Rise of the McChines: How McDonalds Accidentally Proved You're Irreplaceable
Mcdonald’s, a brand that has been known for failure over the past five years has taken a move towards modernization by gradually replacing workers with self service. Whether or not this is a direct reaction to the Fight for 15, or a genuine move to modernize a dying business model one thing is becoming clear. Poor timing and a lack of clear communication from the company has spun the growing implementation of Self Service Kiosks to be a cold f-you to it’s own staff. Ronald’s recent plunge into automation amid falling stock prices, and mass store closure underlines a point that’s been on my mind for a long time; Mcdonald’s will be defeated by it’s lack of empathy.
Price gouging, convenience, and the smell of fries at an intersection are producing less results than before.Today’s leading brands are using the power of empathy to achieve the impossible. The wealth of information brands and consumers have on each other is creating a reality where people do not associate with brands they don’t want to be associated with. Consumers are associating with brands that speak to them as individuals and reflect the ideals and feelings about themselves they wish to display to the world around them. They’re flocking to where they can feel and be felt, using customer affiliations to assert identity, and doing more talking while responding to more listening. We’re all on camera and like it or not people are using everything from their pictures to their diets to express themselves. In 2016 if consumers can’t proudly post themselves patronizing your brand on Instagram Facebook or Snapchat, you’re dead.
So what does being ridiculously lame have to do with McDonalds and automation? The motives. A push towards automation while your employees are on the streets begging for enough money to eat and pay rent in the same month tells the entire world that your company doesn’t care about people. Couple that with the fact that the average American believes you’re directly responsible for the spike in heart disease and obesity that trailed your ascent. Now add the fact that food already seen as cheap and suicidal will now being offered to you from a heart disease Tinder and you have this narrative; A brand who the general public is abandoning for it’s lack of humanity wants to bring us back by getting rid of humans.
No brand will survive the new economy if it’s actions and reputation show a visible lack of empathy. We’re moving towards a moral economy. People are closer together it’s become very to difficult to justify swiping left on ‘McRib’ out of a plastic box after seeing live streams of the people the box pushed away picketing your lack of care. User-generated commentary and social shares are outpacing traditional advertising, and the rise of the pocket camera creates a world that’s more image conscious and connected than ever before. In the end, this is the lesson you should take away from this pending failure.
The brands that customers view as empathetic are visibly winning the day and will continue to for years to come. This McMove represents a misunderstanding of what automation will be and will prove that the human element is irreplaceable. Customers take pride in having their values reflected by a brand which plugs you into the billions of dollars of free advertisement from simply sharing their experience with friends and family. The most visible way companies can survive the attack of the machines is by using it to complement it's human element as opposed to pushing it away.
