The Spurlock Effect
I thought some of my loyal readers would get a kick out of this:
Morgan Spurlock came up with the idea for his anti-McDonald’s documentary on Thanksgiving Day, 2002—three and a half years ago. Seems like Spurlock has delivered the same happy result for McDonald’s as Michael Moore did for George W. Bush in 2004:
Just three and a half years ago, McDonald’s was struggling mightily. Its stock had tumbled 56 percent in 10 months and the company had reported its first quarterly loss. Sales at existing stores in the United States, by far McDonald’s biggest market, were not growing and in many instances were declining.
Stung by obesity lawsuits and criticism from books like “Fast Food Nation,” the company’s brand seemed passé and the high-calorie, high-fat, high-sodium cuisine appeared poised for a long decline.
But that did not happen. Today, McDonald’s business, both in the United States and globally, is growing; the chain gets some one million more American visitors a day than it did just a year ago.
Since 2003, according to the NY Times, revenue for McDonald’s “has increased by 33 percent and its shares have rocketed 170 percent.” The burger chain has, you might say, been supersized.
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1 comment:
As one of your loyal readers I'd like to comment........ I must say that I didn't see the movie "Super Size Me" as an anti-McDonald's movie but more a movie saying "pay attention to what you're eating......it may not be good for you" and "more is not necessarly better". Maybe McDonalds' 33% increase is because of the film and not in spite of it. Perhaps the "happy results" that the movie delivered was an awareness by McDonalds that it was time for them to change their menu by offering some healthier choices. I believe you can now buy salads (maybe organic?) with Paul Newman salad dressing (no less) and I noticed a fruit and walnut salad, I think maybe even a grilled chicken as a choice in addidtion to fried foods. So, perhaps the movie was successful in making people aware of healthy choices and McDonalds has profited by making some healthy choices for their business AND their customers!
Now, did Michael Moore "delivery the same happy result" for George W. Bush in 2004? I saw the Michael Moore movie not as an anti-American film but again, a film saying "pay attention". Well, perhaps in spite of the movie Bush was re-elect. Maybe I can use the analogy that people don't always make healthy choices.....more of the same is not necessarily better and maybe, just maybe the government will make healthy changes for the good of the country and all our citizens.
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