Essay Sample on McDonald's From UAE Perspective

Introduction

McDonald's is a fast-food company; which is based in California in the United States of America. It was started by Richard and Maurice McDonald in 1940 and has grown since then, in terms of its size and commodities that it deals with. Among the pother restaurant chains worldwide, it is the largest, gauging by the revenue it receives from its operations. It has its presence in over 100 countries; serving a large number of customers; which is based on the powerful brand that it uses to operate. There are various products that the food chain sells to its customers. For example, they sell French fries, Cheeseburgers, salads, chicken nuggets, muffins, among other foods. The most famous in the range is the cheese Big Mac, which is because of its trademark and unique way that it is associated with the organization's brand (Shabbir, 2018). In addition to the menu, they sell drinks; which act as complements to the other foods that they sell in their establishments. They sell a wide variety of foods; which is always consistent with the needs of the people that the company serves.

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The company has a target market that can be defined in terms of the characteristics of the customers. That is what all the customers want from the company. It best addressed by the products that are provided through its operating activities. Through its advertisements, the customers can be identified. First, it targets the general population, because of the fast-food aspect; where there is a great convenience. They serve the customers fast; which might suit their busy schedules. That can include employees, travellers, the youth or even the old. The incorporation of healthy options in the products that it provides is an added attribute that identifies with the older people in society. They are health conscious; hence their needs and concerns are addressed by the company. Thus, it is factual to state that MacDonald's serves the entire society; because the products it sells address the interests and priorities of the people.

Thus, there is a highlight of the product features that are associated with MacDonald's. First, there is the trend of healthy options in the products that it provides for its customers; which is because of the global concern about the health effects of fast foods. Moreover, there is convenience; where they cater for the time, the customers require placing their orders and receiving their food. That is the basis upon which the operations are planned; making sure customers receive the products on time. A wide variety of options; in terms of tastes and preferences is also an attribute of the products. The company has a wide range of products under its brand; that makes it able to satisfy the unique needs of its customers. That is the nature of the products that the company deals with in its operating activities. To cater to the needs of its customers, the business model is based on innovation and enhanced customer satisfaction. Thus, the products undergo various changes to satisfy their customers better. That is implemented based on the preferences and culture of customers in the multiple locations that the organization operates.

MacDonald's operates in various locations in the world, with different culture and consumer preferences. That forces it to modify its operations so that they address the unique interests of the people in the markets. In this case, there is the UAE, which has exclusive benefits that the company needs to address to enhance its effectiveness in the region. First, in the there was concern that in the approximately 158 stores run by McDonald's in UAE, that there were no healthy options for the local market. Thus, to counter that claim, the company added healthy alternatives to the range of foods that it provided. However, according to Rafic Fakih, who is the regional manager, he stated that healthy food options were not being bought. Thus, that highlighted a failure in the company's modification to address the needs and preferences of the local market. Even though they were aimed at making sure the local market was well catered for, in terms of the food options provided, the customer behaviour was quite complex (Almazrooei & Bohari,2016). In the UAE, people are more concerned about their calorie intake than in America. Thus, that forces the company to engage in promotional activities aimed at attracting the local customers to the products that are made to suit their preferences. In the UAE, the people do not but more salads like they do in the United States; which has changed the operations in the foreign market.

Therefore, the outlets in the region have been forced to offer what people prefer to purchase from multiple outlets. For example, in 2016, the outlets reduced the fat content in its mayonnaise and o a wide range of foods. That was aimed at enhancing the sales volume by adapting to the preferences of the local market. Furthermore, the firs that are prepared in the region had to be done using sunflower oil; which has a comparatively lower fat content. That is compared to the higher content of the oil that was previously used. That is used in various outlets outside the region, for example, in the United States.

Moreover, there was a change in its sourcing practices, in particular, fish. They were committed to providing the best fish for the local outlets in the region. When they noticed the supply of a specific species is diminishing, they stopped its demand. That was meant to protect its local reputation so that there was the assurance of quality. Furthermore, there was the creation of an interactive segment inline where the customers can ask any questions about the products the company is producing in the various outlets. That is meant to enhance confidence in the commodities that they provide to their consumers in the region. Thus, it is evident that McDonald's has implemented various changes to its operations so that it can address the preferences of the local market in the region. That has served to enhance its adaptability and the acceptability of the products that it has to offer to the customers in that region.

Above is an example of an advertisement by McDonald's; which highlights the healthy options that the customers can choose. That is meant to address the unique needs of the customers; where they need healthy foods; because of the increased emphasis on healthy living in most societies. The stimulus, in this case, is health; where the company shows its concern to its consumers' health preferences. Maslow's hierarchy of needs is a hierarchy that highlights needs based on their perceived necessity. That is; psychological, safety, love, self-esteem and self-actualization at the top (McLeod, 2007). One address the needs low on the hierarchy, then the one above follows, for better satisfaction. Based on Maslow's hierarchy of needs, the need addressed by this advertisement is psychological. That is the most basic need that a human being needs (food). There are various types of decision making; such as business, personal and consumer decisions. In this case, the decision to purchase products on the advertisement is the consumer type; because it determines the purchase decision and satisfaction derived from the process.

Conclusion

Organizations depend on consumers in a particular region to make sells. The preferences of consumers differ, depending on their culture, and choices that are associated with their lifestyle. Some societies are diverse; hence the organization has to make sure the commodities sold reflect the diversity in the region. However, for some, they follow a specific pattern of preferences; which guides their consumer behaviour. That is evident from the example of McDonald's in the UAE region. It is thus, the role of the organization to make sure that it does address the preferences and engage in the restructuring of its operations. That will lead to them addressing consumer preferences better and achieving market success. Advertising and other forms of consumer interaction come in handy, and help the organization understand the preferences of consumers better.

References

Almazrooei, M. A. S. B. & Bohari, A. M. (2016). The creativity of the McDonalds" Management in the UAE. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mohammed_Almazrooei/publication/317224598_Creativity_Of_The_McDonalds_Management_in_The_UAE/links/592c72cdaca27295a8149447/Creativity-Of-The-McDonalds-Management-in-The-UAE.pdf

McLeod, S. (2007). Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Simply psychology, 1, 1-8. http://highgatecounselling.org.uk/members/certificate/CT2%20Paper%201.pdf

Shabbir, M. S. (2018). Innovation Strategy of McDonald Business from Historical perspectives. International Journal of Global Business, 11(2), 9-28. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/330169356_Innovation_Strategy_of_McDonald_Business_from_Historical_perspectives