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McDonalds and iTunes... True?

The Average Kid

Ask an average kid what the iTunes Music Store is and his answer will be , " I don't know."

Ask that same kid what the iTunes Music Store is after he has won a free song with his happy meal or his Pepsi pop top and I think you will hear an answer that will make Apple very happy.

Like McDonalds or not....it's the place where tired parents take their kids for dinner.
 
I saw an ad last night during prime time that was advertising the iPod for sale at Robinson's - May. Apple is starting to sell this thing everywhere!
 
Re: The Average Kid

Like McDonalds or not....it's the place where tired parents take their kids for dinner.
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I know what you're saying - but I find it pretty disheartening.

I thought Apple's reputation was about being fresh and innovative - not about helping to increase the profits of sickening corporations like mcdonalds.

--
F*#K MCDONALDS
 
Re: Re: Re: Where will it cover?

Originally posted by Aeolius
I know of at least one other cross-promotion, where a well-known food/beverage company will be giving away iPods in conjunction with their music program in the summer of 2004. I'll ask permission to see if I can say more.
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Say more.
:)
 
Re: Re: The Average Kid

Originally posted by vegan
I know what you're saying - but I find it pretty disheartening.

I thought Apple's reputation was about being fresh and innovative - not about helping to increase the profits of sickening corporations like mcdonalds.

--
F*#K MCDONALDS
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Please don't mistake your values for other values....or even "the correct values." That's the surest way to turn people away from your values.
 
Originally posted by IndyGopher
This is the second straight day of lunacy like this. I imagine you folks are the same ones that throw fits about Apple and Microsoft doing business. Notice that last word, <b>BUSINESS</b>?
If you want to boycott Apple because they are making promotional deals that they desperately need (and have needed for the last decade) then do it. But understand that no one cares if one more nutjob walks away. By my figuring, this promotion would mean several million people would be happy to take your place as Apple customers.
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-edited first sentence to tone it down...--

Corporations in the past had to prove their public worth in order to do business, or else get their charter revoked. Business does not mean the right to do whatever you want, nor does it mean "having" to do business with other people who exploit whatever and whomever they want. Nor does it mean consumers having to support companies which do these things.

I guess maybe some people just feel that corporations should spend time actually being helpful to people--which was their original "business"--instead of trying to achieve global domination at all costs (i.e. McDonald's cutting down rainforests in South America for cheap grazing land, Apple having products produced in China where work conditions are near slave-labor levels, etc.)

I'm sure many of Apple's customers are more idealistic than PC/Microsoft users, considering how many people say they hate Bill Gates for his unethical business practices. Are we soon going to have to view Apple as being "the lesser of two evils" instead of a company we'd actually want to support?

So when Apple starts making deals with companies known worldwide for exploiting workers, for inhumane treatment of animals (regardless of whether one is vegetarian or not), and for other highly questionable business choices (see recent ThinkSecret news about some of Apple's own business decisions of late), supporting Apple very well may become meaningless to some of us.
 
You could look at any affiliation from another viewpoint.

Apple are basically in the business of offering the best product they can. The iPod is the most expensive well constructed digital player in the world, the equivalent of a gourmet meal in hamburger land - and yet it is the most successful product by miles. Whatever detractors might say, Apple apparently have the strongest branding/cool in the US at the moment through being good.

McDonalds could well take leaves out of Apple´s book if they see how success can come from doing the right thing and not necessarily taking the cheap and nasty route as far as best serving your customer. Call it cross-pollenation. MacDonalds will have analysed Apple to the nth degree and if this iTunes giveaway works it could prompt McDonalds to become a more upmarket business through this association.

Ever the optimist.
 
Yes apple makes some good products, but you cant believe McDonalds needs this promotion. And you cant compare they way a computer company does business to a hamburger joint. I know the end point is to make money, but this is where it stops.
Originally posted by billyboy
You could look at any affiliation from another viewpoint.

Apple are basically in the business of offering the best product they can. The iPod is the most expensive well constructed digital player in the world, the equivalent of a gourmet meal in hamburger land - and yet it is the most successful product by miles. Whatever detractors might say, Apple apparently have the strongest branding/cool in the US at the moment through being good.

McDonalds could well take leaves out of Apple´s book if they see how success can come from doing the right thing and not necessarily taking the cheap and nasty route as far as best serving your customer. Call it cross-pollenation. MacDonalds will have analysed Apple to the nth degree and if this iTunes giveaway works it could prompt McDonalds to become a more upmarket business through this association.

