Good Things Happen When The Americans Invade

CheezeFlixz · May 02, 2008, 09:44:47 AM

Quote from: Trevor on May 02, 2008, 09:14:17 AM
QuoteWow. So the existing businesses had to change their name so a new, offshore company could come in to compete with them?

Worse than that, ulthar: some of those businesses had to close due to legal action by MacDonalds as they refused to change their names. So it seems, MacDonald's doesn't like competition.

Reminds me of the movie "Coming to America" when McDonald's was suing the restaurant McDowell's for sounding and looking to much like them.

I use to travel pretty much all the time internationally and it was not uncommon to see "Americanish" restaurant in some countries, I remember in northern Italy there was a "Mendy's" which looked a lot like Wendy's right down to the square burgers, in Lebanon there was a "KPC" which looked like "KFC" ... no idea what KPC stood for.
I've seen in various countries more than a few McDonald's type ripoffs, why anyone would want to be like McDonald's is beyond me, any thing with a "special sauce" I'll pass on.

Captain Tars Tarkas · May 03, 2008, 02:29:29 AM

Krispy Kreme are the worst donuts I've ever tasted. I've not spent money at a Walmart in almost five years, but when I went to college it was impossible to avoid them because Columbia, MO was where Sam Walton went to college so the city had three of them!

Ash · May 05, 2008, 02:21:32 AM

What I want to know is...
Is Tars Tarkas a male or female?
"They" have a girl avatar here on this board. But I've been to Tar's website and forum and "they've" purposely made it unclear as to whether they're a girl or a guy. (or both)

So what are you Tars? Do you have a penis or a vagina?
I'm sure I'm not the only one here to wonder...

(I was gonna make this an entirely seperate thread...but I didn't want to embarrass you)

RCMerchant · May 05, 2008, 05:42:40 AM

Quote from: Ash on May 05, 2008, 02:21:32 AM
What I want to know is...
Is Tars Tarkas a male or female?
"They" have a girl avatar here on this board. But I've been to Tar's website and forum and "they've" purposely made it unclear as to whether they're a girl or a guy. (or both)

So what are you Tars? Do you have a penis or a vagina?
I'm sure I'm not the only one here to wonder...

(I was gonna make this an entirely seperate thread...but I didn't want to embarrass you)

Me TOO!!!!

Menard · May 05, 2008, 06:18:14 AM

Quote from: Ash on May 05, 2008, 02:21:32 AM
What I want to know is...
Is Tars Tarkas a male or female?
"They" have a girl avatar here on this board. But I've been to Tar's website and forum and "they've" purposely made it unclear as to whether they're a girl or a guy. (or both)

So what are you Tars? Do you have a penis or a vagina?
I'm sure I'm not the only one here to wonder...

(I was gonna make this an entirely seperate thread...but I didn't want to embarrass you)

Sounds like a creepy way to ask someone out.

Right now I am thinking of someone who belongs in the 'creeps me out' thread.

The Martian is a guy, and he has alluded to that in other threads on this forum.

Killer Bees · May 05, 2008, 09:43:02 PM

Quote from: Trevor on May 02, 2008, 09:14:17 AM
QuoteWow. So the existing businesses had to change their name so a new, offshore company could come in to compete with them?

Worse than that, ulthar: some of those businesses had to close due to legal action by MacDonalds as they refused to change their names. So it seems, MacDonald's doesn't like competition.

I don't get that high handed attitude by those companies. McDonalds and Coca Cola never have to advertise again and they'd still be raking in the millions. McDonald is a very common, very old name. It's not like anyone is going to mistake the Golden Arches for something else.

I think when you get to their level of income and brand awareness, paranoia set in and it seems like anything even vaguely related to the name is designed to bring them down. But I don't think that can happen. They are just too big.

Menard · May 05, 2008, 10:22:56 PM

Quote from: Killer Bees on May 05, 2008, 09:43:02 PM
I think when you get to their level of income and brand awareness, paranoia set in and it seems like anything even vaguely related to the name is designed to bring them down. But I don't think that can happen. They are just too big.

Not necessarily so. Look what Kmart did to themselves. If someone had suggested 20 or 30 years ago that Wal-mart would be bigger than Kmart, that would have garnered some odd looks.

Of course, what McDonald's does to the competetion puts them in about the same ethical sewer that Wal-mart is in. McDonald's has gone after companies which have been around long before them to have the 'Mc' removed from their name.

McDonald's is branching out by offering non-food items, such as their DVD rentals. Such a move suggests a company that is looking to increase revenue either by alternative means or a means to bring back customers it is losing to competition.

