Sunday, August 12, 2012

First Date: Do's and Don'ts for Dames

How Not To Date!
The do not’s that will lead to I do’s. Men are simple creatures, uncomplicated and easy to disseminate. A few dating tips on what not to do on a date and this chump will be hooked for life. Men love a gal who makes them appear more interesting than they really are in public. No cooking skills are necessary; they are a plus no question but not the deciding factor. Intelligence could be beneficial long term but in the infancy of relationships the dumber the better.

FORGET ABOUT THOSE TRUE RELIGION JEANS

Do not wear jeans. Yes, every boy had a crush on a tomboy at one time or another but that was at 12 years old. Nobody wants to get punched in the face trying to get to first base. Wear a dress. Not a prom dress, not a wedding gown and most certainly no mini-skirts, looking like a lady of the night could attract unwanted attention. No skorts. They were so cute in preschool and at cheerleader practices but the pedophile fantasy thing is sort of frowned upon in most civilized societies today. Wear a dress because nothing makes a man feel more like a man than sharing the company of a woman.

 NO FINGER FOODS


No finger foods. Resist the temptation to seem down to earth by ordering a cheeseburger or gyro. Eating with your hands is a bad impression waiting to happen. No mayonnaise please! It does not matter how cute those squiggly rainbow designed manicured nails look. Lay off the Buffalo wings and the dip, too. Last thing a guy needs is the entire restaurant staring at his date shoving anything more than an inch long down her throat. Before you know it some creep is using an I-Phone or Samsung to record the whole fiasco then instantly uploading it to YouTube or Facebook.com and before the soup gets cold the video goes viral; not the ideal path to celebrity.  Those Linda Lovelace skills can always be showcased privately at a more appropriate time and place. For God sake do not lick those fingertips clean. Pick up a napkin; it came with the table wrapped around utensils which should have rang the  first warning bell. Order the salad with vinaigrette and be done with it.

LESS IS MORE

Nobody likes a chatter box so zip it as much as possible. Nothing ruins a great outfit more than constant talking. Sometimes men enjoy gazing and thinking of the right things to say. In his mind; he is adding to the image he already created and it is always positive. Senseless conversation creates confusion and disintegrates  this image he is conjuring. It is always smart to have a zany handy if the urges to blabber are too strong to deny or he has reached his daily word limit. When medication is not an option, weep not fair maiden, there is still hope! Avoid these cardinal conversational topic taboos like the plague.

 
MARRIAGE ! REALLY?   ON FIRST DATES 

No wedding talk.  Commitment is too much pressure for a superman to handle until 3 years into a relationship.  He probably had no idea what to order for dinner. Questions of offspring will have him running for the exit and into a taxi-cab before dessert is served. Find out if he is responsible in other aspects of life and how he treats his mother and sisters’; that will address those concerns.



What's Your Man Got To Do With Me?

Lay off the ex-boyfriend talk. Obviously things did not go well or this date would not be happening. He is not interested in former lovers’ bank accounts, fancy car, house or his cool salt water fish tank. There are only four things on his mind:
  
What to order? 
Do I have enough money?
Check Please! 
His place, yours’ or a hotel? 

 Luckily, even if all these do not’s are done there is still an opportunity to turn this sinking Titanic into the Jolly Roger. He may not be that into her, he knew 20 minutes in she was not the one but he still wants to score. For what is love to a man anyway? Truth is most men do not have any standards and will sit thru a disaster for a chance to bump and grind.

Good Hunting!



Mcdonald's Europe Strategy


 
The Golden Arch's Global Strategy

Once upon a time, the future growth, sustainability and direction of the McDonald's Corporation were unsure and in question. In 2002, McDonald's reported a quarterly loss; the first such event in the corporations celebrated history; causing a share price decline to $16. On January 1st of 2003 CEO Jack Greenberg resigned and made way for the Vice Chairman and President Jim Cantalupo who implemented the “Plan to Win” growth strategy (McDonald's Corporation, 2002). This new mindset to incorporate People plus the four marketing principles of Product, Place, Price and Promotion helped change the culture of a business that had been on the decline for the 5 previous years. Implementation of Plan to Win began by focusing on the renovation of an out dated design that was decades old, easing of the international expansion; which was the previous method used by McDonald's to measure success and improving the menu. The global aspect of the ladder is what local businesses would do best to emulate in order to compete in the ever changing mega corporation dominated consumer markets.

