Day 045 - 03 Nov 94 - Page 24

     
     1        96 per cent of American children had heard of Santa Claus.
     2        ronald mcdonald was running in a close second.
     3
     4   MR. MORRIS:  Close second, yes.  Sorry.  I got that wrong.
     5
     6        (To the witness)  This theme of ronald mcdonald being a
     7        close second to Santa got taken up, did it not, in the
     8        newspapers, and has gone into folk law, American folk law?
     9        A.  I do not remember the specific incident as far as
    10        taking it up, but I have heard that expression, yes.
    11
    12   Q.   Why would you want people to think that 96 per cent of
    13        American children were able to identify with
    14        ronald mcdonald?
    15        A.  Again, from the context, I think, of what you speak, it
    16        is an idea that he is a very popular character.
    17
    18   Q.   Who are your customers in America?  Who do you consider to
    19        be your customers?
    20        A.  A customer?
    21
    22   Q.   Who do you consider your customers to be?
    23        A.  Anybody.  A customer----
    24
    25   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  We have heard a lot of evidence on this
    26        already, have we not?  Is there some specific area you are
    27        thinking about?
    28
    29   MR. MORRIS:  Yes, there is.
    30
    31        (To the witness)  I will ask you a direct question.  Do you
    32        consider that the whole -- just say, for example, with
    33        children.  Do you consider that almost every child----
    34        A.  Yes.  I think you could pretty well say that anyone who
    35        can come to our restaurant, or anyone who can have our
    36        McDonald's food, would be considered a customer.
    37
    38   Q.   But do you know what percentage of children, or have any
    39        idea what percentage of children may have visited your
    40        stores?
         A.  I would say the vast majority of children have visited
    42        our stores.
    43
    44   Q.   So when you talk about McDonald's customers, in terms of
    45        children, do you feel that you are talking about all
    46        American children, or virtually all?
    47        A.  Yes.
    48
    49   Q.   Yes.  Is it not a fact, though, that the vast majority of
    50        visits to McDonald's are in the category of heavy users, 
    51        considerably heavy users? 
    52        A.  What---- 
    53
    54   Q.   Visits.
    55        A.  What percentage of the people who make up the visits?
    56        Yes, I believe the heavy user, which is a person who comes
    57        to or goes out to quick service restaurants once or more a
    58        week, makes up approximately 75 per cent of the visits to a
    59        McDonald's.
    60