McDonald - The Arthur Page Society

food kitchens as companies try to improve offerings to health-conscious diners. Wendy’s
and Kentucky Fried Chicken® have said they were switching to zero-trans fat oils. 114
Taco Bell® announced the change and shares of its parent company rose 16 cents to
$62.29 on New York Stock Exchange.
4.4 Marketing Actions
While McDonald’s has excelled in taking decisive and aggressive action in its
corporate marketing programs. Indeed, the fast food industry has a long-established
tradition of being marketing innovators. 115 Following McDonald’s financial losses in
2002, the Plan to Win initiative was introduced in 2003. The “I’m Lovin’ It”
advertising campaign that targeted young adults, women and families was also
introduced. McDonald’s recognized changing consumer taste preferences and started
providing salads and “other wholesome offerings” 116 McDonald’s introduced Go Active!
Happy Meals for adults, promoted a walking program, and gave out free pedometers.
They produced a program titled “Get Moving with Ronald McDonald,” and used a
cartoon character, McMunchright, to present health and fitness messages on television
programs targeted to children. Additionally, at the end of 2003, McDonald’s appointed a
Director of Worldwide Nutrition, Dr. Cathy Kapica. 117
By 2004, McDonald’s had introduced a key component of the Plan to Win, the
Balanced, Active Lifestyles initiative. The initiative addressed three critical areas:
adding more menu choice and variety, providing nutrition education, and supporting
physical activity. 118 McDonald’s still resisted placing nutritional information directly on
their product packaging, stating that they have been providing nutritional and ingredient
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