An article in the Time Business & Money on 4 February 2013 indicates how the McDonald’s use the marketing concepts about market position and market segmentation in its recommendation of limited-time offers.
McDonald’s believes that the new generations are almost children and people who are interested in a variety menu where more food are served with less spending money just for a meal. Furthermore, it is convenience for them to bring along or sharing with each other.
As a result, McDonald’s, in this instance, is challenging itself with a “position” in the competing as suggesting an interesting entrée in the menu. According to Kotler and Keller (2006), positioning is the act of designing the company’s offering and image to occupy a distinctive place in the mind of the target market.
Moreover, McDonald’s is using a new method to tempt customers that is ‘Fish McBites’ in the Happy Meal and adding French fries, Apple slices and a drink to seven Fish McBites. Furthermore, it has three sizes for people to choose such as snack, regular and sharable. By doing this, it makes the menu becomes more diversity and interesting for the customers and creates favorable conditions for them to enjoy their snack such as sharing on the way or fitting with the cup holder in their car. This new product of McDonald’s has been public advertised and appeared in the Time Business and Money newspaper.
The article also provides the concept of Market Segmentations. The “Market Segmentations” is defined as consist of a group of customers who have similar wants but not identical. Once the company has identified its market segmentation, it will decide how many and which one to target (Kotler & Keller 2006, p.127).