The Lundberg Company

Use McDonald’s own strategies to help battle Happy Meal appeal

A study published this week proved what many parents already know: Nothing gets kids salivating like the McDonald’s logo.

When Stanford researchers gave preschoolers identical foods in McDonald’s packaging and unmarked wrappers, the Golden Arches won the taste test every time.

The finding has outraged child-advocacy groups and left many nutrition-conscious parents feeling defeated.

How are moms and dads supposed to compete with McDonald’s $1.7 billion advertising budget? By stealing McDonald’s marketing strategies, of course.

“Oftentimes, parents will tell me that their experience is that this is a losing battle,” says Dr. David Ludwig, associate professor in pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. “But my message is that they can actually win.” They just need to think like an advertiser.

When Liesl Hyde’s daughter, Madi, was a toddler, McDonald’s was the “magic button.” The little girl would refuse to eat all day, but the sight of the familiar sign could spark her hunger.

Hyde, who works in advertising sales, didn’t ban the food, though. Instead, she made it a point to start observing what it was about the fast food that made it work.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20204504/