McDonalds lets six moms' into its kitchens so that they can blog about it

McDonald's is taking a bold step towards improving its image and has allowed six moms into their kitchens to blog for them and to give a first hand account of what really happens behind the scenes. In a program called Moms' Quality Correspondets which is to launched next week, the company will give access into the kitchen to six mothers who will blog about what they see. This endeavor is largely due to the company's continued battering on the obesity debate and hopes to change how people think of its food.

The company has provided the six moms with laptops to write on and their findings will be publisded unedited from June 20th on McDonald's home page. The six mothers were chosen out of 4,000 applicants by an independent company. The move is very bold and risky, and there is no guarantee that the company will be pleased with their findings, but the fact that it has made this effort also speaks for its sincerity.

John Owens, an analyst with Chicago-based Morningstar Inc., said McDonald's "might gain some insights that they wouldn't (get) in controlled focus groups and other marketing studies."

But while the Web journals could "shed some light on misconceptions, it can work the other way as well," he said. "They might receive some criticisms that might be very warranted."