McDonalds Vs. Starbucks

Regardless of the bad press McDonald's has received over the years, it has remained one of the top social media recognized brands in the world with 889,000 followers on Instagram, 58.8 million likes on Facebook, 2.9 million followers on Twitter. McDonald's and Starbucks both have rebelled against popular belief that frequent wall posts and content updates will reap a higher number of followers, and with few posts per week and limited updates have continued to climb in numbers. Unlike companies that hold contests on their Facebook walls, McDonald's has chosen to not use contests to promote their company. However, McDonald's has paid special attention to Twitter in the recent year. After numerous people from around the world have complained about "missing breakfast by 30 seconds" or "craving McDonald's at lunch time" on Twitter, McDonald's made the decision to make an "All Day Breakfast." Along with this decision, McDonald's also decided to reply to over 88,000 users on Twitter who had commented about wanting an all day breakfast in the past. This decision to personally reply to users everywhere has given McDonald's an unimaginable amount of positive press and recognition. However, while McDonald's is a famous icon in the brand world, it still focuses heavily on the product and not promoting the product into something greater - a lifestyle.

In contrast to McDonalds, Starbucks has had positive press since opening their doors and continues to dominate the social world with 5.8 Million followers on Instagram, 35.9 million likes on Facebook, 9.9 million followers on Twitter. From the day they opened their doors, Starbucks has been the coffee of the people. Unlike McDonald's which is namely focused on the food it serves, Starbucks is more than it's coffee. Starbucks is a lifestyle. People from all around the world post pictures of them in their fashionable outfits with a cup of Starbucks coffee. This action presents consumers who have a personal relationship and connection with a product. They are inherently stating that Starbucks is a part of who they are and is a compliment to their personality and style. Therefore, Starbucks sets itself apart from McDonald's by being more than a brand, but a way of being. While McDonald's has struggled with ethical dilemmas by not appearing to be a brand of the people, Starbucks has done quite the opposite. Once a company has turned a product into a way of life, they have won.