McDonald's is one of the cheapest places to eat, right? Well, not always. The chain sometimes
uses various sneaky methods to try and get us to spend even more money at the counter
and drive-thru. Curious as to how exactly Mickey D's is doing this? Here's all the need-to-know
info.
The human brain is a pretty spectacular organ that can do lots of incredible things. That
being said, it can also be exploited rather easily for profit. Take, for instance, the
fact that some restaurants, like McDonald's, don't feature dollar signs on their menus.
The reason behind this sneaky move is to make potential customers more likely to buy McDonald's
food.
But why would a person be more likely to purchase a meal if it didn't have a dollar sign at
the front of its price? Restaurant consultant Aaron Allen explained the rationale behind
this trick to Mental Floss. Allen told the outlet that McDonald's removes the dollar
signs from menus because they're a, quote, "pain point." Simply put, those dollar signs
inconveniently remind you that you're spending actual money, as Allen notes. Thus, without
the dollar signs, you're more likely to impulsively make the purchase rather than cautiously think
it over.
Like a truckload of other companies, McDonald's has a loyalty rewards program that gives out
points for each in-store purchase made by a customer. These points can then be traded
in for free drinks and food on the customer's next visit. They can also be potentially used
to receive other types of items that would typically cost you money.
Now, the Mickey D's app might seem all hunky-dory to you, but it's worth reevaluating their
program after taking a dive into a 2016 marketing report by Bond Brand Loyalty. In this document,
the organization explained that they'd surveyed around 19,000 individuals and discovered that
66% of them alter what they buy if they're a part of a franchise's loyalty program. Respondents
claimed that they will often change what they purchase in order to maximize the number of
points they receive.
"Pretty cool they got rewards on fries now."
The report indicates that if you're a part of a place's loyalty rewards program, there's
a chance that you'll spend more money just trying to increase your total rewards points.
So, if you're using the McDonald's app with its reward program, maybe it's worth thinking
about whether or not you're actually sinking extra cash into it. And if you do, perhaps
it's time to wave goodbye to this not-so-convenient service.
In 2015, viewers might have caught McDonald's digital menus on YouTube, where they saw how
these boards advertise what's available for purchase at various Mickey D's franchises.
During this video, a narrator explains that the updated McDonald's menus will feature
moving food pictures. They can also change what's being promoted, depending on the time
of day or night. The narrator also admits that these digital menus suggest food pairings
that could change what a customer orders. In the video, the narrator says,
"Most people would love the delicious pairing of McCafe drinks with deserts and don't even
know it. So, we help them connect the dots."
As the narrator explains this, a picture of a McCafe beverage next to some cookies is
displayed on one of the corporation's menu boards. You may even be distracted by other
subtle menu tricks, like the small animations McDonald's adds to its digital boards.
If you were to go into a McDonald's to just purchase a hot drink, like a simple coffee,
you might see this very board. If it pushes you to add the chain's yummy baked goods to
your order, then McDonald's would have made you spend more money than you anticipated.
If you were to head out in the hopes of grabbing a snack, you'd probably be disappointed if
the fast food restaurant that sold them had increased the item's price overnight. McDonald's
Australia did exactly this with its hash browns in 2017, as reported by PerthNow. According
to a McDonald's employee interviewed by the news outlet, one day the McDonald's hash browns
were $1.95. The next, they were $2.20.
"McDonald's hash browns may be a little funny looking, but they sure taste great with your
favorite breakfast."
Soon after the restaurant implemented this price hike, not all of their customers were
impressed with this decision. One patron even went so far as to call the price hike, quote,
"outrageous and ridiculous." A spokesperson for McDonald's commented on this situation
by saying,
"We're proud to offer our customers great value, but like all business from time to
time we review our prices which may result in slight changes."
It's also worth noting that McDonald's Australia has changed the cost of their menu items on
more than this one occasion. In 2019, New Idea Food reported that the chain had raised
the price of their famous Big Mac by 50 cents. This news gained some traction, where few
people were happy to see the new expense at Macca's, as it's popularly known in Australia.
According to The New York Times, not every McDonald's drive-thru is the same as it used
to be years ago. Now, when you visit their drive-thru, chances are good that you'll encounter
digital menu boards outside the restaurant. These boards are more sophisticated and customizable,
to be certain.
They also use artificial intelligence to predict what a customer like you might be tricked
into buying after you've already put in your order. Of course, this might result in you
spending more money than you'd initially bargained for, all thanks to a sophisticated computer
program.
In the event that you're at an upgraded McDonald's drive-thru, try to resist this new era of
upselling. After all, if you didn't order an item in the first place, then chances are
good that you don't really want or need it. There's probably not much of a point in purchasing
an extra dish just because Mickey D's or its fancy new drive-thru menu boards suggest that
you do so.
