In News Focus #21, we visit Australia, where the fast food brand MacDonald s was introduced over 40 years ago. To celebrate Australia Day, the number one public holiday in Australia, some restaurants are temporarily changing their signs. If you are interested in finding out what name will go on the new signs, then click here. Sydney, Australia January 10, 2013 Welcome to Macca s THIRTEEN McDonald s restaurants around Australia are due to change their name temporarily to Macca s in honor of Australia Day, which falls on January 26. The renaming follows a recent survey that reveals that over half of the nation regularly refer to the international fast food business by its informal name of Macca s. The restaurants plan to change their name for a month, replacing their signage with the customized Macca s logo. The fast food brand was introduced to the country four decades ago in 1971, and since then the business has been warmly embraced by Aussies who affectionately use the abbreviated nickname of Macca s. Chief marketing officer for McDonald s Australia Mark Lollback claims that changing the signage for Australia Day celebrations is a wonderful way to acknowledge the colloquial nickname. Lollback said, We re incredibly proud to embrace our Australian-only nickname. What better way to show Aussies how proud we are to be a part of the Australian community than by changing our store signs to the name the community has given us? The first restaurants involved in the promotion changed their signage in early January in the southern Sydney suburb of Engadine and the Brisbane neighborhood of Kangaroo Point. Eleven other outlets around the country will change their signs throughout the month, revealing the customized Maccas branding designed specifically for the Australian market. Macca s new sign in Engadine While McDonald s is regularly referred to by the nickname Mickey D s in the U.S.A., the business claims that Australia is the only nation in the world that
uses the shortened form Macca s in significant numbers. Market research undertaken by McDonald s Australia states that 55% of Australians say they regularly refer to the business by its colloquial name. McDonald s have never changed the signage of any of its restaurants around the world, fiercely protecting a brand that has become internationally renowned in the fast food industry since its foundation in 1940 in the US. McDonald s has opened over 34,000 restaurants in 122 different countries since then, with over 745 of those outlets located in Australia. Marketing experts suggest that McDonald s Australia may have decided to use the Australia Day promotion as a way of testing whether the Australian public would accept a more permanent rebranding of the restaurant chain under the Macca s label. Such a rebranding would signal a distinct change in the organization s approach and a willingness to adapt its marketing strategy to match individual countries. The thirteen McDonald s restaurants involved in the Australia Day promotion will retain their Macca s signage until early February. McDonald s Australia claim that they have no current plans to rebrand all of their restaurants as Macca s, although the success of this public relations strategy will no doubt be used as a gauge for any future brand adaptations in other countries. Is McDonald s the only fast-food restaurant with a nickname? # Golden Arches (U.S. slang) # Mickey-D's (U.S. slang) # Mick-dicks (U.S. + Canadian slang) # Macca's (Australian slang) # Mackey-D's (British slang) # MakDo (Filipino slang) # MacDoh (French / French Canadian slang) # Makku or Makudo (Japanese slang) # Mekkes / McDoof (German slang) # McD's (Scottish slang) # Meki (Hungarian slang) # Mec (Romanian slang) # Donken (Swedish slang) # Mak Kee (Hong Kong Cantonese -- slang) # Muc Dong Dong (Hong Kong kids slang) # MacDonas (Mexican slang) The popularity of the nickname has prompted McDonald's to call on Macquarie Dictionary, the authority on the English language in Australia, to include "Macca's" in their online version. [A] READING CHECK Are these sentences correct (C) or incorrect (I)? 1. Half of the McDonald s restaurants in Australia will change their names. 2. The restaurants will use the new name for only one month.
3. The affectionate nickname, Macca s, is used by around one-third of Australians. 4. The nickname was invented by McDonald s marketing department. 5. All 13 restaurants involved will change their signs at the same time. 6. The restaurants will change back to the original signs the day after Australia Day. 7. This is the first time that the international fast food giant has ever changed its name. 8. Mickey D s was founded in 1940 in the USA. 9. McDs can now be found in over a hundred different countries around the world. 10. McDonald s is known as Macca s in Australia and one other country. [B] WORD FOCUS Match each numbered word with its meaning below. THIRTEEN McDonald s restaurants around Australia are due to change their name temporarily [1] to Macca s in honor of Australia Day, which falls on January 26. The renaming follows a recent survey that reveals [2] that over half of the nation regularly refer to the international fast food business by its informal name of Macca s. The restaurants plan to change their name for a month, replacing their signage with the customized [3] Macca s logo. The fast food brand was introduced to the country four decades ago in 1971, and since then the business has been warmly embraced by Aussies who affectionately use the abbreviated [4] nickname of Macca s. Chief marketing officer for McDonald s Australia Mark Lollback claims that changing the signage for Australia Day celebrations is a wonderful way to acknowledge the colloquial [5] nickname. Lollback said, We re incredibly proud to embrace our Australian-only nickname. What better way to show Aussies how proud we are to be a part of the Australian community than by changing our store signs to the name the community has given us? The first restaurants involved in the promotion changed their signage in early January in the southern Sydney suburb of Engadine and the Brisbane neighborhood of Kangaroo Point. Eleven other outlets [6] around the country will change their signs throughout the month, revealing the customized Maccas branding designed specifically for the Australian market. While McDonald s is regularly referred to by the nickname Mickey D s in the U.S.A., the business claims that Australia is the only nation in the world that uses the shortened form Macca s in significant numbers. Market research undertaken [7] by McDonald s Australia states that 55% of Australians say they regularly refer to the business by its colloquial name. McDonald s have never changed the signage of any of its restaurants around the world, fiercely protecting a brand that has become internationally renowned [8] in the fast food industry since its foundation in 1940 in the US. McDonald s has opened over 34,000 restaurants in 122 different countries since then, with over 745 of those outlets located in Australia.
