Brand Sense/Marketing: McDonald’s Hamburgers Essay

Figure 1 This figure illustrates how McDonald’s hamburger is presented to the public. The picture looks so appealing enough to make people crave to taste how it is like when combining the fresh and nutritious ingredients together. The picture alone tells that the food is very delicious by its look, that it produces enchanting smell; and when a person touches it, its soft and thick bread would be enough to satisfy his craving. Analyzing the ads in view of the senses presented in the diagram gives the brand manager the criteria in assessing how effective the ads is in arousing the interest and craving of the people towards the product. In the same way, this also guides him/her to determine a particular sensory activity he would employ in a particular product. Figure 2 Using the twelve components in the ‘Smash your Brand’ philosophy of Martin Lindstrom, McDonald’s hamburgers communicate the true personality of the company. This principle applies the idea of uniqueness that makes the product relevant to its customers. This uniqueness is applied in various components as discussed by Lindstrom. The M shape icon and the McDonald’s mascot that represent it appear so customer friendly while the combination of yellow and white and a little red gives relaxing mood. Actually the name McDonald is an American folksong that creates an image as ‘plain folk. ’ In my opinion, McDonald’s will survive smashing because it communicates goodwill and friendly customer service in many aspects of services. ‘Smash your Brand’ as another device through which a marketing scheme is being conceptualized, is holistic in approach. For a marketing plan, using this approach is quite mind-numbing and tedious because in the first place this particular approach is done by the organization as a whole to impose a change in the company. Once the initiative is from the upper level, marketing department will also follow and will create a plan based on the set corporate goals. Perhaps, what could be done is basically orchestrating what the company is and what the company does. This is what it means by â€Å"communicating a heart. † Thus, this diagram will become effective only when the company has the message and identity to tell the public. Figure 3 McDonald’s hamburger is authentic because of its drive to perfect its product by making it real in terms of quality represented by the product’s color, simplicity of the images, richness in ingredients, and values explained in text (McDonald’s). Perhaps this authenticity testing is utilized or suggested by Lindstrom because it aims to measure the impact of the ads to the intended audience. As an emotional testing, its authenticity will help to enhance the customers’ motivation to patronage the product. The device is helpful I guess in order to strengthen the impact of the advertisement. Figure 4 To realize that a product meets another level of customer’s satisfaction is a good indication that the ad as well as the product is really tempting and alluring. In case of McDonald’s hamburgers as shown in an internet ad, the food is really tempting by its look; however, it becomes more enticing because the nutrition content will satisfy ‘my’ body. The level of understanding regarding the benefit of the product will heighten the interest of the person to buy the product. The emotional profile therefore provides another avenue in the advertisement that will make it more effective and convincing. Application Lindstrom provides novel idea in making marketing truly relevant to the needs of the people. These diagrams and models are useful therefore in conceptualizing and figuring out marketing strategies and action that will be appealing enough to cultivate interest to a lot of people amidst many competitions. What brand managers understand is that marketing does not rely solely on advertisement. It involves concerted actions and effort that aim to promote and to sell the product. The primary end of the effort is to increase the sales. Lindstrom conceptualized those models, which for him will facilitate the planning stage of the brand managers. However, the models require a lot of work analysis and sometimes limit the creativity because it tends to bind the strategies on the models. What most marketing managers or brand managers are doing is looking through some ways that will make their product unique from the rest; they do not limit any possibility. Regarding this, it is important to realize that branding is different from marketing. Branding is â€Å"about performance†¦ is a tool for delivering your business objectives: a means to an end, not an end in itself† (Barlow & Stewart, p. 17). It is therefore aims to bring the customer close to the product and not the product to the customer; the latter is the marketing job. Branding and marketing require two different courses of actions. Secondly, the brand manager must conceptualize what could provide solution to the customers’ needs and problems. That is the key towards identifying effective branding strategies. The best way to do this is conducting researches that will identify those needs. The brand must in the first place dwell within the hearts and minds of the clients. Third, after the courses of action have been finalized, use Lindstrom’s models to analyze the weaknesses and strengths of the strategies. With this suggestion, planning will become systematic and that Lindstrom will become useful. Reference Barlow, J. & Stewart, P. (2004). Branded Customer Service. USA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers. Lindstrom, M. (2005). Brand Sense: How to Build Powerful Brands through Touch, Smell, Sight & Sound. USA: Kogan Page Publishers. McDonald’s. http://cep. mcdonalds. com/qualityfood/.