Why Do I Love This Brand Even When I Absolutely Hate Their Product
You remember Changeables, don't you?
Not much to say about their product, but their brand is nearly flawless.
McDonalds is recognizable to everyone, even my 5 year old (then 4) pointing to the Golden Arches along the highway and said “Hey look, McDonalds!”. I asked him how he knew, he responded by saying “The ‘M’ looks like french fries.” Damn, I never thought about the arches that way.
The Golden Arches were designed in 1962, nearly 22 years after the first restaurant opened and 14 years after the streamlined menu was introduced. So what compels us to pull off the road for a product that often falls short of expectations?
You can check out Michael Keaton in “The Founder” to learn a little more about the history of McDonalds.
Recently, McDonald's faced a drop in market value as consumers demanded lower prices amid rising food inflation, prompting a revival of past value menu strategies.
Prices should be even lower; the food is ultimately trash.
Yet, it’s convenient or what I call "convincing." They focus more on the experience than the product itself, offering toys for kids and ease for parents or busy individuals. That’s the core appeal.
As a kid, my grandmother took us there during visits. It wasn’t a luxury; it was simply a way to keep us entertained. That’s when I discovered the legendary Happy Meal toy, “Changeables.”
These Transformer-like toys were a thrilling surprise in a Happy Meal as a kid. Nowadays, you can find them on Etsy for nearly double the price of a current Happy Meal.
Now, we take our kids to get their special Halloween Happy Meal buckets. I’m not sure if it’s more for my wife or the kids, but every year, we eagerly pick them out, excited to see which bucket we’ll get.
They have an undeniable talent for creatively using the arches and their products in ways that are instantly recognizable, particularly in their out-of-home advertising. For example, they incorporate the arches as directional signs and headlights, and they use the colors of burger layers to promote mobile ordering and a faster DoorDash experience.
What can we learn from a product that has been around for nearly 100 years? Perhaps the answer lies in time. The longer we invest in developing ourselves, our brand, and our products—while maintaining consistency—the more formidable our brand fortress becomes.
Maybe thats the lesson hidden here. Jus’t don’t super size it.
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