New Uniforms Could be the Gold Charm for the Golden Arches

New designer uniforms could be the gold charm McDonald's needs to connect their new hip marketing campaign to their fast-food restaurants. This possible gold charm for the fast-food chain has the ability to let the actual fast-food restaurants reflect the image they are portraying in their advertisement campaign. The new "I'm lovin' it" marketing campaign has attracted a youthful audience to the fast-food chain. However, when this trendy younger crowd comes to McDonald's, they do not see the same fashionable place that they saw in the commercial. Instead, they see the same thing that they would see at just about any fast-food restaurant. McDonald's hopes to further entice this target market into their restaurants by updating their restaurants with new employee uniforms.

This gold charm could definitely be the factor that distinguishes McDonald's from other fast food chains. Instead of having their young workers dreading to wear their uniform to work, the goal is to have a uniform that actually appeals to the employees, something that they would wear even if they didn't have to. With over 300,000 workers, this will not be an easy change but almost certainly a change that will be worth it for McDonald's.

For the last five years McDonald's has been struggling to revamp themselves in order to appeal to a younger audience. In quest to become more "cool," McDonald's introduced the "I'm lovin' it" campaign with pop favorites Justin Timberlake and Beyonce Knowles of Destiny's Child singing the jingle for the commercials. These superstars help give validity that McDonald's must be a good place to eat if Justin Timberlake and Beyonce Knowles of Destiny's Child will go there. Along with this, McDonald's has also improved their menu to meet the needs of this younger, en vogue consumer (this includes low-carb options to match the current rage of the Atkins' Diet). This new marketing campaign has proved to be very successful for the fast-food chain, improving sales in their targeted audience.

As new and hip as these commercials, radio ads, and billboards maybe, little change has occurred in the appearance of the restaurant itself since its beginning. While the company has changed its branding strategy away from children and families by no longer using Ronald McDonald and the Hamburglar in their commercials and advertisements, they still have not done much to bring their facilities up with the times. These new designer uniforms could possibly be just what they need to begin the improvement of the McDonald's actual restaurant facility.

Yet, what maybe a gold charm for the golden arches, could possibly be a horrible disaster to a clothing line. Something that certain clothing designers need to worry about is whether or not they will look like a "sell out" if they decide to do a fast-food restaurant's uniform. Labels like Abercrombie and Fitch have worked hard to be the top of their line and not something that is worn by fast food employees and covered in grease. This could definitely be a risky move as far as branding goes for some clothing companies.

However, these designers could possibly be motivated if the price was right. It is estimated that these gold charm uniforms can cost up to $80 million for McDonald's. These uniforms are certainly not cheap for McDonald's. While a designer for the new uniforms has no been chosen, the golden arches are looking at designers such as Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, and even from Sean P. Diddy Combs. Although these new uniforms may seem like an unnecessary expense it might just be precisely what they need to connect their restaurants to the image they are portraying in their ads.

Kaitlin Carruth is a client account specialist with 10x Marketing - More Visitors. More Buyers. More Revenue. To learn more about other types of gold charms, please visit Harris Michael Jewelry.

---

Branding Strategy - Brand Identity

Today, in many organizations around the world, branding is treated... Read More

Corporate Branding ? Dont Forget Your CDs!

Companies have been branding their collateral materials such as letterhead,... Read More

Profitable Partnering

Become your customers top-of-mind choice.Some of these snapshots of real... Read More

Branding Mistakes - Brand Identity Guru

1. It "sells itself." I don't need to market.Okay, you... Read More

Trademark: Do I Need One for My Business Name and Logo?

Wondering if a trademark is important to you as a... Read More

Importance of Business Branding

Branding is very important to a business, whether it is... Read More

Brand Extension; Going from Consumer to Commercial

As more and more home pressure washers are sold at... Read More

Value Proposition Writing - Brand Identity Guru

Your Value Proposition, or as I usually call it, your... Read More

9 Keys to an Effective Logo

The right logo, with the right characteristics, will boost your... Read More

Creating Powerful Names for Products, Services, and Your Business

The name of your business is important--it's one of the... Read More

Shattering the Branding Myths

If you've been online long, you're sure to have seen... Read More

10 Secrets for Free Media Placement

Why pay a high priced PR agent when you can... Read More

The Role of a Visual Vocabulary in Brand Identity Design

Visual elements are a major part of your business's brand... Read More

Tips for Creating Brilliant Business Names

Imagine if Yahoo! had been named TheInternetDirectoy. Or StarBucks was... Read More

Brand Equity - Brand Identity Guru

7 Qualities Of A Strong Brand:1. Commands premium pricing while... Read More

Strategic Moves In The Branding Gamble!

The so called 'globalisation' has cluttered the world markets with... Read More

7 Branding Secrets: Ready or Not?

Every company has a brand (how people think of them)... Read More

Your Business Logo and Color Scheme

My business logo and color scheme started one lovely spring... Read More

Brand Image ? Brand Identity Guru

Having a brand image is not a "have or have... Read More

Franchisor Policies for Unlicensed or Sold Territories

Franchisors often have issues when they own a brand which... Read More

Your Identity Speaks Loudly...What Are You Saying?

Your corporate identity is a graphic expression of who you... Read More

Brand Image - Brand Identity - Brand Strategy - Brand Identity Guru

Consumers perceive and accept many brands within a certain trade... Read More

Managing the Corporate Brand - a Reputation Perspective

Adored, respected and coveted by customers and organisations alike, corporate... Read More

Why Branding?

Having a concise, clear image that you project to your... Read More

Brand Components

Your brand is the culmination of everything about you and... Read More