McDonalds Signs Yao Ming As Global Spokesman
McDonalds, the global fast-food restaurant chain, has
signed Yao Ming, who plays center for the Houston Rockets
basketball team, as its global spokesman.
The company signed Yao to replace Kobe Bryant. Yao Ming
has translated well as an international brand and figure,
retaining his followers in China, while growing his audience
in the US and internationally. In the US, he has been
used in television advertising by Apple, Reebok and Visa.
In addition, he has played a key role in expanding the
international popularity of the NBA franchise into China,
often drawing in more than 300 million viewers per game.
In 2003, the new stadium for the Houston Rockets was renamed
to the Toyota
Center , partly as a play to its growing Chinese audience.
The move is seen as underscoring the importance the company
now attaches to the fast-growing China market, where it
now has more than 560 outlets. The restaurant chain has
used China as a testing ground for new extensions to the
brand. McCafe, a cafe which is seen as a competitor to
Starbucks, has opened stores in China. This year, it will
introduce a new chain of children-related products, McKIDS.
The products will be promoted simultaneously in China,
the US, Canada, Japan and South Korea, beginning in April.
In 2003, McDonalds purchased US$722 million of raw materials
including potatoes, milk and vegetables, which are used
locally and exported to other countries in China. The
company has 52 food-processing plants in China.
McDonalds main competitor in the China market is KFC,
which has more than 1,000 outlets. Unlike McDonalds, KFC
has introduced Chinese-style foods to its menu.
In 2003, McDonalds introduced its franchise operations
into China for the first time. Any Chinese who has US$300,000
and is willing to take McDonalds famous training course
can apply. The first franchise outlet opened in Tianjin
in August 2003. So far, the model has been successful,
and McDonalds plans to promote it in China.
McDonald's latest international advertising campaign,
"I'm Lovin' It", was also created in China.
Until recently, McDonald's performance in the US was
flagging, as families were concerned about the healthiness
of McDonald's products. In 2002, 175 restaurants were
closed, all outside China. In recent months, the company
has revised its menu and closed some restaurants, which
has brought it back into profitability.
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