When McDonald’s is mentioned, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? What about a company that advertises on shows with sex orgies, strip clubs and “jokes” about child molestation?
All McDonald’s food chains have some things in common: Happy Meals with toys, playgrounds with colorful slides and a smiling Ronald McDonald to welcome the customers. McDonald’s has become a global phenomenon that children all over the world have come to love. However, its recent decisions have proven to be quite questionable.
McDonald’s has recently decided to support some very raunchy, ultra-violent television programs such as Family Guy, American Dad, and The Following, with content that’s clearly not appropriate for children.
Through the poor earnings report viewed by the Wall Street Journal in 2013, it’s clear that some consumers are not “loving it.” In fact, according to that same report, McDonald’s’ share prices have dropped. This may be due to the fact that parents are unwilling to purchase from a company associated with TV programs that have such vile content.
Research done by both Ohio State University and the University of Michigan proves that companies sponsoring programs with explicit content are less likely to be remembered than companies that advertise on shows with more appropriate content. Chief Marketing Officer Stephen Quinn of Walmart also supports this evidence, stating that Walmart has had an 18 percent higher return when their advertising dollars are spent on family-friendly entertainment.
According to OneNewsNow, Melissa Henson, director of grassroots education and advocacy for the Parents Television Council, says McDonald’s used to be among the PTC’s “best” advertisers.
“But, in the last few years, they seem to have gone in completely the opposite direction,” she said. “They seem to be much more interested in targeting ‘hip, young’ Millennials than family consumers. I think that’s affected their bottom line.”
With their children’s moral safety in mind, some parents have begun a petition to urge McDonald’s to reconsider their decisions regarding the shows they advertise on television.
For 23 years, Movieguide’s own research shows that moviegoers and television viewers generally prefer more family-friendly entertainment with morally and spiritually uplifting content and values, and less raunchy, ultraviolent content.
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