McDonald’s changes name in China; Know how customers there reacted

This twist in the name has come months after McDonald’s sold most of its business to China and Hong Kong consortiums earlier this year. (Reuters)

McDonald’s in China has left its customers in awe with a recent change in its official name in the country. The US-based company which was earlier known as Maidanglao in China has changed its name to Jingongmen. This new name adopted by the company nearabout gives a sense to its logo that signifies the “Golden Arches”. However, if the social media views are to be believed, the Chinese do not seem to have happily welcomed the change. Many took to the popular Chinese social media platform, Weibo, to express their views. While one user mocked the name for sounding like that of a furniture store, another said that such a name did not fit well with a foreign brand. A few complained that the name was rustic and backward.

However, some users also came out in support of the change, suggesting the critics watch Hollywood biopic, The Founder. The Hollywood flick depicts the journey of McDonald’s Ray Croc and well explains the significance of the Golden Arches. China is not the only country where McDonald’s has applied the significance of the Golden Arches in its name. According to CNN Money, in the Philippines, the company is registered as the “Golden Arches Development Corporation.” Other companies that have also changed their names in China are Coca-Cola and Google which are named Ke kou ke le and Gu ge, respectively, according to CNN Money.

This twist in the name has come months after McDonald’s sold most of its business to China and Hong Kong consortiums earlier this year. McDonald’s spokeswoman in China said that the change in the name only applied to the registration of the business, the branding remains the same. According to CNN Money, McDonald’s has built over 2,500 outlets in China and plans on opening at least 2,000 more over the next five years.