Supersize my sacrebleu
It’s a clash of cultures that certainly set the British media tongues a-wagging when that most iconic or art galleries the Louvre in Paris recently announced that less-than-popular-in-some-quarters and hardly-a-global-icon-of-high-culture McDonalds is to open an outlet on its hallowed grounds.
Surely a country that prides itself on its cuisine, that prides itself on the volume of its own language that has entered the global vernacular when it comes to talking about fine food, would be up in arms at such a blatantly commercialised and virtually sacrilegious partnership. The media had its fun with the puns and the Mona Lisa jibes.
And yet there is an interesting fact to be highlighted about the power of brands and the extent to which they are influenced by the views of their customers as well as their owners.
Here’s the funny thing. In France the original story didn’t create a murmur. A few shrugs of the shoulders no doubt but no more than that. The reality is that with 1,130 outlets in France, the country is McDonalds second most profitable market after the USA. French fast fooders spend more money per visit to McDonalds than any other country. McDonalds has invested significant time and effort in winning over the French, not least by buying 80% of its produce from local farmers.
I’m not suggesting that everyone in France loves McDonalds, nor am I saying that the company is to be admired without reservation. The point here is the way that the rest of us, somewhat divorced from the reality of life in France and perhaps a little too hung up on outdated stereotypes, have reacted.
The idea of a fast food outlet in such a domain of ‘high culture’ offends many people’s sense of moral sensibility and they are therefore quick to cry foul. This is a great example of the way ownership of ‘brands’ is both very powerful and very passionate. Decisions that may make perfect sense to those within an organisation can be judged very differently by those a long way from the boardroom.
To the French maybe this was seen as a natural, if perhaps inevitable event (presuming as I do to speak for the whole nation). No doubt some were opposed, but the general media profile is still normally a fairly good barometer for levels of interest. And yet to their legions of ‘customers’ around the world this has been seen in many quarters as a Very Bad Thing.
It’s unlikely to damage visitor numbers at the end of the day, but there’s no doubt that a little bit of the shine, the brand equity if you like, has been rubbed off.
Maybe the real surprise in all of this is how surprised the French were about the way the wider world reacted – it always pays to understand how you’re perceived and the strengths and principles on which your value is created.
What do you think?