Mcdonald’s Need for Localization in the Company’s Global and Local Marketing Mix in Order to Appeal to the Indian Culture.

Problem Statement

McDonald’s need for localization in the company’s global and local marketing mix in order to appeal to the Indian culture.

Possible Alternatives

* Localizing the Product

* Localizing the Place

* Localizing the Price

* Localizing the Promotion

Recommendation

Localizing and adapting McDonald’s menu items to cater to the Indian culture while maintaining the company’s global strategy.

Recommended Solution

McDonald’s in one of the leading fast food industries in the world, not to mention one of the most recognizable symbols in the world.  When I think of McDonalds I picture the golden arches with some 16 year old kid inside making my greasy burger with fries.  I imagine that this is what most Americans envision when they think of McDonalds or any similar fast food restaurant.  Interestingly enough this probably isn't far off from how other countries view McDonalds. There is one major difference between the U.S., European market and say the Indian market, that difference would be beef.  The Indian culture does not eat beef or pork.   If the fast food industry wants to capitalize on the booming Indian economy and the massive middle class in India they are going to have to adapt to the Indian culture.  First and for-most replace beef and pork with something else.

McDonalds has started to take steps in appealing to the Indian market by offering hamburgers that aren’t really hamburgers. McDonalds is serving 100% vegetarian burgers that look like the real thing only their made of potatoes, peas, and carrots with an Indian spice thrown in.  McDonalds has gone through great lengths to make sure that Indian people know that there is absolutely no beef or pork in their products by clearly stating this on their web-site,  and using their famous Mc to help define their meals as vegetarian with the McVeggie Burger  (Teodoro, 2010).

While McDonalds has been using vegetarian substitutes for beef in their stores, 70% of Indian...