Some McDonalds Corp. franchisees are criticizing the fast-food chain for featuring rapper Cardi B in its advertising.
The Black American singer starred in a Super Bowl commercial earlier this month that featured a meal for couples. These store owners say tying a restaurant chain that caters to families to an entertainer whose songs contain profanities and sexual content will hurt the brand.
These franchisees also say the partnership runs afoul of the chains Golden Arches Code of marketing guidelines for store owners and employees.
Partnerships with celebrities and influencers that have potential risk to damage our brand based on statements they have made or their positions on certain issues arent permitted, according to a 2021 copy of the internal code that was reviewed by Bloomberg News. Also forbidden are music partnerships associated with content that includes offensive language in the lyrics.
The Golden Arches Code, a global set of marketing, advertising, legal and trademark policies, says that all McDonalds employees, franchisees, agencies and suppliers are responsible to ensure the codes full compliance. It says that violations put the brand at risk, and that anything thats not in compliance with the policies laid out in the document must be removed from use. In the US, franchisees own about 95% of McDonalds stores.
Its kind of a culture-shock thing when you consider the McDonalds brand over the years, said Dick Adams, a former McDonalds restaurant owner and consultant to franchisees. Especially if youre a franchisee and youre 50 or 60 years old and you dont have any kids and havent been exposed to any types of these lyrics.
introducing the Cardi B & Offset meal, coming 2.14 pic.twitter.com/5gPR7F0yzu
McDonald's (@McDonalds) February 12, 2023
The Cardi B promotion includes a so-called date-night meal bundle for two. A commercial showing the entertainer and her significant other, rapper Offset, reciting each others favorite McDonalds orders aired during the NFL championship on Feb. 12. The meal includes two sandwiches a cheeseburger and a Quarter Pounder with cheese fries, two drinks and an apple pie.
I have talked to many franchisees who are concerned about it, but its good for sales and corporate endorses it, Adams said. He acknowledged that while there is some grumbling and complaining, I dont think theres a lot of pushback.
McDonalds said its hearing support from owners and their workers, and that its marketing collaborations are bringing in a new generation of diners and driving sales. The company said that its always thoughtful and careful about whats posted on its channels, and careful to avoid language that might offend.
Were focused on putting McDonalds at the center of culture, Tariq Hassan, chief marketing and customer experience officer for the US market, said in a statement. Cardi and Offset are an iconic couple who have their own date-night tradition at McDonalds that goes back years. Were proud to share a little piece of that.
The Chicago-based company has been advertising so-called famous orders of celebrities such as singer Mariah Carey and K-pop group BTS part of an effort to invest in new, culturally relevant approaches to marketing.
While updating its image and attracting more diverse and youthful customers is important to McDonalds success, its also a careful balance, said Mark Kalinowski, president of Kalinowski Equity Research, which publishes McDonalds franchisee survey results quarterly.
McDonalds has for decades been a family-friendly brand, so its a challenge to manage that, he said in an interview. You want to remain family-friendly and at the same time you want to appeal to younger generations, which dont necessarily line up.
Kalinowski said he heard about some McDonalds owners being upset about selling the Travis Scott celebrity meal in 2020. The company credited the partnership with the Black rapper and hip-hop star for boosting business McDonalds said that Quarter Pounder sales doubled during the first week of the promotion. Yet, some franchisees werent happy about the tie-up due to Scotts song lyrics and vulgarities, which they thought didnt sync with the brand, Kalinowski said.
We dont live in a society where everybodys liking all the same things, Kalinowski said. Its really hard to please everybody.
Representatives for Cardi B, Offset and Scott didnt immediately respond to a request for comment.
McDonalds is trying to diversify the ranks of its restaurant owners across the US, where it has about 13,500 locations. In 2021, the chain promised to train and recruit more minority and women franchisees with a $250 million loan program to help finance loans for underrepresented groups. But the plan has faced backlash from a group of Black McDonalds owners, who have said the chain needs to do more to help reduce the inequities they face as current franchisees.
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