If you've ever noticed the phenomenon of McDonald's menu items coming in at, say $3.99 instead
of a simpler $4.00, you may have had some questions. There's a simple but potentially
disappointing reason for the weird pricing, according to Live Science. Lee E. Hibbett,
a marketing professional at Freed-Hardeman University, told the publication that these
items just sell better.
He explained that, because we read from right to left in English, we might unconsciously
think that the first number in a price is the most important. So, if you notice that
a product costs $4.99 at one place and $5.00 at another, you could be led to believe that
the scarcely cheaper version is the superior purchase.
According to Real Menu Prices, quite a few McDonald's menu items use this little trick.
For instance, their Big Mac, their 6-pack of chicken McNuggets, their sausage with egg
on a biscuit meal, their steak, egg, and cheese bagel, and two of their egg McMuffin meals
each cost $3.99. It takes a little extra mental effort to remind yourself that all of these
products are only one cent away from $4.00.
Red and yellow are pretty common colors in the world of fast food. As the journal Management
Decision reported, it's a common belief in the marketing community that these two colors
can affect a person's mood. Some argue that the color red can impact a person's metabolism
in such a way that the person will suddenly become hungry. Moreover, various marketers
reckon that yellow may also intensify a potential customer's appetite. All the better for fast
food restaurateurs trying to make some extra cash.
While these beliefs aren't fully backed up by scientific experiments, they have certainly
influenced our culture and fast food joints across the world. The color red is favored
by some quick-service restaurants like McDonald's because it's believed that it'll make a location's
customers want more food, while yellow will supposedly help to quickly sell products.
Whether or not consumers' tastes are really influenced by these hues, the notion that
they can do so is now fully entrenched in fast food culture.
Careful observers will have already noticed that there are only two colors used in the
McDonald's logo. The restaurant chain uses a bright yellow M, popularly known as the
"golden arches," on a similarly eye-catching red background. Do with this information what
you will.
Occasionally, McDonald's will host McDonald's Monopoly, a game that partly consists of purchasing
Mickey D's products that sport little tokens similar to those found in the popular board
game. These tokens may provide you with a free meal or a bit of money. Some tokens are
part of unique sets, such as Pennsylvania Avenue or B&O Railroad. If you collect all
of the tokens in a specific set, then you're eligible to win a big prize.
"Alright, ready on 1, 2, 3."
"I just won a Shell gas card."
"I just won a new Fiat 500 Cabrio."
"Road trip!"
This game has influenced some of its players' purchasing habits. Indeed, there have even
been instances where the company has admitted that this is its ultimate goal. In 2003, Chris
Hess, The Marketing Store's vice president of strategic business partnerships, told Promo
Magazine that McDonald's added an online component to this experience which enticed its player-base.
Hess explained to the outlet:
"We've found that when people play the online Monopoly game, there's a level of customer
engagement that keeps them coming back. They're quicker to get back into the store and revisit."
The Toronto Star reported that McDonald's Monopoly was partly responsible for increasing
their overall sales by 5.6 percent throughout the month of October. So, these games might
seem worth it for the fast food giant. Yet, they could make you return to a McDonald's
faster in the hopes of winning big, all while spending your actual money.
In 2018 McDonald's launched its "$1 $2 $3 Dollar Menu" in the United States. This ultra-cheap
menu had a very self-explanatory name, as every item on its list cost three dollars
or less. One of the biggest selling points for this menu, arguably, was the fact that
consumers could snag an entire burger for a mere buck.
How can these low-cost McDonald's products turn a profit for the chain? University of
Michigan-Dearborn economics professor Patricia Smith explained the McDonald's plan to the
BBC. As Smith explained to the news outlet:
"McDonald's will make money selling burgers for a buck if it can make the burger for less
than $1 and sell lots and lots of burgers."
Smith went on to add that part of McDonald's strategy is to attract consumers into the
store and then entice them to buy more than just a burger, like fries, drinks, and desserts.
So, how did this plan turn out for them? In 2019, Business Insider reported that McDonald's
had scrapped their "$1 $2 $3 Dollar Menu" because it just didn't live up to the company's
ambitions.
If you're the sort of person that doesn't want to be upsold by a McDonald's cashier
or drive-thru, you might head to one of their self-serve kiosks. These new additions to
the McDonald's sales arsenal might offer some peace and quiet, but don't think you'll escape
the upselling even here.
As Restaurant Business reported, McDonald's had been steadily adding these kiosks to stores
that have undergone refurbishment. Early data indicates that people regularly spend more
at these machines than if they were talking to a real-life McDonald's employee at the
now relatively old-fashioned counter
If you want your next McDonald's visit to be a cheap one, it turns out that ordering
your meal at a kiosk might not be your best bet. Then again, an in-person order could
mean that Mickey D's worker may try to upsell additional menu items to you, while their
drive-thru menus subconsciously suggest that you buy some extra items. If you really want
to save some cash, decide on your order ahead of time and resist the sneaky ways that McDonald's
gets you to spend more money.
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