Promotional Techniques

                                                                                               
Assess the range of promotional techniques the organization uses, including research methods used to identify target market.                                                                                                                                                                                                                       
Advertising:
Assess all the techniques McDonalds uses. I may need to do some research on their website.

In my opinion, McDonalds attaches great importance on advertising it’s product for which it uses the medium with maximum reach and appeal. Medium is the technique in which the advertising information is presented to the customers. There are many ways in which McDonalds use the medium, this includes:
* Radio
* Cinema
* Newspapers
* Magazines
* Billboards
* Television (both global and satellite)
* Teletext (the information service on commercial television)

This is why it spends 34million pounds of the total 43 million pounds on T.V. adds.  It is followed by £4.7m outdoors and about £2.9m on radio publicity. Only 36 thousand pounds are spent on newspaper. This piece of promotion attracts customers in an effective way and keeps the restaurant obtainable. This is why McDonalds is worldwide because of their successful promotional techniques. The most effective technique that requires the most money as said is the T.V. because they target different customers at different times. For example, they advertise children at a certain time, probably from 6am to 10am. McDonalds also make use of the cinema to attract customers and sell products effectively. This publishes their name in the credits.

Direct Marketing
McDonald’s draws importance to reaching those customers who are most possibly most interested in their products. This involves distributing or giving promotional material directly through post, in excess of the telephone, or through voucher system or even door to door. For this reason, McDonalds try to appear in all events, occasion that catch the attention of boys and girls. This is an incentive to encourage customers to buy their latest product. McDonalds have the advantage to target those customers who are keen and are mostly paying attention in specific products on offer. For instance, McDonalds may mail out a letter regarding about a forthcoming product to keen and enthusiastic customers.     

Public Relations   
McDonalds try to boost an image as if it is the most preferred fast food chain among all. McDonalds also tries to give ideas to Newspapers, radio, television etc to get favorable coverage or its positives highlighted. They also use press releases for this purpose. McDonalds achieve the general aim, which is to get good publicity. As a result of this McDonalds are to be well known. New healthier meals and public relation campaigns by McDonalds e.g. RMHC (Ronald McDonald Health Care) are paying off. These attempts improve McDonald’s image and increase sales. McDonalds have been trying to improve its image in recent years, after a number of people blamed its food after they became overweight.

McDonalds have been environmental ‘friendly’ by dealing with environmental issues in recent years to get good publicity and gain their reputation. They take the responsibility to protect and to keep the environment safe. They do this by collecting litter to reduce the environmental impact. They have also supported the community by focusing on families and providing them the aid and help to meet their needs. They have done a lot good work in the recent years for example the RMHC (Ronald McDonald Health Care). A place where McDonalds establish accommodation and support families with children in hospital. The families have a place to rest, away from the atmosphere of a hospital. It is also a place where children who are receiving outpatient treatment are able to spend time with their families. This very successfully boosts their public relations and gives the right impression to people about the restaurant.  

McDonalds have in addition improved their packaging material to make progress on their environmental performances. McDonalds have changed their packaging from to further environmental ‘friendly’ reusable alternatives. 

Display
McDonalds make use of displays to announce new offers. For this purpose, posters are put on the board or on windows to attract customers. Big chart size, posters are displayed on ‘inside walls’ to inform the customers what they can buy McDonalds. McDonalds also use table stands as a promotional technique by displaying meals and desserts. Some of the displays in McDonalds also inform customers about forthcoming events. Such displays are called ‘point of sales displays’.      

Sponsors
On the occasions of major sporting, cultural events, holiday seasons, special days etc McDonalds sponsor by giving financial support in exchange of their name being mentioned with the product. McDonalds have recently sponsored Walt Disney to get good publicity. Currently McDonalds are giving out free tickets to football matches in their happy meal boxes. As a result, in this case the match is being advertised through McDonalds’ Happy Meal box and McDonalds are being advertised all around the pitch in the stadium.  

Web
McDonalds can now promote their products through Internet. The website provides all the product information. McDonalds use all mediums to publicize their brand, product and service therefore it makes a very active use of internet.

Visiting the website, McDonalds have operated its web for every country. That means every country has its own website with multiple links. UK McDonalds’ website has links to healthy eating or healthy foods, active living, kids’ zone, Toasted Deli Sandwiches, their good works and Contact Us. In recent year, in UK Salad Bars and healthy meals of 5 portions are being popularized.

There website in Canada has nutrition meter also known as a nutrition calculator. The idea of this is to raise awareness about the nutritional value of the products purchased by the customers.

Sales PromotionAt times, McDonalds offers incentives to encourage customers to buy product on discounts, reduced prices, money-off vouchers, free samples, loyalty schemes or win rewards in form of extra quantity items. All this comes under Sales Promotion.

by Naveed Abbas