There are few more effective ways to create a fan base for your product than actual sampling; this is assuming that said product is worthy of a fan base at all, and that you aren't inadvertently creating a gossip pool of disgust. McDonald's is capitalizing on the upcoming holiday [the leap year - anyone notice it's tomorrow?] and celebrating via free food giveaways. Although this isn't the fast food chain's first attempt at free food, I find the sample choice rather intriguing: the McSkillet Burrito.
None of the articles I came across mentioned the timing of the McDonald's marketing effort in relation to its competition, but the similarly-priced items are both newer options [within a year], and the giveaway is a genius strategy to win loyalty in the breakfast category while the race is still intense [Wendy's only recently began serving breakfast].
Not only is the customer loyalty on the table, but McDonald's has made out of a giveaway a chance to be overwhelmingly profitable in the meantime. Darren Tristano, Executive VP of Technomic, noted that, since the event comes with a 'purchase of a medium or large drink' price tag [$1.33 if that drink is a coffee] and the food cost for the specific item is somewhere near $.75, the higher-margin nature of beverage profits can ultimately mean a largely profitable day, or two. So, to all the Starbucks drinkers: tomorrow choose McDonald's instead, and you'll take care of your morning caffeine fix as well as your caloric needs, all for $.50 less than your daily venti, by indulging in a greasy integration of high-fat foods and sub-par coffee.
