonalds is "ery popular and well 'nown organi2ation and it has ability to o"ercome their present problems to a"oid further criticism in future! <ow shortly ha"e to indicate their most crucial problems8 i! 4ac' of safe food handling (dont wear glo"es while preparing meals,! ii! McDonalds does not offer the healthiest food choices in the mar'et! iii! Due to the fatty foods that McDonalds offers, obesity is on the rise! i"! 4awsuits of hidden ingredients, beef e+tract was used with "egetable oil to fry the fries! "! Meals offered at McDonalds increase the rate of heart diseases especially for the elderly! "i! 4ac' of food Buality and freshness! "ii! 3)uper )i2e Me5 drew attention to McDonalds unhealthy food chain! "iii! 4ac' of healthier food choices in the menu! i+! 4awsuits of consumers eating meals from McDonalds ha"e caused their weight to increase o"er the years! ;f MacDonalds ta'es some "ital steps with consciously it might be a"oid criticism in the future! 1hese are gi"en below8 i! 6+panding with healthier food options on their menu, to put a control on obesity !

ii! Doing reno"ations on stores to ma'e them loo' appealing to all! iii! /ffer franchise opportunities to other big retail stores e+8 (7al>Mart,! i"! 1o start a recycling programs to promote a healthy en"ironment! "! 1o e+pand their Franchises in *sia! J)econd Buestion is can the company realistically present them as an ethical corporation, if the company should be more aware and ta'e care about their customers health and Buality full food for people it must be present itself as an ethical corporation!

Q:1 /o& sustainable is the %ast %ood industr" %rom the point o% vie& o% the triple bottom line$ #ns&er:
1riple -ottom 4ines are a reporting system that businesses use (not anymore, that gi"es a sense of how your business is doing in 3 ways8 6n"ironmentally ;s any company helping the en"ironmentK ;s any company sustainableK 6conomically &an any company wor' sustainable and ma'e a profitK )ocially is any affecting society in a good wayK Impacts: 6n"ironmental ;mpact><ot such a good impact>&attle are fed corn (naturally are grass eaters, Ises )tyrofoam (Glastic $8 polystyrene, pac'aging>Doesnt recycle e"erything that can be recycled 6conomic ;mpact Made a profit past 3 years% sustainableK )ocial ;mpact How does McDonalds impact its consumersK <utritional Ealue8 <ot Eery High McDonald@s continues to sell unhealthy food and the people are paying the price *merican people are facing one of their biggest problems8 /-6);19MMM From the point of view of the triple bottom line: 6n"ironmental )olutions &attle should be fed grass and should be allowed to gra2e ;nstead of )tyrofoam (Glastic $,, there are bioplastics (deri"ed from plant starches and oils, that biodegrade that can be used for pac'aging Many waste materials that arent being recycled can be recycled 98 9L increase Does McDonalds wor'

= 6conomical )olutions <ot "ery many solutions McDonald@s is doing pretty well in its profits and losses but if they tried harder to be more sustainable their budget might increase and it might be harder to ma'e a profit )ocial )olutions Healthier /ptions8 )alads with oil and "inegar based dressing Nrilled chic'en (rather than fried,7hole wheat bunsObread etc! Ha"e <utrition Facts present Geople can 'now what they are eatingD if they 'new, they might not want to eat!