Introducing New Products in McDonald
Introducing New Products in McDonald
McDonald is among the leading fast food restaurants across the world. Over the years, the restaurant has grown from providing only barbecue to various other products ranging from hamburgers, French fries, soft drinks to salads and desserts. However, most people, especially diet experts, associate the firm with unhealthy foods given their high concentration of fats and sodium. Obesity has been a major public concern in the US, and such allegations threaten the reputation of this multinational institution. For this reason, McDonald began including healthy foods in its menu by offering snacks and meals with a low concentration of undermining constituents. As such, this paper will analyze two products that this American company can introduce in its endeavors to not increase sales and profits but also protect its reputation. The two include broccoli soup and fresh tuna fish.
An article giving a market overview of soup in America emphasizes the importance of healthy soup in America. Consumers across the country consider healthy soup as one of the most nutritious foods. Restaurants providing soup generate high traffic that significantly drives up sales. According to the article, soup is a key player in the modern menu with the most sought after type of soup being broccoli. As a result, every day can see a high purchase of soup, particularly during lunch hours because many consumers prefer taking lunch with soup. The article has it that almost 99% of homes in America buy soup. In fact, the soup business exploits billions of dollars every year. Soup’s popularity in the US is because citizens prioritize foods with high nutritional value, low cholesterol, and low fats. More so, over half of American’s population affirm that they strive to improve their health. Again, the restaurants Americans consider as the top providers of healthy foods are heavy marketers of soup.
Therefore, broccoli being among the most popular soups, its introduction in McDonald would help in attracting customers, which can substantially enhance the sales. Broccoli soup can be prepared with a wide array of healthy ingredients. Compared to foods such as meat that contain saturated calories, the soup has an insignificant amount of calories in addition to loads of beneficial vitamins. The soup can contain cheese or can be sautéed with oil, garlic, and brown rice. Hence, it will draw consumers of various demography and geography. With an increasing number of organizations competing with McDonald, the introduction of broccoli soup will help the firm stay at the edge of the fierce competition. McDonald is greatly connected with young people and groups that do not always prefer healthy foods. Initiation of broccoli soup will lure even the elderly. Remember that older people mostly suffer from aging and bone problems. Thus, menus offering soup will see them storm this company as well. This will combat the assumption of McDonald being a food joint for the young generation. Since the firm operates internationally, many nations beyond the US will like to try this westernized and healthy soup. For example, McDonald has dominated in China and given the love of Chinese for soups, many will try it.
Fresh Tuna
An article in The Washington Post examines the fall of canned tuna in the US. In the 19th century, canned tuna augmented the sales of seafood. In the need to change diet and develop healthy eating habits, Americans largely consumed canned tuna. Over 80% of Americans incorporated regular consumption of canned tuna in their homes. In fact, over half of produced canned tuna globally went to America. However, in the past decade, the Environmental Protection Agency has recommended a low intake of canned tuna citing the high absorption of mercury levels thus rising toxicity concerns. Americans are selective eaters and attribute the disinterest for canned tuna to its non-freshness and toxicity. The article also suggests that the future of canned tuna is not as bright as it used to be, specifically because the industry does not receive huge funds and attention from the Agricultural sector (Ferdman, 2014). However, the post opines that full abolishment of tuna is not an option given the dire need for protein by American youth.
Currently, most restaurants are overlooking this industry given the various controversies surrounding tuna`s industry, including fishing. Important is for the firm to offer fresh tuna. It means that it should prepare the fish on a daily basis with the respective ingredients. That consumers still question the tuna industry, they will most likely to seek it from only reliable firms such as McDonald. Obviously, the nutritional value of tuna cannot be ignored. The industry will reap huge cash due to the limitation. The fact is that the demand will surpass the supply, though not in a very great scale. With that in mind, players at this time will make a good chunk of cash. Therefore, the adoption of tuna will create a stronger consumer base for this company which has already initiated different types of fish. The idea is that tuna consumption has decreased, but it is not on its lower ends. The company can believe in this initiation to attract more customers and drive up sales. Sometimes the best strategy is exploring the areas sidelined by other players.
References
Ferdman, A. (2014, 8 18). How America Fell Out of Love With Canned Tuna. Retrieved from The Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2014/08/18/how-america-fell-out-of-love-with-canned-tuna/
NORPAC Foods, Inc. (2015, 11 25). The Soup Market Overview. Retrieved from Foodservice Soups: http://norpacsoups.com/soup_market.php
