INDIA: Big Mac? I'm Loving It, Say Seniors in India

Big Mac's no longer betting big on kid stuff in India, reports Ratna Bhushan NEW DELHI (The Economic Times), October 3, 2007: Big Mac, America’s iconic child-centric brand, could learn a lesson or two from its Indian counterpart. Even as the world’s largest food chain continues to pile up junk food and obesity charges from concerned parents and public health advocates in the US, its Indian subsidiary seems to have circumvented all such contentious issues. McDonald's India kids’ component — the amount of sales contributed by kids — is now perhaps the lowest in the world. Children now account for less than 18% of McDonald’s India sales, down from more than 33% when it started off here a decade ago. Happy Meals, Big Mac’s most famous sub-brand specially tailored for children and a company trademark since 1979, has been witnessing a year-on-year decline in sales in India. “Kids’ visits to our stores have been declining year-on-year and have been overtaken by young adults, but we’ve also consciously building McDonald’s as a family brand,” McDonald’s (North) India MD Vikram Bakshi said. Instead of trying to get children back in its fold, McDonald’s India has replaced Happy Meals with localised and baked products like curry pans and puffs as a core focus area. Big Mac’s trademark ‘I’m Lovin’ It’ campaign does not feature children anymore and instead uses only teenagers, adults and the elderly. urther, McDonald’s famous mascot Ronald McDonald is used only for the odd CSR initiative. Teenagers and young adults now account for about 70-75% of the food retailer’s customer base, followed by kids with family (around 18%). Elderly people fill up the remaining pie. Copyright © 2007 Times Internet Limited.