McDonald's Transparency Campaign: The Truth Behind the McNugget, Big Mac, and More

(Photo from v3con.com)

Have you ever wondered what's really in a Big Mac? If you have, you'll be happy to know that it is possible to find out.

Recently, McDonald’s has developed a campaign to increase its customer relations.The campaign, which features various videos and FAQ sheets regarding many popular menu items, is aimed at increasing the transparency of the company in regards to the ingredients that it uses in its food.

Over the last few years, McDonald’s has taken many hits for rumors regarding pink slime used in its food. From photos of the aforementioned slime to articles that tell of horror stories from the chain’s workers, hundreds of individuals have taken it upon themselves to fight against the company’s brand.

However, McDonald’s chose to fight back.

As any PR practitioner knows, good public relations requires a high level of transparency. In order to gain respect and trust from consumers, a company or organization needs to be honest about their products, business dealings, and more.

By allowing the public to see the beginning to end process of making McDonald’s signature items, those that were lost through the pink slime craze may see a new side of the company and decide to give it a second chance.

Also, through this campaign, McDonald’s addresses the rumors that have been plaguing its name for years. Not one stone is left unturned in this campaign, and that allows for the company to lead way for a new, more simplistic menu that is rumored to be rolled out within the next year.

If you would like to see this campaign for yourself, visit www.mcdonalds.com/us/en/your_questions/our_food.html. From there, find the videos and FAQ pages that correspond with the menu items that you are curious about, and see the difference between the interenet buzz and the actual happenings behind the scenes of Ronald McDonald’s home base.

What do you think about McDonald’s transparency campaign? Let us know in the comments!

How May We Not Serve You Today?

Why would you make a product audience members weren’t interested in? You wouldn’t, right? Social media has opened doors to help producers invent products that will make consumers interested in buying their product. Consumers are the most honest people out there; they are not looking to by a product that does not interest them. So, why does it appear corporation’s interest in what consumer opinions are has depleted? 

Social media has boomed over the past couple of years, and with this boom comes advancements for those creating new products. Target audiences respond to products advertised via social media, and their responses can prove to be quite valuable. They are the ones who will potentially purchase the product so tailoring it to what interests them should come easy, but it doesn’t. But even though companies offer response to their products, their perspectives are not always taken into account. 

In a recent study, results indicated requests left by consumers go unnoticed by companies. Roughly 70% of questions and comments posted on social media outlets go unanswered. Companies have even closed access to writing on their Facebook wall. This closes a company’s obligation to acknowledging their audience’s suggestions. Though companies removed access to leaving comments on their wall, companies still know consumer involvement in products will increase sales of the product. 

Companies appear to all have the same end goal- to make the most money. But, how do they expect to make money of their audience fails to recognize their product? If they want to make the most money, they need respect the comments given by customers. Social media allows them to know what the opinions of the public are. Corporations have to allow for comments to be made and value what their target market’s reactions are. 

This guest blog post was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member Alison Curran.

Surveying the Masses: How to Create an Effective Survey

Surveys can prove to be a very useful tool in measuring the success of your client or serving as a learning tool for future improvements. But how do you build a survey that will not only yield maximum results, but can also clarify what audience your client should be reaching out to. Below are some tips on creating an effective survey:

Define your objective: What are you trying to achieve? Are you trying to increase traffic or improving customer satisfaction? Make this clear, and keep this goal in mind when making the survey questions. Make sure the person filling out your survey is aware of what you are trying to achieve by both stating your objective and keeping this objective constant throughout the survey, taking care to avoid jumping to different topics.

Write the questions carefully: Write for the average person, avoid using complicated wording and jargon. You want to avoid confusing anyone and yielding inaccurate results. Holding a focus group may help in the preliminary stages to test-drive your survey and get a clear idea of who to write for.

Consider using an incentive: To show appreciation to the people who took the time to take your survey, offer a small prize or an invitation to enter a raffle for a grand prize. Though this will be harder for you, it will almost guarantee a higher response rate, your ultimate goal.

Manage the project closely: Enlist a detail-oriented staff member to oversee the survey. This individual will make sure that each survey is conducted exactly the same way to ensure a level playing field and minimize errors.

Analyze the results: When presenting the results of the survey to your client, consider your method. Rather than writing a laundry list of numbers, sometimes pictures speak louder than words. Utilize tools like maps and graphs to visually showcase results. Also, take notices on areas of improvement or trends. Why is one group responding more than the other? The answer may point you in the right direction towards a more specific audience.

How do you conduct surveys? What methods to you use for a higher turnout? Feel free to let us know!

Another One Bites the Dust

Verizon wireless has started 2012 on a not-so-great note. Last Thursday, Verizon announced that, much like Bank of America, they would be charging a $2 convenience fee each month for customers paying either online or over the phone.

And so, the Twitterverse ignited. One particular Verizon user quipped, "Dear Verizon... Why should I pay you a $2 fee to pay my bill? Should I charge you to provide me service?" Customers even took to the company's Facebook to voice their disapproval. Verizon still made no response, instead trying to refocus attention onto a new pet tracking feature.

The explanation for the convenience fee is this: customers who automatically wire their debit or bank accounts every month will not be charged. It is those who are paying online on a one-time basis that are going to be subjected to the fee. This did not placate customers at all. Verizon responded to complaints via their website saying that "the fee will help allow us to continue to support these single bill payment options in these channels and is designed to address costs incurred by us for only those customers who choose to make single bill payments in alternate payment channels (online, mobile, telephone).”

Since then, just like Bank of America eventually did, Verizon has backtracked its $2 convenience fee. What do you think of this trend of company's diving into announcements, and seemingly ignoring customer satisfaction? Let us know!