海角大神

In poker a 鈥渢ell鈥� is a facial expression or word that inadvertently betrays the power or deficiency of a player鈥檚 hand. It can happen in business, too, and Mike Andres, named last August to replace Jeff Stratton as president of McDonald鈥檚 USA, said something during last Friday鈥檚 Q4 earnings call that was, well, telling.

McDonald鈥檚 performance for all of 2104 鈥渇ell short of our expectations,鈥� now-resigned president and CEO Don Thompson told analysts earlier this week. Global comparable聽sales聽were down 1% for the full year and off 0.9% for Q4. U.S. comp sales were negative for the fifth consecutive quarter, dipping 1.7% in Q4. Europe comps were down 1.1%; Asia/Pacific/Middle East/Africa comps fell 4.8%.

Thompson said McDonald鈥檚 is responding to the declining sales 鈥渨ith a sense of urgency.鈥� What has the company done so urgently? 鈥淲e redefined menu choice and personalization with the introduction of the Create Your Taste platform in Australia and the U.S.,鈥� Thompson said. 鈥淏eyond our existing menu we are asserting McDonald鈥檚 burger leadership by offering greater customization and choice. Not only does Create Your Taste provide new menu news that excites consumers, it has the potential to lift sales of core classics by bringing more customers into our restaurants.鈥�

During the Q&A session Andres responded to a question about the Create Your Taste platform this way: 鈥淩elative to Create Your Taste, please keep this in mind: We have been modeling out looking at Create Your Taste, Build Your Burger now for over three years.鈥� His comment was intended to emphasize the company鈥檚 long-term commitment to the customization approach, but keep this in mind, too: After聽three years聽the platform was being tried in a handful of Southern California units at the end of 2014. Now it is being expanded to聽30 stores聽and the company has said it hopes to have it in 2,000 of its 14,000 U.S. by the end of 2015. If the approach really has 鈥減otential to lift sales,鈥� shouldn鈥檛 the chain be moving faster?

McDonald鈥檚 will export the Bacon Clubhouse to France next month. Perhaps it can bring back something fresh and novel in exchange.

There鈥檚 the rub. McDonald鈥檚 is trying to remedy deep near-term problems with long-term solutions. Can that approach be effective? The company says it hopes to have Create Your Taste kiosks in all 900+ Australian units by the end of 2015. That鈥檚 great but in what shape will U.S. same-store sales be then?

Keep in mind, too, that there鈥檚 no real menu innovation with Create Your Taste, it simply uses technology to allow customers to choose toppings for their burgers. It鈥檚 part of the 鈥渄igital engagement鈥� that McDonald鈥檚 believes will modernize its customer experience and reverse its sales slide. But what if customers don鈥檛 like or want McDonald鈥檚 food? Ah, that鈥檚 a different problem.

What significant, successful menu additions has McDonald鈥檚 made since it introduced the Bacon Clubhouse burger I 聽March 2014? The $2 Jalape艌o Double maybe? Don鈥檛 tell me Go-Gurt and clementines in Happy Meals. Yogurt and fruit won鈥檛 save this brand. It tested an Original Cheddar Melt and guacamole-topped burgers but didn鈥檛 roll out either nationally. If McDonald鈥檚 truly wants to bring in lost customers right聽now, not years from, it ought to be able to introduce more than聽one聽menu star a year. Its European operations have no trouble developing unexpected menu items.聽 It鈥檚 adding聽The Grand, a version of a successful doubleburger it sold in Spain , in the UK in early February. Denmark is showcasing three varieties of Big Tasty burgers.

Thompson insists that 鈥渃hanges we announced last year to create a flatter, more nimble organization have opened the door for decisions to be made closer to the customer,鈥� including menu decisions. So are there menu winners just waiting to be added by, say, the Jacksonville, Fla., owners co-op? Maybe so. But if so, McDonald鈥檚 might want to get them out there soon. It鈥檚 urgent.