Day 055 - 25 Nov 94 - Page 61

     
     1        effect of advertising for McDonald's, I would surmise, is
     2        to encourage people to eat McDonald's.
     3
     4   Q.   As opposed to Burger King?
     5        A.  As opposed to any other foods or as opposed to going to
     6        the cinema, for example.
     7
     8   Q.   What is your basis for saying that?  Let us forget about
     9        figures and learned text for a moment and descend to the
    10        level of ordinary experience; what is it that leads you to
    11        think that a person who sees a McDonald's advertisement
    12        might be persuaded to go to a McDonald's restaurant rather
    13        than the cinema?
    14        A.  They are both experiences that one might wish to do.
    15        Eating out is seen culturally as an experience that one
    16        might wish to indulge in at lunch-time or even in the
    17        evening.  I am sure we have all made choices in this room
    18        about whether to eat out of an evening or whether to go to
    19        the theatre.  These are choices that people make.
    20
    Q.   I understand that.  What I am puzzled about is the basis
    22        for your suggestion that the decision to go to McDonald's
    23        rather than to the cinema has anything whatever do with
    24        McDonald's advertising?
    25        A.  From a child's point of view, it may have a lot to do
    26        with the advertisements.  I have shown, discussed, how
    27        advertisements for McDonald's appeal to children.  In that
    28        sense, I cannot see why -- I mean, otherwise why would
    29        McDonald's advertise?  Surely, the purpose is to encourage
    30        people to eat McDonald's.  I do not how much McDonald's
    31        also worry whether people might have fish and chips on
    32        other occasions.  I would have thought, from McDonald's
    33        point of view, as long as they feel they are getting enough
    34        people through their doors in order to meet whatever
    35        targets they maybe setting themselves, that they would be
    36        happy with that.
    37
    38   Q.   All I can tell you, Ms. Dibb -- I do not know if you have
    39        read their evidence -- is the evidence of the people
    40        responsible for spending the money on the television
         advertising is that they do it because they would rather
    42        people went to McDonald's than they did to Burger King or
    43        it might be Pizza Hut?
    44        A.  Well, I would have thought from a marketing opportunity
    45        that that is missing opportunities.  I would not have
    46        thought that people with the marketing skills that
    47        McDonald's has would do that.
    48
    49   Q.   Have you your Advertisers' Dream easily to hand?
    50        A.  Yes. 
    51 
    52   Q.   Can you turn to page 19, please?  I will come back to page 
    53        19 in a moment.  I just want to ask you one more question
    54        before I proceed to the next page.  This is a section
    55        headed:  "Children's influences on food purchases", I hope,
    56        is it?
    57        A.  That is what I am looking at.
    58
    59   Q.   That is that whole page.  At the very bottom of the
    60        right-hand column, this is supposed, I think, to be an