OAK BROOK Ill. McDonald's has enlisted six mothers in its effort to promote a more positive view of the chain's food and operations, providing them with a behind-the-scenes tour of McDonald's restaurants so they can blog about what they see.
The women, selected by an independent company from among 4,000 applicants, will use laptops provided McDonald's to report their experiences via blogs on the chain's website, starting June 20. Blogs, or web logs, have become a popular source of news and commentary for consumers who appreciate the firsthand, unregulated nature of the information.
The enlistment of bloggers is a variation of McDonald’s Global Moms Panel, launched a year ago to solicit advice on how the chain could be more family-friendly. The nine panelists offer guidance on issues such as the company’s balanced active lifestyle initiative.
KFC also launched its Moms Matter! Advisory Board last August, and Wendy’s partnered with the American Dietetic Association last October to create Mom-RD, an online initiative with mothers who are registered dieticians.