Comparing the Irish and American McDonald Websites

                For the websites that I will be comparing I chose McDonalds. The first obvious difference between the two is that the American website ends with ".com", and the Irish website ends with ".ie". On the main page of the American website, one of the first links on  the bottom that they are advertising is their super value menu. This shows how fast food has become a major part of our culture because it is extremely easy and affordable to get. Fast food is part of our fast-paced culture, and also contributes to the obesity problem in our country. We have become so accustomed to being able to grab a quick and cheap bite to eat whenever we please. This is why the advertising is geared towards their value menu. Another link on the homepage is to the Ronald McDonald House. Charities also seem to be very common  in our American culture. I feel as though our country has many more charity foundations set up then other countries, and this is a very good thing. When a customer sees that an organization has a successful charity such as the Ronald McDonald house, they may be more willing to spend money there.

                When entering the Ireland McDonald website, the homepage has a picture of a farmer and the caption says "We know our Irish farmers by name. Meet Liam Delaney." This is a huge selling point for not only McDonalds, but the beef industry throughout Ireland. On my trip to Ireland, I learned that the people here support their local farmers immensely. Consumers are willing to pay the extra euro in order to ensure that the beef they are consuming is coming directly from the cows here in Ireland. McDonalds utilizes this selling point in their advertisements. I even ate at a McDonalds here in Ireland, and noticed the same advertisement inside the restaurant. This is a major difference from the United States, where most consumers of McDonalds could careless where the beef comes from, only that it provides them with an inexpensive meal.