Cultural Adaptation

Tongue twisterWhen revenues were lagging in Europe; Denis Hennequin was tapped change the fledgling franchises in 2005. Denis first began as a Paris McDonalds manager in 1987. He started by creating eight restaurant designs franchisees can choose from. Then he modified the menu. Every year Paris McDonald's would substitute American cheese for one of their own beloved domestic cheese topped burgers. France being a world renowned high quality cheese producing powerhouse; took to it like mice. Some of the choices of cheese were Protected Designation of Origin; favorites that are engraved into popular french culture. This promotion was a  rousing success and adopted countrywide. Other innovations and cultural adaptations were continually introduced in the following years.

Mcbaguettes

In the year of our lord 2012; from February 15th through March 21st all of France will have the pleasure of enjoying a part of Americana topped with one of four French favorite cheeses on a baguette. Of course, this is France, so wine is commonly found on the McDonald's menu. How else would someone be able to compliment and truly savor the complicated undertones of a Mickey Dee’s burger crowned by a strictly regulated delegacy held to the highest standards of production proprietary to specific regions of earth? This current promotion followed the introduction of baguettes to the breakfast menu. Beginning April 1st the more than twelve hundred golden arches spanning France will debut limited edition McBaguettes with the intent on attracting Gallic clientele. Analyzing data on sales allows McD’s to construct a specialized menu unique to the French people; rotating regional product best sellers creating awareness recognition for the brand. Anticipation for the limited edition products that are exclusive and time specific; gives pricing power to the market leader and has helped spawn the European market and the chains largest region based on revenues. Not bad considering their biggest global competitor Burger King closed all 39 France stores in 1997. The King was dethroned after 16 short years.   

Large Adagio, Please!

In Italy; McDonald's rolled out the Adagio and Minuet to; created by an Italian culinary aficionado chef Guaterio Marchesi.  An unorthodox partnering considering the states side reputation for the fast food giant is not one of gourmet meals. Marchesi’s Adagio contains mousse of eggplant, ricotta cheese, a tomato and beef. This combination is not an option an American expects when glancing over the menu of their local McDonald's restaurant. Granted; in North America preferences vary from region to region but usually fall under the category of condiment differences. Hold a pickle here; no lettuce there but ricotta cheese? These regions by region innovations to their menus allowed each McDonald's the ability to be reshaped into the image local consumers were comfortable with. This is how a corporation the magnitude of McDonald's is able to create flexibility and promote unique products that empower consumers at a good value.

German Engineering

Mein Burger Finalisten 2012Germany, Holland, Finland etc all have limited twists on the American classic. Local entrepreneurs can use this information already obtained by McDonald's and incorporate these same like menu blends. Linked and promoted to coincide with cultural heritage days of observance; a business operator can carefully construct a year round menu calendar using the successes and failures of the fast food leader. Price points are already established and the specialized ingredients cannot be purchased entirely by one buyer. Ensuring competition for these resources and protecting against monopolizing these resources. Adopting McDonald’s global strategy locally could build awareness and the perception of being a market leader.
             

[1] McDonalds Corporation. (2002, December 5). Company profile. Retrieved from http://www.aboutmcdonalds.com/mcd/investors/company_profile.html

[1] Capell, K. (2008, July 22). McDonalds tastes victory in Europe. Retrieved from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25784705/ns/business-us_business/t/mcdonalds-tastes-victory-europe/

[1] http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/quality/schemes/index_en.htm

[1] Reilly J. (2012, February 29)Something French to go with the fries Retrieved From.http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2107877/Finally-French-fries-Frances-McDonalds-introduces-new-burger-filled-baguettes-lure-customers.html

Fancourt, L.(2012, January 3)Born in the USA, Made in France: How McDonald's Succeeds in the Land of Michelin Stars, retrieved from: http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=2906

(2002, December 5) McDonalds CEO Resigns Retrieved from:http://money.cnn.com/2002/12/05/news/companies/mcdonalds/index.htm
Pedroni, M.(2011, November 9) Adagio and Vivace Retrieved from:http://scienceofthetime.com/2011/11/09/adagio-and-vivace-two-dishes-for-the-marriage-between-haute-cuisine-and-mcdonald%E2%80%99s/
Miller, L. (2012, February 15) McDonald’s France promo pairs “baguette” burgers with famous cheese , retrieved from: http://www.gadling.com/2012/02/15/mcdonalds-france-promo-pairs-baguette-burgers-with-famous-che/
Zuckerman, E. (2011, July 29) McDonald’s: baguette to join hamburger on the menu, retrieved from: http://plus.lefigaro.fr/note/mcdonalds-baguette-to-join-hamburger-on-the-menu-20110729-520202