BusinessStudies andEconomics coursework
HowdoesMcDonaldsattractitscustomers?
ByLucySargent
McDonalds started with one restaurant in the US in 1955. Today McDonalds is the largest and best-known global foodservice retailer. With more than 32,000 restaurants in over 120 countries, their global market potential is enormous. I am going to investigate how McDonalds attracts its customers by marketing. I will research into the products McDonalds sells at what prices and where and how it promotes theses products.
The main group McDonalds target are about 10-25 years old. Market segmented
Like all firms, McDonalds uses the 4Ps of marketingto attract its customers. The 4Ps are:
1. Product. The firm must come up with a product that people will want to buy. It must fulfil some of the customer’s needs and wants.
2. Price. The price of the product must be one that the firms target customers agree with and afford - without being too cheap.
3. Promotion. The product must be promoted so that potential customers are aware that it exists.
4. Place. The product must be available for sale in a place that the customer will find convenient.
1. Product. Variety, brands, own brands, type of product & product range
McDonalds has a large variety of products to suit many people’s tastes, for example children’s meals and the new salads meals. The children’s meals attract the children because there is a free toy with the meals and the meals are quite cheap - £1.99 for a drink, chips and a burger or chicken nuggets. Also it is possible to have fruit instead of chips and a vegetarian option. This attracts the parents as well because it is healthy for their children and it saves them cooking and washing up!
The new salads on the menu show that McDonalds have changed with the change in society. A few months ago McDonalds introduced the salads and they were a success because the new health conscious teenagers who increasingly want to look thin like models, actresses and singers do not want to eat junk food, like chips.
Some places do not sell a physical product, they sell a lifestyle or atmosphere or an image. For example in perfume adverts you see young glamorous models and people buy the product because they think if they have it they will be like the people on the adverts.
