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Executive Summary
The goal of this marketing audit is to outline the advertising and marketing strategies that McDonald's Corporation has employed in recent years for the McRib sandwich and to make recommendations about future marketing and promotional plans for the promotional sandwich.
The McRib was introduced in 1981 as an alternative to the common hamburgers and fries on the McDonald's menu in an effort to maintain the interest of those customers who were becoming bored with the basic offerings of the McDonald's chain. The sandwich began to lose popularity and was removed from the core menu several years later. Subsequently, the McRib has been offered as a promotional sandwich in select markets in the United States but has remained a core offering in some European countries. (McDonald's, 2006)
The limited offering has resulted in a cult-like following that is very loyal to the sandwich which makes the McRib the most profitable limited-time-offer sandwich for McDonalds.
McDonalds must make a decision about the future of the McRib. The current method of sporadic offerings is beginning to create some disenchantment in the market. The sandwich should be offered on a regular, dependable limited time schedule, or discontinued and replaced with another, more successful item.
Based on the information obtained through the research results that follow in this marketing audit, the recommendations for McDonald's are:
? Determine cost-effectiveness of offering the McRib annually for a designated period customers can anticipate. Analyze the cost fluctuations of pork products to determine the most cost-effective promotional period.
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