McDonald’s McBlog

Eggs aren’t the only ones who blog regularly. Now even the maker of the Egg McMuffin is online with its very own internal blog. In an industry where regular communication between headquarters and thousands of locations across the country is notoriously tough, McDonald’s hopes “Station M” will improve two-way dialogue by giving all employees the chance to get online.

“Station M” allows bloggers from crew to corporate to kick off discussions and post comments or questions in three languages. In the QSR biz, the only communication that usually takes place between the restaurant support center and restaurant teams is quick round-table discussions to get input about product performances after market tests, and newsletters from corporate with instructions about the latest promotion. For the first time, McDonald’s will have real-time feedback from the frontlines.

The blog has other possibilities beyond internal communication and branding too. If restaurant teams really do post their opinions with day-to-day happenings, it could be an insider’s perspective of daily consumer insights. It could also enhance McD’s culture of innovation, since the entire organization can post new product ideas.

However, plenty of other companies have tried posting intranet portals as idea or update boards. The typical problem is, the number of ideas or entries and the willingness of anyone to wade through them is usually inversely correlated. And the boards and blogs that start out as great ideas often aren't leveraged at all. 

Every company faces challenges with internal communication. And any headquarters with as many nationwide locations as McDonald’s has a tumultuous time trying to spark dialogue. McDonald’s new model with internal blog could revolutionize this type of relationship. That is, if anyone actually uses it…