Marketing experts suggest that McDonald s Australia may have decided to use the Australia Day promotion as a way of testing whether the Australian public would accept a more permanent rebranding of the restaurant chain under the Macca s label. Such a rebranding would signal [9] a distinct change in the organization s approach and a willingness to adapt its marketing strategy to match individual countries. The thirteen McDonald s restaurants involved in the Australia Day promotion will retain their Maccas signage until early February. McDonald s Australia claim that they have no current plans to rebrand all of their restaurants as Macca s, although the success of this public relations strategy will no doubt be used as a gauge [10] for any future brand adaptations in other countries. 1 (a) briefly (b) permanently (c) in a moment 2 (a) shows (b) conceals (c) displays 3 (a) massproduced (b) modified (c) unaltered 4 (a) altered (b) shortened (c) lengthened 5 (a) comic (b) formal (c) informal 6 (a) restaurants (b) channels (c) exits 7 (a) organized by (b) sold by (c) found by 8 (a) unknown (b) notorious (c) reported 9 (a) indicate (b) shine (c) switch 10 (a) scale (b) weight (c) measure [C] KEY PHRASES Complete these key phrases by matching words in column A and B. column A column B 1 Several restaurants are due to a with the customized Macca s logo. 2 The survey reveals that b is the only nation that uses the abbreviation Macca s. 3 The outlets plan to replace their signage c a way of testing a more permanent rebranding. 4 Since its foundation in 1940, d over half the nation refer to the business by its nickname. 5 The business claims that Australia e change their names temporarily. 6 McDonald s may be using the promotion as f McDonald s has opened 745 outlets throughout Australia. 7 A permanent rebranding would signal g plans to rebrand all of its restaurants as Macca s. 8 McDonald s Australia claim that it has no current h a distinct change in the organization s approach. [D] SUMMARY Arrange the words in the correct order.
1. Some restaurants will change their [Australia / in / names / of / honor] Day. 2. The public [26 / falls / January / holiday / on] each year. 3. The restaurants will replace [with / signage / a / their / customized] logo. 4. They will keep [until / the / early / signs / new] February. 5. The fast-food giant was introduced [country / four / over / the / to] decades ago. 6. 55% of Australians say they [to / business / regularly / refer / the] by its colloquial name. 7. McD s [in / 34,000 / opened / has / outlets] 122 different countries. 8. The business has never [its / of / changed / signage / any] around the world.
Sydney, Australia January 10, 2013 Welcome to Macca s Answers [A] READING CHECK Are these sentences correct (C) or incorrect (I)? 1. Half of the McDonald s restaurants in Australia will change their names. (I) (13 of the 745 restaurants will change their names.) 2. The restaurants will use the new name for only one month. (C) 3. The affectionate nickname, Macca s, is used by around one-third of Australians. (I) (Over one-half (55%) use the nickname. 4. The nickname was invented by McDonald s marketing department. (I) (The nickname was invented by the Australian people.) 5. All 13 restaurants involved will change their signs at the same time. (I) (They will change at different times starting with a restaurant in Sydney.) 6. The restaurants will change back to the original signs the day after Australia Day. (I) (They will change back in the first week of February several days after Australia Day.) 7. This is the first time that the international fast food giant has ever changed its name. (C) 8. Mickey D s was founded in 1940 in the USA. (C) 9. McDs can now be found in over a hundred different countries around the world. (C) 10. McDonald s is known as Macca s in Australia and one other country. (I) (It is only known as Macca s in Australia.) [B] WORD FOCUS Fill in the blanks using the correct words below. 1 (a) briefly (b) permanently (c) in a moment 2 (a) shows [= demonstrates] (b) conceals (c) displays [= exhibits] 3 (a) massproduced custom-made] (b) modified [= (c) unaltered 4 (a) altered (b) shortened (c) lengthened 5 (a) comic (b) formal (c) informal 6 (a) restaurants [= (b) channels (c) exits stores] 7 (a) organized by (b) sold by (c) found by 8 (a) unknown (b) notorious (c) reported 9 (a) indicate (b) shine (c) switch 10 (a) scale (b) weight (c) measure [C] KEY PHRASES Complete these key phrases by matching words in column A and B. column A column B 1 Several restaurants are due to e change their name temporarily. 2 The survey reveals that d over half the nation refer to the business by its nickname.
3 The outlets plan to replace their a with the customized Macca s logo. signage 4 Since its foundation in 1940, f McDonald s has opened 745 outlets throughout Australia. 5 The business claims that Australia b is the only nation that uses the abbreviation Macca s. 6 McDonald s may be using the promotion as c a way of testing a more permanent rebranding. 7 A permanent rebranding would signal h a distinct change in the organization s approach. 8 McDonald s Australia claim that it has no current g plans to rebrand all of its restaurants as Macca s. [D] SUMMARY Arrange the words in the correct order. 1. Some restaurants will change their names in honor of Australia Day. 2. The public holiday falls on January 26 each year. 3. The restaurants will replace their signage with a customized logo. 4. They will keep the new signs until early February. 5. The fast-food giant was introduced to the country over four decades ago. 6. 55% of Australians say they regularly refer to the business by its colloquial name. 7. McD s has opened 34,000 outlets in 122 different countries. 8. The business has never changed any of its signage around the world.