Sustainable Marketing: Case Study of Macdonald’s Singapore

Birmingham City University
Sustainable Marketing
Case Study: Macdonald’s Singapore
Submission Details:
Name: Ashley Cheang Yu Tong
BCU Student ID: 18156228
Intake: PT BCU BAIM 18
Course: Bachelor of Arts (Honours) International Marketing

CONTENTS
1. Introduction
2. Analysis of Key Sustainability Issues for Macdonald’s Singapore
2.1.0 The Triple Bottom Line
2.1.1 People
2.1.2 Planet
2.1.3 Profit
2.2.0 Summary
3. Recommendations for Macdonald’s Singapore
3.1.0 The Marketing Mix
3.1.1 Product
3.1.2 Place
3.1.3 Pricing
3.1.3 Promotion
4. References

1. Introduction
McDonald’s is a well-known fast food chain all over the world and also one of the
biggest, famous for their hamburgers and fries. From as young as two years to eighty years
old will have eat Macdonald’s once in their life time. McDonald’s is one of hard work,
determination, and humble beginnings – from a neighbourhood restaurant in Des Plaines,
Illinois in 1955, to more than 36,000 restaurants in over 100 countries worldwide today. By
1958, three years after opening its door, McDonald’s have served its hundred millionth
hamburgers. McDonald’s Singapore opened their first restaurant in 1979, serving the world’s
highest volume of hamburgers in a day on October at Liat Towers. A tiny island welcomes a
giant restaurant chain. (McDonald's®, n.d.)
In the fast food industry, in terms of being sustainable and environment friendly,
Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) is the only fast food chain that implemented no plastic straws
and plastic lids in June last year at all of their eighty-four outlets. (Kor, 2018)
McDonald’s Corporate Social Responsibility Commitment
In 2015, McDonald’s Singapore decided to stop the use of Styrofoam packing for its
breakfast meals across outlet island wide. To work in line with their continual sustainability
efforts, the switch is inevitable. A petition was online in January 2015 with more than 700
people signing on it, asking the chain to replace the non-biodegradable Styrofoam with
recycled packaging. (KHEW, 2015)
2. Analysis of Key Sustainability Issues for Macdonald’s Singapore

2.1.0 Triple Bottom Line
The triple bottom line concept is
developed by John Elkington, used to measure
sustainability while traditionally business is
a measure of profits, return on
investment, and shareholder value to
include environmental and social
dimensions (Milne and Gray 2013). By
focusing on comprehensive investment results with respect
to performance along the interrelated dimensions of profits, people and the planet—triple
bottom line reporting can be an important tool to support sustainability goals. (Slaper and
Hall, n.d.)
The packaging wastes has been the major sustainability challenge or issue experienced by
McDonalds in Singapore and it has created drastic changes to the environment as well. The
addressing of this issue has helped in making changes to the customers’ behaviours and
influence them to use less packaging, thereby, ensure, responsible sourcing and designing of
products that can be taken care after use (Govindan et al. 2013).
2.1.1 People (Social Measures)
Considering the fact that many of the customers, though satisfied with the quality of
food items offered at McDonalds, prefer the recycled packaging, the company needs to
consider it as a matter of concern. This can not only result in fulfilling their needs and
preferences, but will also allow for adopting sustainable measures required to promote
healthy living and wellbeing of the community as well as the environment at large (Henriques