Subway put a dent in McDonald's market, and both of them are riding the coattails of Wal-mart. Though a good move for Subway (if not a shabby way, though, to screw your franchisees), it seems to cast McDonald's in a secondary, if not Wal-mart's whore, light.

Neither tactic is a sign of a company that is doing as well as it used to be doing.

McDonald's has become an institution, but that is the same thing that is hurting it. People are always going to associate McDonald's with burgers. They have tried other things, often to much failure.

Maybe they should have Ronald McDonald come out of the closet. It seems to have worked for Burger King; at least I presume it has as they keep making those commercials with the King being in some guy's bedroom or in bed with him.

Allhallowsday · May 05, 2008, 10:39:41 PM

Quote from: Menard on May 05, 2008, 10:22:56 PM
Maybe they should have Ronald McDonald come out of the closet. It seems to have worked for Burger King; at least I presume it has as they keep making those commercials with the King being in some guy's bedroom or in bed with him.

BURGKING GON' GITCHOO TOO!!!

Hey! Over here, hey! Hi! Hi ya! Hi!

AndyC · May 06, 2008, 06:53:49 AM

They've tried, but it just wasn't the same

Scott · May 06, 2008, 08:34:57 AM

TrekGeezer ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

Menard · May 06, 2008, 05:45:05 PM

Quote from: Menard on May 05, 2008, 10:22:56 PMMaybe they should have Ronald McDonald come out of the closet. It seems to have worked for Burger King; at least I presume it has as they keep making those commercials with the King being in some guy's bedroom or in bed with him.

Quote from: AndyC on May 06, 2008, 06:53:49 AM
They've tried, but it just wasn't the same

Killer Bees · May 06, 2008, 10:11:26 PM

I went past Krispy Kreme this morning and there were only a few people in the store. Seems like we Aussies have short attention spans

I must admit that when I'm buying stuff, I usually go to the Aussie stores of Best and Less and Big W instead of K-Mart and Target. Target used to be for the poor people, but it's getting pretty pricey lately. Haven't been there in ages.

I like K-Mart for some things. But Big W is just awesome for all kinds of things. Their prices are even cheaper than K-Mart and it seems that, in my end of the world at least, the selection of goods is much better. The store is brighter and better laid out and the shelves are always full. K-Mart is haphazardly laid out and the shelves are often empty.

I don't eat in fast food "restaurants". The food actually makes me ill. I don't understand why McDonalds would branch out into other avenues under their own name. Menard is right. They will only ever be known for their burgers.

AndyC · May 06, 2008, 10:23:36 PM

Quote from: Killer Bees on May 06, 2008, 10:11:26 PM
I don't understand why McDonalds would branch out into other avenues under their own name. Menard is right. They will only ever be known for their burgers.

It's always been a peeve of mine. All of these companies are trying to be everything to everybody. When did it become a bad thing to do one thing really well? Now they all do a half-assed job of a whole pile of things that might only make sense together if you have a business degree.

Killer Bees · May 06, 2008, 10:35:58 PM

Quote from: AndyC on May 06, 2008, 10:23:36 PM
Quote from: Killer Bees on May 06, 2008, 10:11:26 PM
I don't understand why McDonalds would branch out into other avenues under their own name. Menard is right. They will only ever be known for their burgers.

It's always been a peeve of mine. All of these companies are trying to be everything to everybody. When did it become a bad thing to do one thing really well? Now they all do a half-assed job of a whole pile of things that might only make sense together if you have a business degree.

I agree Andy. I think it just boils down to greed. Pure and simple.

Pretty soon, we'll have our own Umbrella Corporation, but it will be called The McDonalds Corporation.

CheezeFlixz · May 06, 2008, 10:36:50 PM

Quote from: AndyC on May 06, 2008, 10:23:36 PM
Quote from: Killer Bees on May 06, 2008, 10:11:26 PM
I don't understand why McDonalds would branch out into other avenues under their own name. Menard is right. They will only ever be known for their burgers.

It's always been a peeve of mine. All of these companies are trying to be everything to everybody. When did it become a bad thing to do one thing really well? Now they all do a half-assed job of a whole pile of things that might only make sense together if you have a business degree.

You are correct, I've always heard and repeated to my guys "It is better to do one job extremely well then to do a variety of jobs half ass."
To many companies try to do to much and rarely do any of it very well, case in point Wal-Mart. Given enough time the shine loses it's luster and they to one day well fall.