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McDonald's is using an interesting new strategy to lure the budget-conscious Indian bite-grabber. First, a fact refresher. McDonald's has 30,000 restaurants with big golden arches all across planet Earth, but is still a third short of its 100-outlets-by-2005 target for the world's second largest market (you guessed it, the one with McAloo Tikki instead of Big Mac). McDonald's also has a new CEO, Jim Skinner, who expects to stare down all those belly-jiggling critics who want to sue the company for nor warning them in big bold words that an all-McDonald's diet could make them chair-topplingly fat. Now, the news. McDonald's, described by some as a vast Coca-Cola dispensing network that also serves burgers, is going out for the real market in India. The people who have to swivel their fingers around their pockets to see if they have enough cash to drop in for a quick bite (and something to wash it down too, of course). The people, that is, who make up the millions that get first-time visitors to India losing their jaws to gravity at first sight. The actual millions. Wait---hasn't that been the idea anyway since the first outlet opened in October 1996? Localization has been on for a while. Paneer Salsa Wrap and McCurry Pan are just among the newest experiments in wowing the masala-happy Indian palate. Low-end pricing---as a primary lure-in---has been around for years too, ever since McDonald's struck the idea of a Rs 7 cone of ice cream (the soft serve bait). But a meal for Rs 20? Now that's talking mass, Indian style (nothing to do with class action suits). Even that, however, is not the most interesting part of what McDonald's is up to. For once, after years of blanding out the audience with boring exhortations to give it a try, the brand is actually grabbing attention on television. As an advertiser, no less. Is it true? Good question. McDonald's 'era remix' TV commercial campaign has got people scrambling for the remote---to turn up the volume instead of zapping out. Not just that, it has actually got people responding, and with wallets as much as widened lips. Is it true? Very good question. McZonalz's is talking mass, Indian style (and lovin' it too much to bother about suits of any kind).
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