Brand Identity of McDonald's

McDonald's is a huge multi-national fast food restaurant chain which produces mainly hamburgers but also a variety of food such as chips, chicken, wraps, salads, milkshakes and desserts. It is one of the best known world brands. 

Personality

efficient, friendly,  accurate,  genuine,  fun,  wholesome

Ronald McDonald is a good representative of McDonald's personality

Ronald McDonald is a clown character used as the primary mascot of the McDonald. In TV commercials he inhabits a fantasy world called McDonaldland, and has adventures with his friends Mayor McCheese, the Hamburglar, Grimace, Birdie the Early Bird, and The Fry Kids. In recent years, McDonaldland has been largely phased out, and Ronald is instead shown interacting with normal kids in their everyday lives.


1995 commercial
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bdk0A-FyoCE

Recent comercial
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8DZc2PUUq0

Heritage and history

1940
Richard and Maurice McDonald began the business in 1940 with the McDonald's Barbecue restaurant in San Bernardino, California, which was a typical drive-in featuring a large menu and car hop service. 

1948
In 1948, the brothers reopened McDonald's as a self service drive-in restaurant, with only nine items in the reduced menu. 

1954
In 1954 Ray Kroc, a salesman for a company that made milkshake mixers, managed the franchising of the McDonalds' restaurant concept. And he bought the company at a cost of 2.7 million dollars. 

1960s
In the early 1960s, Kroc decided that the chain could make more money if it appealed to children, and so the company sponsored a kids' TV show called Bozo the Clown which were a success. 

1970s
With the Big Mac created in 1968, the McDonald's chain continued to grow. The franchise expanded overseas, with the first restaurant opening in Australia in 1971. The three thousandth restaurant of the chain, the first in Britain, was opened in London in 1974. 
1974 also witnessed start of the McDonald's Corporation's charitable efforts.

2014
Nowadays, McDonald's is serving around 68 million customers daily in 119 countries.

Slogans and Essence

1961 - Look for the Golden Arches

1971 - You deserve a break today

1975 - We do it all for you

1979 - Nobody can do it like McDonald's can

1984 - It's a good time for the great taste of McDonald's

1990 - Food, folks and fun

1993 - Do you believe in magic?

1995 - Have you had your break today?

1997 - Did somebody say McDonald's?

2000 - We love to see/make you smile

2000 - Put a smile on

2002 - Every time a good time

2003 - i'm lovin' it - The Justin Timberlake slogan song

2007 - Things that make you go 'mmm' - Breakfast us

From Reading these slogans, we can conclude that they want people to believe that "It's fun to dine in McDonald's." "McDonald's has good and efficient service and tasty food."

Values

cleanliness, convenience, efficiency, family is important, everyone needs to live a happy life

1 dollar = 1 portion of potato chips----so cheap

give our best to your family---- a good place for family gathering and family events

we do it all for you---- customers are our no.1 priority

free wifi served at all restaurants

Customers

The customers range from families to businessmen and teenagers because of the fast service, tasty food and affordable price.

For families (parents with little children), McDonald's can be a treat to their children because of the delicious food and promotional little toys with children's menu, also, it can be fun to dine in McDonald's. 

For teenagers, it is the cheapest place for gathering and eating, let alone free internet access available in all the restaurants. 

For businessmen, it is a good choice to visit McDonald's during the day as the service is fast, the food is tasty and the 'drive-through service' makes it possible to eat food in their cars without affecting the busy work schedule.

Benefits

Functional
good tasting food, affordable price, playground and promotional toys for children

Emotional
It makes people feel fun and excited to have a family gathering or birthday party in McDonald's. The warmth and excitement is reinforced by emotional advertising.

The big meal 
great deal for dinner
makes your stomach very happy---- big size, makes you feel full
not mention your wallet---- cheap

Rebranding

McDonald's has changed its brand-mark by abandoning the company name on the brand-mark, because the bright yellow 'M' in a bright red background is already recognizable.

Nowadays, more and more people are pursuing a healthier life style and healthier diet, McDonald's is facing the risk of losing customers since it has always been labelled as an unhealthy fast food restaurant.

Because of being criticized as the leading cause of obesity for providing unhealthy food, McDonald's has since then tried to rebrand itself as more health conscious with a greater variety of salads and other healthy meal options such as fish, wraps and sandwiches. 

Under the slogans "I'm lovin it," which featured an original tune by Justin Timberlake,  and the newer "what we're made of," families and young couples are seen enjoying their meals at McDonald's. 

The company is also going after the coffee crowd with its fancier and more expensive coffee in McCafe, which expands itself to a new market.

TV commercials

Although it is a fast food restaurant, in many TV commercials people appear to be enjoying the food slowly and leisurely. "It is not only a fast food restaurant, but also a fun place to relax and hold family events."

break the habit of a lunchtime
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dva-11FzyTg


baby sleeping in car (this one is so sweet)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXI2S13NUss


1980s little sister
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4P9DA_iNdw