Ever the optimist.
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Originally posted by JohnGillilan
Seriously, I think the Coke vs. Pepsi thing is going to be a big deal. Any thoughts??
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I really don't see any conflict of interest problems here. Soda choice is vastly different from marketting partnerships. McDonalds promoting itself by giving away iTMS songs is no different than McDonalds promoting itself by giving away Finding Nemo action figures or whatever. Marketable properties (traditionally movies or TV shows, but iTMS bucks fall in there too) tend to be seen largely as commodities, not strong business alliances. I don't think that McDonalds really cares that Brother Bear (a marketing property it is using with its Happy Meals these days) is showing in theaters that only serve Pepsi. I also don't believe McD's would have a problem with Pepsi buying rights to Brother Bear promotions either.

We don't have any other real "everywhere" market properties out there right now that I can think of, but there certainly have been numerous cases where fast foods and their suppliers' competitors used the same marketing properties.
 
Re: wifi makes sense now

Originally posted by Java
See. This is great. Now you can download your iTunes music right from McDonalds when they incorporate WiFi into their stores.:p
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Good Idea! I can sit in McDonalds with a stack of quarters and pay people 25 cents for the authorization number. As I see it I could download a twelve song album for three bucks.
 
OOh I could see a whole online blackmarket for McDonalds and Pepsi iTMS codes springing up.

Maybe I should take the initiative and set it up now- Buy peoples codes at 50 cents, sell them at 75. Cash moneh!
 
I'm in a bit of a middle ground situation here. I'm one of the sort who's very aware of issues with corporate abuse and the deep-seated issues surrounding it. Heck, I live in a town that has city ordinances desined to keep chain resteraunts out unless they conform to non-chain standards.

On the other hand, you can look at Apple's promotions from another angle: McDonalds, Pepsi, Coke, and most other huge multinationals spend unimaginable sums of money on advertising. Usually, they give away cheap toys manufactured in China or worthless game pieces that benefit a handful of winners or mail-in offers on T-shirts that do nothing more than advertise your coroporate loyalty to a product that is nearly identical to that produced by a half dozen other companies.

Given the choice, I'd rather see that money spent on something at least resembling "culture" -- music, for example. Beats yet another ad with a pop singer unzipping a Pepsi can. Also remember that we're not talking about 100,000,000 Britney Spears CD singles, we seem to be talking about 100,000,000 opportunities to spend that free song on whatever you want from a vast catalog of pop, classical, and independant bands. Maybe only 10 cents of a purchase from a major label goes to the artist, but that's 10 cents more than nothing.

Add another level that Apple seems to be making a reasonable effort to not screw the musical artists or consumers with the iTMS--Apple clearly fought hard to get decent consumer-side DRM, and although the big labels (not, I'm guessing, because Apple wanted to screw the artists) get most of the profits from major-label bands, indies apparently have a much more fair deal, and this will only get better if the iTMS takes off.

So what you have is a big, bad company who is going to spend umpteen million dollars on advertising. And a so-so company (I might also note that much of Apple's manufacturing takes place in Taiwan, which isn't as horriffic as places like Malaysia) with a product that has real potential to do good things for real artists.

Call it a slippery slope, or a cop-out because I like Apple, but I'd rather see all that money thrown to what sure looks like a reasonable cause.

And the consumer gets something real, and personal, out of the deal--you pick the music, not a massive organization that dictates taste to the masses.

Besides, my mom drinks vast amounts of Pepsi anyway to get her caffiene fix, so they'll be free songs aplenty coming my way come February.
 
Please be Ture I could use some free songs since I gave up on illegal file trading 4 monthes ago. I don't eat red meat, and eew there chix is nasty, so hear I come america's favorites FRIES!!
 
You make some very good points. I'd still prefer they not be in business with McDonald's, but as you said at least the money is supporting a very worthwhile cause--getting people to legally buy music, which supports artists (especially indie artists, like you mentioned).

Of all the promotions I've seen or heard of, this is certainly one of the best, and I hadn't considered it that way.

That being said, I guess I'm just looking ahead and hoping Apple continues to be a (fairly) good corporate citizen and doesn't start compromising itself or its image too much by associating with notoriously bad corporations just for publicity's sake.

My mom and stepdad also consume mass quantities of Pepsi, so although I'm not too thrilled about that corporate association either, that promotion will help them discover the iTunes store. :)

Originally posted by Makosuke
On the other hand, you can look at Apple's promotions from another angle: McDonalds, Pepsi, Coke, and most other huge multinationals spend unimaginable sums of money on advertising. Usually, they give away cheap toys manufactured in China or worthless game pieces that benefit a handful of winners or mail-in offers on T-shirts that do nothing more than advertise your coroporate loyalty to a product that is nearly identical to that produced by a half dozen other companies.

