McDonald’s doesn’t attract customers because its hamburgers are the best.
Chains like Shake Shack and Five Guys undoubtedly have better burgers than competitors Wendy’s and Burger King. McDonald’s (MCD) – Get Free Report certainly makes better burgers than pretty much any other sit-down a company; but, this isn’t the only reason the company has been incredibly successful for almost 70 years.
Consumers visit McDonald’s because it’s a familiar place rather than because it’s good. Whether you order any of the chain’s signature dishes in Paris, Texas, or Paris, France, you always get the same experience when dining at the restaurant.
Given that the chain has expanded into a sizable international enterprise, that is actually a very amazing achievement. Ensuring that you can procure potatoes of the same quality everywhere in the world to provide the same quality french fry experience wherever you go is a challenging task.
Because McDonald’s is recognisable, people go there. Although the burgers may not meet conventional culinary standards, many patrons find that they taste just like home.
The chain offers to tastes that people have known since infancy. This is not to argue that McDonald’s shouldn’t make changes, but there is risk involved in its most recent attempt to improve its burgers, especially the iconic Big Mac.
McDonald’s makes changes to their iconic burgers.
In April, McDonald’s said that it has improved its burgers in several international regions. This involved adding meltier cheese, softer buns, and onions to the burgers as they are grilling so they caramelize.
According to a press release from McDonald’s Senior Culinary Innovation Director Chad Schafer, “we found that small changes, like tweaking our process to get hotter, meltier cheese and adjusting our grill settings for a better sear, added up to a big difference in making our burgers more flavorful than ever.”
The changes were tested in Australia, Canada, and Belgium before being widely implemented in U.S. locations starting in December.
Changes to McDonald’s burgers also apply to the Big Mac, the chain’s signature sandwich. McDonald’s is reportedly adding extra Big Mac sauce to its well-known burger in addition to other adjustments, “bringing more tangy sweetness in every Big Mac bite,” the firm revealed.
Additionally, McDonald’s will be employing its recognisable Hamburglar character to promote the changes, giving an homage to both its history and the recent success of its Grimace Shake.
The ‘Best Burger’ from McDonald’s has been successful worldwide.
Despite the fact that McDonald’s is a worldwide brand, it’s possible that most people outside of America don’t share the same fondness for the company’s burgers. That’s probably why the chain first introduced its “Best Burger” adjustments elsewhere before bringing them to the United States.
During the third-quarter earnings call for the fast-food business, CEO Chris Kempczinski highlighted the adjustments.
“Australia was our first market to launch Best Burger and with resounding success. Great-tasting burger perceptions continue to grow, and the Macca’s team has reached an all-time high in beef burger share. And now Best Burger has been scaled to over 70 markets around the world, building on learnings from the original launch in Australia,” he shared.
During his speech, the CEO admitted that McDonald’s creates a specific emotional response in its customers.
“McDonald’s reliability value and feel-good experiences continue to play a key role in connecting to our customers, not just in Australia, but across all our markets, offering delicious food at an affordable price and at the convenience our customers have come to expect,” he stated.