BEIJING-- McDonald's Corp. is aiming to beef up its image in
China amid an economic slowdown that could send diners searching
for cheaper alternatives.
The Oak Brook, Ill., company is overhauling a number of its
China-based stores in places such as Beijing, Shanghai and
Guangzhou using a local designer, according to a company statement.
It also is launching a new advertising campaign that focuses on
Chinese aspirations and it is recruiting more locals to run its
franchises in China. McDonald's will also feature basketball star
LeBron James in China-focused commercials later this year, the
statement said.
McDonald's is airing a three-minute ad that is set to appear
Friday, just after the widely watched evening news on state
broadcaster China Central Television. WPP PLC's media-buying agency
Group M estimates that time slot costs about $131,000.
The move comes as China's economic growth slows. China reported
Wednesday that first-quarter growth in the country fell to 7.4%
from a year earlier, the lowest level in 18 months, from 7.7% in
the fourth quarter. There is little sign that the economy will
manage much faster growth in the near term.
Write to Laurie Burkitt at laurie.burkitt@wsj.com and Julie
Jargon at julie.jargon@wsj.com
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