Mcdonald's Senior Restaurant
Research Overview Quinn McMahon is the manager of a McDonald’s restaurant that has many customers who are senior citizens. She would like to develop a marketing strategy that addresses the needs of her senior citizen patrons. However, she is looking for additional recommendations to improve her marketing mix. It is imperative marketers do not neglect senior citizens as this group makes up 13 percent of the population and they have money to spend (Perrault, Cannon and McCarthy, 2009, p. 140). However, younger consumers are heavy users of chain restaurants and should not be left out of the mix either. For those born after 1980, about 25 percent of restaurant visits are to burger franchises, followed by pizza restaurants at 12 percent (Negrete, 2008). If Quinn only focuses on the senior citizen market, she is seriously inhibiting future growth of the restaurant she manages.
Potential Roadblocks with Only Targeting Seniors Quinn should consider putting the Bingo idea on hold indefinitely and encourage both younger and older customers to patronize her store. Should she choose to only focus on seniors she may face some marketing problems. Many companies do not want any one audience (not just seniors) lingering around talking for hours unless they continue to purchase. Quinn should focus on keeping a continual flow of paying customers throughout the business day. It is important that Quinn clearly articulate a focus target audience for her store that fits the model of a McDonald’s ideal client. The needs, benefits sought, attitudes, motivation, and even how a consumer selects certain products all vary depending on the purchase situation. So different purchase situations may require different marketing mixes – even when the same target market is involved (Perrault, Cannon and McCarthy, 2009, p. 164). Quinn needs to consider this when she ultimately decides which marketing activities she is going to employ.
Enhancing the Customer Experience If Quinn integrates her
Potential Roadblocks with Only Targeting Seniors Quinn should consider putting the Bingo idea on hold indefinitely and encourage both younger and older customers to patronize her store. Should she choose to only focus on seniors she may face some marketing problems. Many companies do not want any one audience (not just seniors) lingering around talking for hours unless they continue to purchase. Quinn should focus on keeping a continual flow of paying customers throughout the business day. It is important that Quinn clearly articulate a focus target audience for her store that fits the model of a McDonald’s ideal client. The needs, benefits sought, attitudes, motivation, and even how a consumer selects certain products all vary depending on the purchase situation. So different purchase situations may require different marketing mixes – even when the same target market is involved (Perrault, Cannon and McCarthy, 2009, p. 164). Quinn needs to consider this when she ultimately decides which marketing activities she is going to employ.
Enhancing the Customer Experience If Quinn integrates her
References: BusinessWeek (July 12, 2004). Marketing in the “Age of I”. Retrieved on June 20, 2010 from: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/04_28/b3891011_mz001.htm. McDonald’s Corporation. Our Story section. Retrieved on June 14, 2010 from: http://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en/our_story/our_communities/inspiration.html. Nigrete, Rita. (January 9, 2008). Generational Marketing. Prepared Foods Network. Retrieved on June 14, 2010 from: http://www.preparedfoods.com/Articles/Feature_Article/BNP_GUID_9-5- 2006_A_10000000000000234647. Perreault, William D., Cannon, Joseph P., McCarthy, E. Jerome. (2009). Basic marketing: a marketing strategy planning approach. Published by McGraw-Hill Irwin – 17th ed. (p. 140).