Company Description
McDonald’s remains one of the leading players in the fast food industry. The company was started in 1940 by Maurice and Richard McDonald (Anaf, Baum, Fisher, Harris, & Friel, 2017). The company has its presence in over 120 nations. The multinational firm has its headquarters in Oak Brook, Illinois. The common products marketed by the firm include chicken, coffee, hamburgers, soft drinks, and milkshakes. The company has managed to market its products to more consumers across the globe. Unfortunately, the World Health Organization (WHO) ranks McDonald’s among the leading firms that market unhealthy food materials (Swana & de Lange, 2015). Statistics have indicated that only 31 percent of the products marketed by McDonald’s are healthy (Anaf et al., 2017).
Some of the firm’s major products such as hamburgers have been found to cause obesity in chidlren and adults. Consequently, obesity has remained a major risk factor for diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular complication, and diabetes. Additionally, the firm’s products include a wide range of ingredients that are unhealthy. Some of these include dextrose, sodium acid pyrophosphate, azodicarbonamide, and phosphates (Anaf et al., 2017). These compounds can cause negative health implications.
The marketing of some of these products is something that has attracted numerous ethical concerns. For instance, the company has been using ineffective advertising methods to target unsuspecting school-going chidlren. Addition lay, the firm has failed to deliver adequate messages to the consumers in order to understand the health implications of such food materials (Franck, Grandi, & Eisenberg, 2013). The company’s website also indicates that the marketed products are usually healthy. These issues have led to a major ethical dilemma that should be addressed immediately.
Perception of MacDonald’s Foods within Cultures
McDonald’s remains one of the formidable competitors in the United States’ food sector. It is agreeable that chidlren and adults appear to embrace most of its brands. However, some nutritionists and policymakers have continued to present their opinions against the company’s food materials. Specific populations at risk of certain diseases such as obesity have also been unhappy with the company’s products (Dizon et al., 2015). Chidlren below the age of eighteen and their mothers have been observed to consume these products in large quantities.
The millennial generation in the United States has been presenting diverse views about McDonald’s products. Members of this generation believe strongly that such foods are harmful. Similar views have been presented by many people in different parts of the world. For instance, many consumers in Europe are no longer embracing the company’s products (Dizon et al., 2015). The same trend has been recorded in other parts of the world such as China and New Zealand.
Handling Ethical Implications
McDonald’s continues to grapple with the ethical issues raised by many people across the globe. In order to deal with the issue, the company has embraced a number of strategies in order to support the needs of the customers. To begin with, the firm has been using “in-store labeling, nutrition labeling, and better advertising strategies” (Swana & de Lange, 2015, p. 4). This corporate social responsibility (CSR) approach guides different consumers to avoid foods that are high in calories.
The company has also embraced powerful measures to ensure its food materials are healthy. For instance, its Happy Meal is now low in salt, sugar, and fat. Most of the advertising methods targeting chidlren have been redesigned to meet the required nutritional criteria. These measures are in accordance with the concept of CSR and integrity. However, the approaches have not met the expectations of different stakeholders. This is the case because the food materials contain various compounds such as dextrose and salt that can affect the health outcomes of more citizens (Anaf et al., 2017). The firm should go ahead to implement powerful campaigns to address the problem of obesity. By so doing, the company will ensure its food materials are in accordance with the concept of business ethics.
Leadership and a Culture of Ethics
The leaders in this company should be on the frontline to support the best marketing processes that are ethical in nature. Appropriate leadership will ensure the marketing department undertakes the best initiatives and actions that can support the needs of the targeted customers. The organizational leadership can come up with a powerful plan to ensure the marketed products are properly labeled (Swana & de Lange, 2015). This strategy will ensure the targeted clients are aware of the nutritional contents in each product.
The marketers can also empower the targeted customers to specific some products depending on their health statuses and needs (Franck et al., 2013). The other approach that can be used to instill a culture of ethics is to combine the marketing approach with a number of health promotion practices. The ultimate goal is to ensure the targeted customers are informed about the health implications of the food materials. By so doing, McDonald’s will find it easier to address the ethical issues affecting its products and eventually become a leader in the global food industry.
References
Anaf, J., Baum, F., Fisher, M., Harris, E., & Friel, S. (2017). Assessing the health impact of transnational corporations: A case study on McDonald’s Australia. Globalization and Health, 13(7), 1-16. Web.
Dizon, F., Costa, S., Rock, C., Harris, A., Husk, C., & Mei, J. (2015). Genetically modified (GM) foods and ethical eating. Journal of Food Science, 81(2), 287-291. Web.
Franck, C., Grandi, S., & Eisenberg, M. (2013). Taxing junk food to counter obesity. American Journal of Public Health, 103(11), 1949-1953. Web.
Swana, C., & de Lange, R. (2015). Ethics and packaging design: Marketing of sugary breakfast cereals to South African chidlren. Web.