How far can brands stretch our indulgence?

Last week I went into a Hungry Jacks store and bought a burger. It cost me 8 bucks. Did I want water with that? $10.

A couple of weeks earlier I’d been on the road from Toowoomba and stopped at a roadhouse selling McDonalds. Another $8 burger.

This is a total contradiction to the perception that fast food is cheap. So I did a bit of digging.

McDonalds now tell us that their brand mission is not just fast food. An article in one of the marketing mags revealed that burgers are merely a catalyst to allow McDonalds to oppose all the negativity that surrounds daily life.

Now, my understanding of the term ‘brand mission’ is essentially to define the essence of the company’s vision, mission and marketing, all rolled into one.
I read that Starbuck’s brand mission is not to make good coffee, but to inspire the human spirit.

Coca Cola has gone one step beyond refreshment, and now claims it is responsible for inspiring moments of happiness. Do they really believe that consumers buy this garbage? (Not the food, or drink, the mission)

I’m a staunch believer in brand. I’m also passionate about companies setting a strong vision to clearly articulate where they want to be 15 years, 20 years from now. To my way of thinking that vision sets the road map for the company to achieve what it wants to achieve. I’m also a firm believer that brand and corporate strategy are so closely intertwined that one must reflect the other.

Bill Gates saw the vision for Microsoft as a future place where there was a computer on every desk, in every home. His strategy to get there was simple, create an operating system that mum’s and dad’s, not just computer nerds, could use, easily. I don’t think anyone would suggest that Gate’s has failed to achieve his vision.

But, if Woolworth’s came out and said their brand mission was to bring solitude to every working mum, would we swallow it? Or if Toyota claimed their brand mission was to save the world from bad drivers would we accept such a ludicrous promise?

I doubt it.