Surprisingly, McDonald’s Japan has suspended its child menu toy campaign. This decision follows consumer outcry after the Pokémon card giveaway hijinks. This decision comes amid ongoing concerns about the company’s sales strategy and food wastage practices, which have drawn scrutiny from Japan’s Consumer Affairs Agency.
Our Pokémon scandal
To recap, the controversy started after the surprise launch of a limited-edition Pokémon card giveaway linked to McDonald’s “Happy Set” meals. The promotion became so popular, leading to long lines and reports of people buying in bulk at multiple stores. On the first day of the promotion, numerous locations quickly ran out of Pokémon cards, prompting complaints from disappointed customers.
That simple promotion created a tidal wave of hype. One Pikachu card even sold for more than £25,000 ($33,000) on an online auction site! Yet, the enthusiasm generated by the giveaway not only resulted in the positive impact mentioned above. Innumerable customers purchased more food than they would have otherwise ordered just to earn the cards, often resulting in needless food waste. Because of that, much of the food prepared went to waste.
In reaction to these concerns, McDonald’s Japan has pledged to “reconsider” the nature of its promotions. The company acknowledged the impact of “large-scale purchases for the purpose of reselling, which resulted in store congestion or food being left behind and discarded.”
The Pokémon campaign was not the first time McDonald’s Japan had run into trouble with promotions. The company had recently partnered with the “Chiikawa” manga series, which ran into these problems. McDonald’s recently postponed a planned collaboration with the popular pirate-themed manga title “One Piece” as part of its ongoing review of Happy Set-related initiatives.
The “One Piece” series, which includes long-running comics and an animated program dating back to 1997, has garnered a massive following in Japan. The move to delay this partnership shows McDonald’s is serious about listening to customers and learning to perfect its partnerships and promotions.
Japan’s McDonald’s considers its promotional gaffes. They balance people’s excitement with doing what’s right when selling to consumers. On a positive note, the company does seem committed to improving how it communicates its promo teams. And they’re trying to benefit both the brand and its customers, all the while reducing food waste.