Role of Leadership in Marketing: McDonald's

Solution Summary

1. What role do opening leaders play in McDonald's marketing?

a. Opening leaders for McDonalds marketing campaign initiate strategic implementation of product positioning within the marketplace. They identify what products are the most beneficial to integrate into the organizations value menu, and what methodology is needed in order to increase profitability and enhance nationwide growth expansion. Leaders of the organization ensure that each consumer's needs are met or exceeded depending on the consumers geographic region. for example, Mcdonald's restaurants in Hawaii have a much different value menu in comparison to other franchises that may include "Spam" as one of the most popular items on the menu. Therefore the leader who knows the organization inside and out would be able to inform marketers of the who? What? When? and where? aspect of product placement based on the targeted demographic. Several years ago McDonalds was scrutinized for not having enough healthy options for consumers and were criticized for contributing to the nations leading causes of obesity in the U.S. As a result of the massive outcry of the need for food with nutritional value, consumers are now able to choose a healthy alternative when dining out. Nevertheless, leaders used this method of marketing to their advantage in which case McDonalds was one of the first fast food chain's to integrate a nutritional health conscious initiative for consumers. In essence, the compliance of leadership enabled the organizations change transition to shift into a future trend that will promote a healthier lifestyle. For the most part, leaders of Mcdonald's corporation are able to identify consumer needs assessment based on geographical location in order to determine the best product to incorporate into the organizations value menu, for instance when conducting a comprehensive marketing analysis of the organizations internal and external environments, the organization is able to determine which products are in high demand and has the potential to generate significant revenue for increased profit margin.

2. How is McDonald's using marketing to spark learning and positive attitude s toward its brand and offerings?

a. McDonalds has an aggressive Internet presence that intertwines the organizations social obligations with charitable services to the injured and less fortunate individuals as well as maintaining the Green initiative for the environment. The company's marketing campaign informs the public of their continuous efforts to offer healthy meals such as; yogurt, oatmeal, fruits, salads, etc., which displays a sense of accountability in which case the fast-food chain desires to contribute to the resolution of the problem instead of becoming the problem.

3. Why would McDonald's select businesses as a target market for its Arch Cards?

a. These businesses will be in a position to function as a prepaid card vendor in which case consumers are able to purchase Arch Cards from various locations and load money onto the card. McDonald's selects businesses as a target market as a means of providing an additional service that is more convenient for consumers, and is not as time consuming as various methods of payment transactions. The primary goal with this prepaid system is to enable a quicker and more convenient method of payment thus initializing the swipe and go feature, that will ultimately reducing lengthy wait times and completely revolutionize the way in which we dine in fast-food restaurants. McDonald's sell's Arch cards to organization for a specific price, the organization in turn distributes the cards to make it easily accessible for other consumers and/or employees in order to have another stream of revenue generated.