Given the choice, I'd rather see that money spent on something at least resembling "culture" -- music, for example. Beats yet another ad with a pop singer unzipping a Pepsi can. Also remember that we're not talking about 100,000,000 Britney Spears CD singles, we seem to be talking about 100,000,000 opportunities to spend that free song on whatever you want from a vast catalog of pop, classical, and independant bands.

(...)
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Originally posted by autrefois
People who know history know that corporations in the past had to prove their public worth in order to do business, or else get their charter revoked. Business does not mean the right to do whatever you want, nor does it mean "having" to do business with other people who exploit whatever and whomever they want. Nor does it mean consumers having to support companies which do these things.

I guess maybe some people just feel that corporations should spend time actually being helpful to people--which was their original "business"--instead of trying to achieve global domination at all costs (i.e. McDonald's cutting down rainforests in South America for cheap grazing land, Apple having products produced in China where work conditions are near slave-labor levels, etc.)

I'm sure many of Apple's customers are more idealistic than PC/Microsoft users, considering how many people say they hate Bill Gates for his unethical business practices. Are we soon going to have to view Apple as being "the lesser of two evils" instead of a company we'd actually want to support?

So when Apple starts making deals with companies known worldwide for exploiting workers, for inhumane treatment of animals (regardless of whether one is vegetarian or not), and for other highly questionable business choices (see recent ThinkSecret news about some of Apple's own business decisions of late), supporting Apple very well may become meaningless to some of us.
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Is Apple really about a crusade against the evils of the world? I'm not so sure about that. This is the typical haughty, arrogant behavior that makes so many people hate us mac users. We're practically a subculture because of it.

Apple has zero to no exposure among people. Public perception is that they're just not going anywhere. Now we all know different, but public opinion is everything. I say go for it. Sell fur coats too, if that's what does it. McDonalds, Pepsi, and the evil ring of corporate tyranny? Will it give positive perception, and am I REALLY doing something that won't let me sleep at night? Come on, folks. Wake up.
 
There are now more Subway locations than McDonalds.
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Nope.

McDonalds: 30,000

Subway: 20,000

And Shrek is most definitely not Pixar.

This misinformation here is appalling.

The Pepsi and McDonalds things are absolutely brilliant. Apple is going to get two of the largest marketers in the world to pay it some $500 *million* to get some 500 million iTunes tracks in the hands of users who cannot use them anywhere else except on iTunes and iPods! This will put a huge amount of pressure on BuyMusic, MusicMatch, emusic, MTV, WallMart, Dell, Real, etc. to fold.
 
Originally posted by BurntCalc
Is Apple really about a crusade against the evils of the world? I'm not so sure about that. This is the typical haughty, arrogant behavior that makes so many people hate us mac users. We're practically a subculture because of it. [/i]
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What about my post was "haughty, arrogant behavior"? I'm sorry if it sounded that way, I really wasn't trying to come off that way.

No, I don't think Apple is on a crusade against the evils of the world. I also wouldn't like for them to add to them, either. I'm not saying they are right now, but I just hope they don't start going that way with their business.

A couple people were implying that Apple should make deals with whoever they want to if it means getting exposure, just because business is business. All I said that corporations were originally supposed to help people, which a lot of people actually don't know. I didn't know that until about 2 or 3 years ago, and it's interesting to see how much things have changed.

When I buy something, I want to know it's being produced or sold ethically. I think some Mac users like Apple because we see Apple as NOT being a big, evil corporation like Microsoft is.

If you disagree with that take on the situation, then that's fine. I agree that for most people, it's not the #1 reason they buy things.

Come on, folks. Wake up.
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Can't I hit "snooze" just one more time?? :) Sorry, I couldn't resist.

--edit: I do see now that the first sentence of my first post does come off a little bad, sorry about that.--
 
Coke...AOL Music...Hmmm.

I'm casting my own dance number for the Superbowl Ad. But, we have to get that rotund eBay dude in there somehow. He's great! OK, so we've got Pepsi, McDonald's, Coke, AOL, Microsoft, and Apple. Got to get eBay... auction collector iPods? -Maybe...- If any more companies get involved, we'll have to re-stage We Are The World. Hey, wait! That's a great idea! We Are the World! we'll get Michael Jackson and HEY! Why not Paul Wolfowitz! We can get Condoleeza Rice on piano, Louis Farrakhan on violin, and Bill Clinton on sax. I smell a HIT. THIS WILL BE HUGE!!!!
 
Arg... I hope this pans through... but I'm wondering what apple is trying to do.

Bewteen this and Wireless internet at McDonalds (wtf) McDonalds is crazy.

Sure, wireless internet at Starbucks is find because people like coffee and stuff when typing... but why the hell at McDonalds?

:confused:

Also I hope its none of that crappy '1 in 3 chance to win! Peal off on Your Medium Fries and Drink' deal.

Because those deals bite hard away.
 
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