McDonald's should continue to be all about children. But instead of just adding scattershot new products (apple slices with caramel dip) and running a strange hipster ad campaign, they should instead expand their view and focus on encouraging physical activity among their youngest customers in a real and meaningful way. (Not with cheap and faulty pedometers with booklets promoting shopping as a form of exercise.). If McDonald's encouraged and promoted actual physical activity and exercise for kids in their product marketing programs, it would not be so bad for an active child to indulge in a Happy Meal every now and then. Hey, if they can make food fun, then I am sure they can make exercise fun, too.
Radio Shack: Radio Shack is great when you need to find a special wire. And they still have a surprising variety of hard-to-find electronics in those little stores. But what are they really all about? Radios?
Radio Shack has a weird range of stuff in their stores, from capacitors to robot cat toys. They're too small to compete with CompUSA and Best Buy on electronics prices or with Sharper Image. And, frankly, their staff is not as knowledgeable as it should be.
So, embrace being small, be special, be expert. Radio Shack stores, often in malls, are more the size of boutiques than warehouses. Go ahead, be an electronics boutique, and -- like a boutique -- sell hard-to-find accessories and the expertise on how to best accessorize.
Hire or train the experts, become the folks people turn to cope with -- or even fix -- the ever more complicated world of wiring (or wirelessing) stuff in their homes. Then Radio Shack will truly be the Helpdesk Hut.
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