McDonald's Switches to Sony?

[MacRumors]

LATimes reports (registration required) that McDonald's has forged a deal with Sony to offer free songs from Sony's new online music service - Sony Connect.

Free songs will be given away with the purchase of certain items from McDonald's. The deal is expected to be announced this week.

According to LA Times' sources, McDonald's and Apple had been negotiating a similar deal (previously rumored) "but switched plans after a last-minute pitch from Sony".

[arn]

For all the Anti-McDonald's people... I guess you better watch what you wish for. Despite all the people who complained that Apple should not be partnering with McDonald's.... here's the alternative... Someone else is.

arn

[e-coli]

Who really cares.

Most people avoid McDonald's like the plague these days.

Ronald McDoanld is the Anti-Christ

[tazznb]

Was it ever Mc D's & Apple?

It could have been this way from the start, but you know how rumors are often misconstrued.

[TBR]

Bad news for everyone but sony

[wrldwzrd89]

Originally Posted by arn

For all the Anti-McDonald's people... I guess you better watch what you wish for. Despite all the people who complained that Apple should not be partnering with McDonald's.... here's the alternative... Someone else is.

arn

Here's the thing: I wasn't so sure that Apple partnering with McDonalds was such a great idea, but I also don't think having them partner up with Sony is a great thing for Apple either. Therefore, I can't reasonably give a positive or negative rating to this item.

[nagromme]

At least the second big promo (after Apple-Pepsi) is Sony and not some Microsoft WMA store. (There's some snack-chip promo now too... but it doesn't even SAY what store the downloads are from.)

I think Apple can survive a few other company's getting some airtime Especially Sony--their service is apparently only for their own players, just like Apple... only Sony doesn't have the iPod! The worst of all worlds.

BTW... I notice that both WMA and Sony's ATRAC format (used in their online store) just lost out to AAC for inclusion on Audio DVDs:

http://www.macdailynews.com/comments.php?id=P2366_0_1_0

[javabear90]

does sony even have a music store??? at least it's not microsoft

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthre...threadid=65063

-Ted

[wordmunger]

I have to say, I'm a little disappointed with the marketing on the Apple/Pepsi promotion. Yeah, they show that commercial every once in a while, but in the grocery store, where you actually buy the drinks, there's nothing. Meanwhile there's a huge display with candy bars (baby ruth I think) offering "Download free music!"

[proglife]

Good. That would be bad karma anyways. McDonalds is the devil.

[Griffindor73]

I think this is a good thing. McDonalds does not have a good image, well, certainly not here in the UK, I think that they are seen as trashy + very dodgy image on the environmental front too- so I am personally pleased that Apple are not doing a promotion with them.

[Stike]

Well, Burger King is still an option, and we like to have options

[PlaceofDis]

could be worse - apple could have partnered with McDonalds and it would have flopped...now apple just needs to find a good place to partner with.....hmmmmmmmmmmmmm

[JJTiger1]

Of course the kid behind the cash register will ask you:
a. "Would you like cheese on that?"
b. "Would you like to Super-Size?"
c. "Would you like an Apple turnover with that?"
d. "Will that be for here or to go?"
=-=
Correct answer: C.

[morkintosh]

Originally Posted by javabear90

does sony even have a music store??? at least it's not microsoft

it'd be better if it were microsoft; the only way to make real money long term in online music, is to have control of a record label ... which sony does

[Dj Kioto]

Guess Apple's getting a karmic bite in the rear for stealing HP away from napster... I just hope this doesn't happen in threes...

Apple seems to be expanding their market influence to a much larger crowd... does it matter that we few woudln't go to Mc D's? We would also probably not buy an HP computer or HPod, yet, Apple has extended it's reach into that arena.

Enough people are drawn to Mc D's promotional campaigns when they happen regardless of their desire for the food there, that's how Mc D's intends it... Monopoly?

Though I dont think this will help Sony enough to knock iTMS out of place, as Sony doesn't realky have a huge buzz to build on. But it could have been a boon to Apple, they have the iPod Buzz, traffic increased after their Pepsi promo regardless of they questioned success of the campaign, and to reach the billons served under the golden arches would have given then more market visibility... after all, we'd all love to see apple see anything, even more iPods, and iTunes songs... and I still talk to people who dont know what apple computer is, or what a macintosh is... and Apple's market share can't grow if the market doesn't know it's there...


Note: to those who would say that the Apple vision of quality/cost is completely at odds with mc donald's vision of quality/cost, I agree completely, and that is one of the reasons against the partnership

[mrsebastian]

not really sure mcd's is really someone apple should partner with, food wise and for targeting an age group. i would consider marketing in movie theaters with the music for the onscreen advertising (naturally sponsored by apple itms). i'd also do ipod (mini) give-aways, so if someone has a certain ticket number they win, or even a free song with every ticket purchase.

[coolfactor]

At first I was disappointed that Apple seems to be partnering with big brands at the cost of consumers, but then I realized that it is really up to the consumer to take care of themselves. Yes, we are slaughtered by marketing these days, but we don't *have* to be influenced or affected by it.. if we are, we are choosing to be, and then we only have ourselves to blame.

So, given that, the Sony-McDonald's promotion is going to be HUGE visibility for iTunes competition. I can't wait to see the Sony Music Store software.

I was impressed that they seem to be supporting platforms other than just Windows, even if their website is a bit outdated. (The CONNECT beta test is still advertised, but no longer available for signup.)

[morkens]

Really, I could make the change to drink some Pepsi-

But it would have taken more than a free song to lure me back to McD's after 5+ strict years of avoiding the place!

[railthinner]

If Apple would strike a deal with Heineken or Guinness I'd be getting a lot more free songs than through Pepsi sickDonalds.

[coolfactor]

Now I could really go for a partnership with Tim Horton's. That place has a selection of treats and healthy food, and is very popular, moreso than many McD restaurants.

[Tulse]

This deal is supposedly worth $30 million, and "One person familiar with the McDonald's deal said the fast-food company would probably give away more than 100 million Sony Connect songs in the U.S."

That's a far cry from the alleged 1 billion songs that McDs was rumoured to promote for iTunes. I also wonder, given the monetary size of the promotion, if that 100 million figure isn't the actual number of anticipated redemptions, but, like Pepsi, is the number of winning pieces distributed.

All in all, it's somewhat of a loss for Apple, sure. But it's not nearly as big a deal for Sony as the Apple deal was rumoured to be.

[DGFan]

Sony's service will have all of the drawbacks of the iTunes Music Store:
their own format
- so only works in their software (at least for the encryption in Apple's case)
- and only works on their player

plus some more:
will only have Sony music, not everyone

and none of the advantages of the iTunes Music Store:
works with the #1 iPod

McDonalds isn't going to get people coming into the store solely for the purpose of free Sony downloads. That would have happened with the Apple agreement. Oh well. Poor, stupid McDonalds.

[thejoshu]

Originally Posted by coolfactor

Now I could really go for a partnership with Tim Horton's. That place has a selection of treats and healthy food, and is very popular, moreso than many McD restaurants.

Except that most people have actually *heard* of McDonald's.

[Over Achiever]

Why not subway? That place is decent. Or Quiznos. A sandwich place is a "decent" alternative to say burgers and fries.

Altho' Arbys holds a special place in my heart ...

-OA