MIT Sloan Management Review Article on The Myth of the Mainstream

  • 5m
  • Marcus Collins
  • MIT Sloan Management Review
  • 2023

For years, McDonald’s seemed to embody everything that was wrong with the American diet. The brand had become a symbol of food choices that were driving escalating rates of obesity and hypertension.

The company spent more than a decade trying to fight this perception among American consumers by targeting them with messaging about its updated menu, which offered healthier alternatives more in line with contemporary diet trends — but to no avail. Year over year, McDonald’s sales declined, and its brand perception continued to spiral downward.

About the Author

Marcus Collins is a clinical marketing professor at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business and former head of strategy at Wieden+Kennedy New York. He is the author of For the Culture: The Power Behind What We Buy, What We Do, and Who We Want to Be (PublicAffairs, 2023).

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  • MIT Sloan Management Review Article on The Myth of the Mainstream

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